10 Facts about Languages you Didn't know | Glowforge

 10 Facts about Languages you Didn't know;

In this blog post, I will be informing you about 10 fascinating facts about languages you may not know. Along with that, I will also be answering some of the FREQUENTLY asked questions about linguistics, which, I believe will clarify your thoughts. Enjoy reading! Some links in this blog are affiliate links which means I might recieve a small commission when you purchase through my links. 

Title: 10 Amazing Language-Related Facts You

Were Not Aware Of:

1. The Most Spoken Language is Not English:

 English isn't the most spoken language in the world, despite being used extensively. The language that has more than a billion speakers globally is Mandarin Chinese.

2. Linguistic Island:

 Spoken in the Philippines, the Chavacano language is a creole language that was influenced by Spanish, as well as a few Malay and Islamic languages. It is distinct since it is the only creole based in Spanish spoken in Asia.

3. The Longest Word: 

The longest word in any language is a scientific term - Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis. It's a 45-letter word that describes a lung disease caused by inhaling very fine silica particles (my 10 year old cousin learnt it within an hour).

4. The Silent Letter:

 The letter "h" is silent in English terms like "hour" and "honor." The reason behind this anomaly, which is called "historical h," is that while the letter "h" was pronounced in Old English, it eventually went silent.

5. The Most Translated Book:

 More languages than any other book have seen translations of the Bible. Millions of people throughout the world can use it because it is available in more than 700 languages and dialects.

6. The World's Oldest Language: 

The world's oldest language with a written tradition is regarded as Sanskrit, the classical language of ancient India. Only a tiny percentage of Indians still speak it now.

7. The Most Linguistically Diverse Place:

 Papua New Guinea is home to over 800 indigenous languages, making it the most linguistically diverse country in the world.

8. The Universal Language of Math:

 The Vedic Math, an ancient Indian number system, does not have the symbol '0.' Rather, they employed the term "shunya," which translates to "empty."

9. The Largest Dictionary:

 The Chinese Oxford Dictionary is the largest dictionary in terms of character count, with over 170,000 characters.

10. The Shortest Complete Sentence:

 The smallest complete sentence in English is "I am." It has a verb (am), a subject (I), and a period at the conclusion.

Can Languages Go/Be Extinct?

The linguistic and cultural variety of the world is impacted by language loss. 

Every language has its own syntax, lexicon, and expressions that are exclusive to that language. A portion of the rich cultural legacy of humanity is gone forever with the death of a language. Furthermore, the preservation of native history, knowledge, and customs is intimately linked to language, and the loss of a language may be irreversible.

So, can languages go extinct? Unfortunately, the answer is yes. However, there are ways to mitigate this loss. 

Where are languages LEAST spoken?

The world's least spoken languages are typically found in isolated places, tiny island states, or unstable political regions. To make sure that these languages do not disappear, it is imperative to acknowledge the significance of maintaining linguistic diversity and encouraging multilingualism. 

Supporting native speakers, documenting these languages, and putting policies in place that promote their use and development should all be priorities. By doing this, we may encourage a more accepting and understanding world while also honoring the diversity of our worldwide linguistic history.

Where Do Languages come from?

Languages have their roots in the evolution of humans. Our predecessors acquired means of communicating their wants, feelings, and experiences as they moved and adjusted. From more basic means of communication like sounds and gestures, languages developed into intricate systems of vocabulary and syntax.

How Many Languages are there in the World?

There are about 7,139 languages in the world, altogether. 

What are Romance Languages?

The set of languages known as Romance languages descended from Vulgar Latin, the vernacular Latin used by the Romans. Latin flourished throughout the Roman Empire, and local populations carried on speaking their own dialects of the language after the empire collapsed. These dialects developed into separate languages over time, which are now referred to as the Romance languages.

-Among the principal Romance languages are:

1. Spanish, or español, is spoken in several Central and South American nations as well as in Spain and Mexico.
2. French (Français): spoken in France, numerous African and Caribbean nations, and Canada.
3. Italian, sometimes known as Italiano, is spoken in Switzerland, Italy, and a few places in Africa and the Americas.
4. Portuguese, or Português, is spoken in Brazil, Portugal, and several regions of Asia and Africa.
5. Spoken in Moldova and Romania, Romanian is known as Română.

Minor romance languages that are spoken in particular areas of Spain, Portugal, and France include Catalan, Galician, and Occitan. These languages' Latin origins can be seen in the common grammar, lexicon, and structural elements they have.

Hope this helped!

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