![]() ![]() Using the model of a tree, you can think of each language family as a trunk (stretching furthest back in time), each giving rise to branches, and then leaves (language groups). Language group (ex: Burmese, Arabic, Romanian).Language branch (ex: Tibeto-Burman, Semitic, Romance).Language family (ex: Sino-Tibetan, Afro-Asiatic, Indo-European).Furthermore, linguists, or scholars who specialize in studying language, organize language hierarchically as follows: ![]() In addition to size and whether the language is written or oral, languages can be classified in terms of health, referring to the level of robustness and growth they experience or if they are threatened and/or dying, to be discussed towards the end of this chapter. ![]() However, according to Ethnologue, a leading source on all-things-language, there are just over 7,000 language in the world with about 4,000 of them being written. One of the most common questions when it comes to languages is: how many are there? Just as it’s not so straightforward to declare how many countries there are in the world due to variation in definition and recognition, so too is the case with languages. ![]() Sign language is an un-spoken and un-written form or mode of language for people who are deaf or hearing-impaired (certain systems of sign language like American Sign Language (ASL) are considered stand-alone languages complete with their own grammar) and braille is “a code by which many languages may be written and read” ( ).Ĭheck out this map by Ethnologue of the ~7,000 languages of the world. *NOTE: if we only consider native speakers, Chinese has by far the highest number of speakers. In terms of sheer numbers, here’s how the 5 most spoken* languages rank according to Ethnologue in terms of native and second-language speakers: English is the current global lingua franca, or a language of international business and exchange. Language is a spoken, written, or spoken and written system of communication that is understood by groups of people. If you’re reading or listening to this book and understand it, then you comprehend at least one language: English. 10 Geography of Language Talking about talking ![]()
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