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When our ancestors realised stringing together words to form sentences could bridge gaps between minds, tribes and nations, it changed the world and led to the advent of civilisation.
While historians and linguists find identifying the exact age of languages difficult, the discovery of inscriptions helps them trace the origins of languages to an approximate time period.
Here are some of the oldest languages that have not only survived, but also thrive in modern times.
Hebrew
Written records date the language back to the 10th-11th century BC. Hebrew fell into dormancy (200-400 AD), before being revived again after 2000 years with the rise of the Zionist movement.
Farsi
A direct descendant of the old Persian language, New Farsi emerged in 800 AD. It has changed sparingly since then, and speakers of Farsi today can easily pick up on texts from 900 AD.
Icelandic
The national language of Iceland originates from Old Norse, which the Vikings brought with them when they settled in the Nordic nation around 870-874 AD.
Chinese
Chinese is a group of languages spoken by 1.2 billion people across the globe. The Chinese hieroglyphs date back to the Shang dynasty (1250-1050 BC).
Arabic
Arabic, the mother tongue of about 300 million people, traces its origins to the Arabian Peninsula (800-700 BC).
Tamil
Tamil is considered to be the oldest living language in the world. Its written records trace its origins back to the 5th century BC. Tamil is divided into old, middle, and modern.
“Language is the foundation of civilisation. It is the glue that holds people together. It is the first weapon drawn in a conflict,” said Ian Donnelly in the movie Arrival.
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