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Did you know there are more than 7,000 languages spoken in the world, or that the oldest written language in the world is Sumerian? Languages are powerful tools of communication. However, the oldest languages of the world, not just speak about history, they assisted in pushing civilisations forward. Today, we are advanced because at the crux of every invention lies language that made it possible to communicate and understand each other. This blog covers the top 10 oldest languages in the world that have endured and have left an impact on the world.
Table of Contents [show]
| S.No. | Language | Country of Origin |
| 1 | Sumerian | Iraq (Ancient Mesopotamia) |
| 2 | Egyptian | Egypt |
| 3 | Akkadian | Iraq (Ancient Mesopotamia) |
| 4 | Sanskrit | India |
| 5 | Chinese (Old) | China |
| 6 | Tamil | India |
| 7 | Greek (Mycenaean) | Greece |
| 8 | Hebrew | Israel |
| 9 | Aramaic | Syria/Iraq (Ancient Near East) |
| 10 | Old Persian | Iran |
10 Oldest Langauges of the Wolrd
Here is a list of the top 10 oldest languages in the world that you must know about. These languages are a testament to human brilliance. Learn about these languages and how they have left a mark on human civilization.
Sumerian (c. 3100 BC – 2000 BC)
Sumerian is the oldest written language in the world. This language originated in Mesopotamia (modern Iraq). The cuneiform script was etched into a clay tablet. This became the language of Sumer, and facilitated the law, literature, and religion to flourish. The sad part? The language became extinct around 2000 BC. It influenced the Akkadian and laid the foundation for the writing system. The world’s oldest text Epic of Gilgamesh, is written in Sumerian.
Egyptian (c. 3000 BC – 400 AD)
Egyptian is one of the oldest languages in the world. The language is recorded in hieroglyphs and was spoken along the Nile for over 4,000 years. Later on, the ancient Egyptian language evolved into Demotic and later Coptic. The Coptic Christian uses this langauge for liturgical prayers. Religious texts like the Book of the Dead and the Pyramid Texts were written in Egyptian.
Akkadian (c. 2500 BC – 100 AD)
Akkadian is a Semitic language of Mesopotamia. This is the language that replaced Sumerian. It was so popular that it became the administrative language of empires like Babylon and Assyria. The language is written in cuneiform, it produced the Code of Hammurabi. Unfortunately, this language also became extinct by 100 AD due to the influence of languages like Hebrew and Aramaic. A literary relic written in Akkadian is ‘Enuma Elish’.
Sanskrit (c. 1500 BC – present)
Sanskrit is one of the oldest languages of the world. The Vedic language is the liturgical language of ancient India. Many Hindu sacred texts are written in Sanskrit. For example, the Rigveda. The classical Sanskrit language flourished in epics like the Mahabharata and other works. Sanskrit came before other languages Indo-Aryan languages like Hindi. Today, you can even get a BA in Sanskrit. Due to the grammatical precision of the language, NASA is considering the use of Sanskrit for coding!
Old Chinese (c. 1250 BC – 221 BC)
Chinese is one of the oldest languages of the world. The inscriptions from the Shang Dynasty were written in Old Chinese. However, the language later evolved into modern-day Mandarin. You can find several Confucian classics and poetry written in Chinese. The logographic characters in Chinese influenced the creation of languages like Korean and Japanese!
Tamil (c. 500 BC – present)
This Dravidian language is one of the top 10 oldest languages in the world. Tamil is more than 2000 years old, and the language was used for writing early Sangam literature. For example, poetic anthologies like the Tirukkural were written in Tamil. Tamil is still spoken by 80 million people! It is among the oldest living languages, and is mainly spoken in South India, particularly Tamil Nadu. Tamil is the only Indian language that is declared as a classical language by the Indian government.
Greek (1450 BC – 1100 BC)
The Mycenaean Greek (written in Linear B) laid the foundation for the alphabetic Greek of Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey. The ancient Greek language is credited with shaping Western Philosophy, democracy, and science. The Koine Greek language was used to write the New Testament! Modern Greek uses the archaic elements of ancient Greek. Even the world alphabet was taken from the Greek language!
Hebrew (c. 1000 BC – present)
The Biblical Hebrew is one of the oldest languages of the world. The language faded from daily use after 40 AD. However, it continued to be used in the Jewish liturgy. The language was revived around the 19th century. Today, it is the official language of Israel! The resurrection of the language is considered a linguistic miracle! This is the only language that was considered dead but has become a national langauge!
Aramaic (c. 1000 BC – 700 AD)
Aramaic is another one of the oldest languages. This was used in the Near East by the Persian Empire. Part of the language was also written in Aramaic. Even Jesus likely spoke a Galilean dialect! At present, the endangered Neo-Aramaic dialects are still used by some communities. For example, Chaldean communities and the Assyrian communities. The phrase “Talitha koum” meaning “Little girl, get up,” was spoken by Jesus (as per the Bible in Aramaic.
Old Persian (c. 600 BC – 300 BC)
Old Persian is among the top 10 oldest languages in the world. This language is inscribed in cuneiform at Behistun. The language later on evolved into Middle Persian (Pahlavi). It also evolved into the modern-day Farsi. The language was used by the Achaemenid Empire, and supported the administration of vast territories. Thus, the language influenced the neighbouring languages. It was the Behistun Inscription that allowed historians to decode the cuneiform
Also Read:
- Facts About Medieval Castles: 10 Truths That Will Transport You Back in Time
- The Evolution of Computers: 10 Interesting Facts You Didn’t Know
FAQs
The seven oldest languages in the world are Sumerian, Egyptian, Mycenaean Greek, Akkadian, Old Chinese, Aramaic, Hebrew, and Tamil. Only a few of these languages are used today.
The top 5 oldest languages in the world are Sumerian, Egyptian, Hebrew, Farsi, and Greek. Other oldest languages are- Tamil, Farsi, and Italian.
Tamil is older than Sanskrit. It is the oldest language in India and is part of the Dravidian language. The earliest written language of Tamil dates back to around 580 BC.
No. Chinese is older than Tamil. The oldest written record for the Chinese language is around 1250 BC. On the other hand, the oldest written record for Tamil is around 300 BC.
Sumerian, Akkadian, and Egyptian are considered to be the earliest languages of the world. The oldest written record in the Sumerian language dates back to 3500 BC. The oldest lanaguage in the world is Sumerian.
Related Reads
These were the facts about the oldest languages of the world. If you find it fascinating and wish to read more such interesting facts, then stay tuned to the General Knowledge page of Leverage Edu.
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