Interesting Facts About Languages

Language diversity

When you sit and think about it, it is pretty weird that we created languages to communicate. Weird but understandable. But the purpose of language is not only communication. Languages do so much more. Our thought process will be utterly different without languages, or it may be even extinct without the complexity of languages. People used to communicate with each other even before they came up with proper languages. So language doesn’t help us communicate with each other, it helps us understand each other. English, being the official language of many countries and spoken by a vast number of English speakers globally, utilizes the English alphabet and encompasses a vast English vocabulary. Mandarin Chinese, with the largest number of native speakers in the world, uses the fascinating Chinese characters of the Greek alphabet. Spanish, another dominant language, is spoken by millions and is considered a national language in various countries. Despite its complexity, English grammatical rules and common adjectives facilitate expression. Indigenous languages, though diverse, contribute significantly to cultural heritage. The creation of artificial languages further demonstrates the capacity for linguistic innovation.

A lot of the things we experience, our feelings and emotions will not have found a way to express themselves had it not been for the beauty of languages and words. We created languages, and then we got writers and poets. So by creating languages, we did ourselves a favor because without literature life would not have found meaning. The same can be said for translation as it helps us pass on the wisdom from one language to another. Middle English, with its historical significance, paved the way for the evolution of European languages and the development of the English phrase and English dictionary. Ultimately, language is the tool through which we comprehend, communicate, and enrich our lives.

There’s even more

• In chess, the word “Checkmate” comes from the Persian “Shah Mat”, which means “the King is dead”.
• There is only one 15-letter word which doesn’t use a letter twice and that is “uncopyrightable”.
• Back to typing, the word “Stewardesses” is the longest word typed with only the left hand.
• The Latin, or Roman, alphabet is the most widely used writing system in the world. Its roots go back to an alphabet used in Phoenicia, in the Eastern Mediterranean, around 1100 BC.
• In Japanese the word “karaoke” means “empty orchestra”.
• In Chinese, the words crisis and opportunity are the same.
• The etymology of some words or phrases is surprising.
  • Like “Good bye” which comes from “God bye”, which comes from “God be with you”.
  • Or “So-long” that comes from the Arabic “salaam” and the Hebrew “shalom”.
• There is also an explanation to the phrase “to get fired”. The clans of long ago that wanted to get rid of their unwanted people without killing them would burn their houses down – hence the expression.

All these facts about languages are strongly related to time because a language’s shape and meaning changes gradually, much like the evolution of the German language. Everyday new words emerge, contributing to its richness and vitality, making communication more nuanced and comprehensive. Interestingly, studies suggest that German is among the happiest languages, its evolution and lexicon reflecting the cultural and emotional landscape of its speakers.

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