The Earth may have once been home to 10 times as many languages as exist today, according to a study published in Science. Researchers identified a “golden age” of linguistic diversity that occurred between 1,000 and 3,000 years ago, during which the number of global languages peaked at between 20,000 and 75,000 tongues.
Modeling 12,000 Years of Diversity
To quantify the history of human speech, a team coauthored by Science News linguist Claire Bowern developed a computational model tracing trajectories over the last 12,000 years. The researchers used more than 170 contemporary hunting and gathering groups as a proxy for past populations, noting that these groups typically maintain a 1-1 ratio of languages to groups.
At the start of the Holocene 12,000 years ago, experts estimate the global population was between 4 million and 7 million people. Based on the social structure of foraging groups, the team concluded there were likely between 4,500 and 6,200 languages worldwide at that time. The model then tracked how the transition to agriculture allowed populations to balloon, which initially caused the number of languages to grow steadily.
The Rise and Fall of the Golden Age
The study suggests that for two millennia, from 1000 B.C.E. to C.E. 1000, the planet experienced a surge in linguistic variety. However, this peak was followed by a rapid plummet in diversity. The researchers found that this decline coincided with the rise of multinational empires and large states, such as the Roman Empire.
According to the findings, languages belonging to expanding empires were disproportionately likely to survive, while the tongues of displaced, declining, or absorbed populations disappeared. This suggests that the first large-scale societies had a homogenizing effect on speech. Blasi, a member of the research team, stated that it takes much less than a colonial powerhouse to destroy linguistic diversity.
Challenging Historical Assumptions
The results challenge two popular theories regarding language extinction. First, it disputes the idea that linguistic diversity was at its highest before the dawn of agriculture 12,000 years ago. Second, it suggests that widespread language extinction began much earlier than the onset of European colonial expansion approximately 500 years ago.
The study indicates that the roughly 7,500 to 7,600 languages spoken or signed today are a small and historically biased sample
of what once existed. This loss has significant implications for understanding the potential of human language. Blasi noted that if current languages are only a sliver of the past, the world may have lost a much richer and more exotic phenotype of language.
Current State of Linguistic Decline
The decline in diversity continues into the present era. While there are currently between 7,000 and 7,600 languages, half of them are now considered endangered. Roughly four languages disappear every year, with some reports stating a language follows its last speaker into the grave every few weeks.
Comparison of Linguistic Eras
| Era | Estimated Population | Estimated Language Count |
|---|---|---|
| 12,000 Years Ago | 4 million to 7 million | 4,500 to 6,200 |
| Golden Age (Peak) | Not specified | 20,000 to 75,000 |
| Present Day | 8 billion | 7,000 to 7,600 |
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