Evolution and decline of global linguistic diversity
The developments in this story so far, most recent first.
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Date unknown Background
The number of languages worldwide started to drop rapidly.
Estimates suggest that between roughly 1,000 and 3,000 years ago, tens of thousands of different languages were spoken around the globe. However, research indicates that approximately 2,000 years ago, the number of these languages began to drop rapidly.
This dramatic decline occurred as stronger political structures absorbed smaller communities and imposed dominant languages. This process led to the gradual disappearance of local tongues through forces including legal prohibitions, violence, and forced assimilation.
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Date unknown Background
Linguistic diversity reached its peak with tens of thousands of languages spoken globally.
Linguistic diversity reached a peak between roughly 1,000 and 3,000 years ago, a period researchers describe as the 'golden age' of linguistic diversity. During this time, tens of thousands of different languages were spoken across the globe.
This high level of diversity occurred much later than the distant Palaeolithic, as previously assumed. Following this peak, linguistic diversity began a rapid and largely irreversible decline as multi-ethnic states and large empires expanded.
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Date unknown Background
The Age of Empires began, which did not initially reduce linguistic diversity.
Studies suggest that linguistic diversity peaked much later than previously assumed. Rather than in the distant Palaeolithic, the highest levels of diversity occurred when states grew and the first empires emerged.
Research indicates that the Age of Empires, which began approximately 4,000 years ago, did not initially result in a reduction of linguistic diversity.
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Date unknown Background
The global population was below 7 million and between 4,500 and 6,200 languages were spoken.
Research into linguistic diversity suggests that roughly 12,000 years ago, the global population was below 7 million. During this period, it is estimated that between 4,500 and 6,200 different languages were spoken worldwide.
These figures represent a historical point significantly lower than the tens of thousands of languages estimated to have existed during the 'golden age' of linguistic diversity between 1,000 and 3,000 years ago.
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Date unknown Development
Study: Global language diversity peaked recently, not in ancient past