There are around 6000 to 7000 natural languages spoken across the globe. But is there a more precise count? Ethnologue suggests a total of 7139 languages that are known, but there are perhaps more that we do not know about. These languages' existence have largely been attested by researchers and their publications, giving us languages … Continue reading The languages that might not be — Spurious languages
Secret Languages
The language that gave Melbourne’s river its name
Melbourne is one of Australia's largest cities, alongside Sydney and Brisbane. Located in the very south of the state of Victoria, Melbourne is located along Port Philip, with a population of close to 5 million people. The Yarra River runs through this city, emptying into Hobsons Bay in Port Philip Bay. As one might suspect, … Continue reading The language that gave Melbourne’s river its name
The language of … yes?
When we talk about the languages of France, we would most likely tend to gravitate towards the French language. But in the southern parts of France, Monaco, and some regions in Italy and Spain, there is another language not as known as its French counterpart. Like the major languages spoken in the region (except Basque), … Continue reading The language of … yes?
Exploring the languages at Earth’s extremities
The idea of geographical or social isolation and their immense scale amazes and intrigues me. From being miles away from the closest road or airstrip to the rest of the country, or part thereof, to being days of boat rides away from literally everyone else, it is unfathomable how there are people living and forming … Continue reading Exploring the languages at Earth’s extremities
The mystery of Maridi Arabic
Going down the list of notable and documented pidgins spoken all around the world, I came across a curious entry that, it verified legitimate, would be the oldest known pidgin in the world. The issue is, its existence was only known through 50 words in a single text, written some time in the 11th century. … Continue reading The mystery of Maridi Arabic
The languages they don’t want you to know — Secret languages
High in the Andes live a group of itinerant herbalist healers. They are known for herb-based treatments in Bolivia, stretching towards Peru, Argentina, Chile, Ecuador and Panama. Walking through ancient trails, which can date back to the Incan period, they search for plants said to contain medicinal properties. Some contained quinine, a compound used to … Continue reading The languages they don’t want you to know — Secret languages
The Language Closet 