List of All World Languages

[Ban]

As the title says, I've found a list that claims to feature all languages in the world. A big claim, but with 7861 entries, I imagine it comes close. It should provide a lot of use for writers who work with the real world, or those of us (me included) who simply like scrolling through them and learning a bit. The link can be found here: https://www.101languages.net/list-of-all-world-languages/

 

[Finchbearer]

In the Werner Herzog documentary Encounters at the End of the World, which is the best documentary out there in my opinion, he talks to a man who tells him that during their conversation, five languages have died, or something to that affect. So I would say that figure is wildly underestimated.

And is it current languages, or all the languages in know recorded human existence?

 

[pmmg]

Well, they have Klingon, so it looks like they are trying to be all inclusive. I am sure its not complete. But it sure has a lot of them.

I am not sure how I would use it though. If I pulled a dead language to use in my fiction, I am sure some smarty pants would say "Hey....."

 

[Ban]

In the Werner Herzog documentary Encounters at the End of the World, which is the best documentary out there in my opinion, he talks to a man who tells him that during their conversation, five languages have died, or something to that affect. So I would say that figure is wildly underestimated.

And is it current languages, or all the languages in know recorded human existence?

Most are living languages, including sign languages. A couple are ancient or extinct, and some are constructed languages, mostly of the auxiliary variety (esperanto, interlingua). As far as how representative it is of the true scale of linguistics, I appreciate the person behind that site for collecting and linking almost 8000 languages. That's a mighty task to attempt. Papua New Guinea alone has more than 800 living languages.

 

[Ban]

Well, they have Klingon, so it looks like they are trying to be all inclusive. I am sure its not complete. But it sure has a lot of them.

I am not sure how I would use it though. If I pulled a dead language to use in my fiction, I am sure some smarty pants would say "Hey....."

I'll be that smarty pants and my follow-up to the "Hey..." shall be "well done Pmmg for including an obscure and extinct language. That's ground for interesting worldbuilding."

 

[pmmg]

Well, no plans to do that. But somewhere in the world there are
Ppl who understand what the jawas are saying.

 

[Arachne]

Well, they have Klingon, so it looks like they are trying to be all inclusive. I am sure its not complete. But it sure has a lot of them.

I am not sure how I would use it though. If I pulled a dead language to use in my fiction, I am sure some smarty pants would say "Hey....."

There is a Klingon course in Duolingo. I'm just saying, in case someone is interested in learning it.

 

[Ned Marcus]

There is a Klingon course in Duolingo. I'm just saying, in case someone is interested in learning it.

I noticed that. Quite a few people have signed up to learn it too, but I imagine most of them were just curious.

 

[Prince of Spires]

Nice find. I doubt I'll find much use from it, though it could be a good source for place names etc.

It does remind me that the internet is a wonderful place where you can find information about pretty much everything. Need to know travel times by sea in the ancient world? There's a roman travel planner out there you can use. Anything from local food to medieval healing methods and the consequences of certain injuries is out there.

 

[CupofJoe]

Nice find. I doubt I'll find much use from it, though it could be a good source for place names etc.

It does remind me that the internet is a wonderful place where you can find information about pretty much everything. Need to know travel times by sea in the ancient world? There's a roman travel planner out there you can use. Anything from local food to medieval healing methods and the consequences of certain injuries is out there.

Actually there are at least 2 Roman travel planners

 

[Karlin]

I didn't find Jahai on the list, but then found that they have it in an alternate spelling , Jehai. "Jahai has a unique vocabulary for describing odors." which is why it interested me. What I didn't find at all is Corfioto, a language spoken by the Jews of Corfu. I have a relative who speaks this, so it's not quite dead.

 

[Mad Swede]

No, it isn't a complete list. Amongst others, kvänska is missing. (It's the language originally spoken in what's now Finnmark and Troms.)

 

[Ban]

No, it isn't a complete list. Amongst others, kvänska is missing. (It's the language originally spoken in what's now Finnmark and Troms.)

Let the list makers know. There's a comment section and I'm sure they'd appreciate it.

 

[pmmg]

I bet if you tell them kvänska is missing, they will go and add it.

The list can never be complete though. To do that, you would first have to know how many languages there have ever been, which no one can know.

And I am sure there are probably too many places where only a few people know of an obscure one, the rest of the world does not know.

 

[pmmg]

Well....scratch that. Their contact form does not work. And just like that....kvänska gets erased from history.

They dont have the universal languages either Love, music, math...and Americans talking really loud and slow.

 

[Ban]

I bet if you tell them kvänska is missing, they will go and add it.

The list can never be complete though. To do that, you would first have to know how many languages there have ever been, which no one can know.

And I am sure there are probably too many places where only a few people know of an obscure one, the rest of the world does not know.

And then there's the issue of determining where a dialect ends and a language begins. A major task in its own right.

 

[Ned Marcus]

And then there's the issue of determining where a dialect ends and a language begins. A major task in its own right.

And an ongoing debate in many places. Here in Taiwan, there are still aboriginal languages trying to get recognised, sometimes by reviving dead languages.

 

[Ban]

And an ongoing debate in many places. Here in Taiwan, there are still aboriginal languages trying to get recognised, sometimes by reviving dead languages.

Not quite the same, but somewhat similarly here in the Netherlands Limburgish is recognised as a regional language, but in Belgium it isn't, despite both countries owning approximately equally-sized provinces called Limburg, and Limburgish being spoken extensively in both. Bit of a Schrödinger's language

 

[Karlin]

"A language is a dialect with an army and navy"
or, in teh original:
אַ שפּראַך איז אַ דיאַלעקט מיט אַן אַרמיי און פֿלאָט

 

[Ned Marcus]

"A language is a dialect with an army and navy"
or, in teh original:
אַ שפּראַך איז אַ דיאַלעקט מיט אַן אַרמיי און פֿלאָט

That depends on the country. Some countries are more accepting than others.