Curated category
Subject–object–verb languages
- Bengali languageBengali, known to its own speakers by the endonym Bangla, carries more than 1,400 years of history in its grammar and script.
- Hungarian languageGenetic studies have identified Y-DNA haplogroups in ethnic Hungarians, such as N3a-L708, R1a-Z93, and C2-M217. These findings support a westward migration…
- Marathi languageA copper-plate inscription from 739 CE found in Satara marks the earliest known written record of Marathi. This artifact predates other major literary works…
- Armenian languageArmenian stands alone as the sole member of its own branch within the vast Indo-European language family. This unique position has fascinated linguists for…
- Dutch languageIn 786, the Bishop of Ostia wrote to Pope Adrian I about a synod taking place in Corbridge. The bishop recorded decisions written down as "in Latin as well…
- Kazakh languageA Kazakh speaker recorded in Taiwan stands as a quiet testament to the language's global reach. This recording captures a voice from a community far removed…
- Korean languageAbout 81 million people speak Korean as their native language today. Most of these speakers are of Korean descent, living primarily in North Korea and South…
- Odia languageThe Urajam inscription of 1051 CE stands as the earliest surviving evidence of Old Odia. This royal charter from the Eastern Ganga dynasty marks a clear…
- Old FrisianIn 1276, a scribe in the region of Brokmerland copied the first full manuscript known as the First Brokmer Codex. This document marks the beginning of the…
- Japanese languageThe Japanese language has around 123 million speakers, and Japan is the only country where it is the national language. Yet it sits almost alone in the…
- HindiThe word Hindi traces back to Old Persian, which derived the name from Sanskrit Sindhu, referring to the Indus River. Early inhabitants of the Indo-Gangetic…
- Tamil languageThe name Tamil appears in the earliest extant literary work known as the Tolkāppiyam, dated to the 2nd century BCE. This text serves as both a grammar and a…
- Persian languageThe Behistun Inscription, carved during the reign of King Darius I between 522 and 486 BC, stands as the oldest known text written in Old Persian.
- LatinThe earliest known form of Latin is Old Latin, also called Archaic or Early Latin. It was spoken from the Roman Kingdom, traditionally founded in 753 BC…
- Basque languageBasque is the only language in Europe that stands completely alone, unrelated to any other known living language. Most scholars believe it is the last…
- SanskritIn the late Bronze Age, a group of people moved from regions north of the Indus River into northwest South Asia. They brought with them a language that would…