How many languages are there in the world?

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how many languages are there in the world?
Source: Youtube

Have you ever wondered how many languages are there in the world? The Earth is immortal, and on this immortal Globe, we have given rise to continents, countries, states, and whatnot! Before the evolution of human beings, we used languages to communicate in sign language and through cave drawing.

If that isn’t jaw-dropping enough, scientists believe that human beings did communicate equivalent to animals before evolution. Even though there are no proofs, scientific theories are available to support such statements. However, today in 2021, every country has its own mother tongue. From Hindi, English, Russian, to Chinese, Japanese – the world seems full of the medley. 

Not only does each country/continent/state have its own language, but in 2021, parents prefer their children to learn a second language in order to enhance their intellectual skills. To the reader’s surprise, the scope of language learning has evolved highly in the past few decades. It has given rise to high-paying jobs in many countries with positions like translator and interpreter. 

Do you know what your favourite second language is? If not, this reading will help you choose one. Check out the list of the top 10 most spoken languages in the world ahead in this reading.

Today, in this reading, we bring some exciting facts about languages in the world. And, alongside, learn how many languages are in the world? So, without any further ado, let’s get started: 

How many languages are there in the world? 

Wherever you go – you will find a group of people speaking in a language different from your mother tongue. And, it would be pretty challenging even to guess what they are pronouncing. This proves that the world of languages (which helps human-to-human communication to become conceivable) is endless.

There are over 6,500 known languages in the world. In 2021, this number has increased to 7 100. Yes! In the 2021 latest list of languages by native speakers, there are a total of 7, 102 Languages in the world. Surprising enough? But wait! Do you know? Among this, 1000 languages belong to the category of fictional languages, i.e.., fake languages that are intentionally constructed for Television Series, Movies, Documentaries, etc. One of the most common examples of made-up language is Klingon. It has been used in American Sitcom, the Big Bang Theory multiple times. 

Source: Pinterest

Now, you must be wondering where does Klingon come from? Well! It was first-ever used in American movies based on the fictional Universe named Star Trek

Apart from this, in a few regions of India, the mother-tongue Hindi is fictionally transposed into the constructed language of “n” and “t.” The purpose of this language construction was to communicate secretly. Hence, whenever you think you have learned everything, there is about the Universe? Remember this – till this date, only 5% of the entire Earth has been discovered. Therefore, there are millions and billions of things that you have not known about this beautiful Globe. 

Top 10 most spoken languages/mother-tongues in the world

Before we begin counting down the top 10 most spoken languages in the world? Here are some shocking facts that are harder to believe: 

How many languages are there in the world that are very rare? To put it ideally, there are 9.2% of rare languages in the world. For the most part, these languages are so rare that they are known to not more than ten native speakers. 

How many languages are there in the world which are private? The Earth is no longer unfamiliar to the people with personalities so introverted that they have constructed their own language. In simple words, there are up to 46 languages in the world that only have one native speaker. Surprising enough? I wonder who they communicate to? 

#1: English – The Language of Professionals

No matter where you are! English is one of the most substituted languages used among professionals. Let’s take an example of India. Everywhere in India, the business industry classifies the English language as a mandatory language while hiring staff, employees, contractors, etc. 

total languages in the world
Source: Giphy.com

To the reader’s surprise, English is also the mother tongue among 101 countries all over the world. From schools to workplaces and homes, English has become the world’s top-ranking language for professional communication. 

Countries like the United States (USA), the United Kingdom (UK), Canada, New Zealand, Jamaica, Ireland, and the list is endless. 

#2: Arabic language – the formation of Arab League

Here’s a shocking fact: Unlike English, the official language of 67 countries, the Arabic language is the official native language of 22 countries. You must be wondering what the variance is? Here comes the difference, in these 22 countries, people are banned from learning or using any other language except Arabic. It is also one of the crumbling languages. Indeed, it was constructed in 1th to 4th C.E. Further. It is much similar to Urdu and Hindi. 

Source: GIPHY.com

#3: French – “J.A. ma phel.”

While watching the evergreen American sitcom, F.R.I.E.N.D.S., I grew a notion for the French language. This language is take-part as one of the most flirtatious languages in the world. But, surprisingly, it comes from France, which is indeed not too flirtatious.

Source: Pinterest

When it comes to French, it is also acknowledged as the Language of Romance. The reason being, this language was constructed using vulgar Latin. In 29 countries across the Globe, French is an official language. Apart from being official, it is spoken in 51 countries. 

According to the statistics, over 220 million people globally speak the language of Romance. 

#4: Chinese Mandarin – the most challenging language of the world

How many languages are in the world that is difficult? Well! Chinese Mandarin language ranks first in this category. According to the resources, Mandarin is both difficult to write, pronounce, and speak. Indeed, since it is a complex language, it is officially used in five countries only. It includes Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, China, and Taiwan. 

Source: Kids World Fun

Even though it is the official language of the five countries only, but Mandarin is the native language of over 1 billion people across the Globe. Thanks to the highly improved population of China. 

#5: Spanish or Castilian 

How many romance languages are there in the world? To begin with, there are up to 44 romance languages in the world, among which “Spanish” ranks at two. To the reader’s surprise, in the 16th century, Spanish was the native language of settlers and soldiers of the Roman Empire. 

In the context of speakers, it is the native language of 500 million people in the world. World’s most prominent health organization has also accepted Spanish as its one of official languages. 

common languages in the world
Source: Stafford Technical Centre

But, unlike Mandarin or French, Spanish is not a complex language to learn as a second language. It is written using the English alphabets. Hence, if you know English, you can easily pronounce any word written in Spanish by looking at it. 

#6: Persian – Similar to Urdu

The world is far-fetching. And, at one point or another, two countries, continents, or states connect. Keeping aside their cultural differences. Similarly, Persian or Farsi – the official language of Iraq connects with the Islamic language Urdu at enormous volume. 

Source: Quartz

For the reader’s information, the language Persian has been modified into two languages – Dari and Tajik. They are the official language of Afghanistan and Tajikistan. It is also one of the oldest languages, which was introduced in the 3rd C.E. 

#7: German or German Dutch

In Germany, the Dutch language is widely spoken. It is the official language of Austria and Switzerland as well. In the past few years, the language has been modified into Flemish. For the most part, it does not match the German language at higher courses. However, in most European countries, it is the native language of 29 million people. 

Source: Learn Dutch

#8: Russian: The Slavic Language

In the regions of Eastern Europe, Russian is one of the most spoken languages. It is the official language of four countries in total. Yet, among the Soviet Countries, it is unofficially spoken by millions. To the reader’s surprise, it is also among the lately invented languages of the world as it standardized in the 18th century. At the same time, other languages come from 1st to 4th C.E. 

Source: Days of the Year

Here’s a shocking fact: Alcohol names in English widely come from the Russian language. 

#9: Malaysian or The Malay Language 

The Malay Language is the native language for communication of 18 million people across the Globe. In some provinces of the world, it is also known as Bahasa Malaysia. According to the research, Malay is purely constructed. But, it comes from the combined and modified version of languages like Arabic, Dutch, Sanskrit, Chinese, and English.

how many languages in the world are rare
Source: Wikimedia Commons

 In some regions, the Malay language is also known as the most secular language because it does not have any noun-gender or articles like a, an, and the. For example, for he/she, his/her/him – the word “dia” is used. Therefore, it is also easy to learn. 

#10: Portuguese: 250 million speakers in the world

It is also a Romance Language. It originated in the region of Europe called the Iberian Peninsula. According to the research, it is the official language of only nine countries, including Brazil, Portugal, Mozambique, Cape Verde, and Sao Tome.

Source: Britannica

To the reader’s surprise, even after origination in Portugal, only 5% of the population of Portugal speaks Portuguese. They are majorly involved in speaking French, Spanish, Dutch, and other European languages. 

What are the rarest languages? 

  • Jeep: Originated in Nigeria, the Njerep language has become extinct. All over the world, only 60 people speak this language. 
  • Liki: Liki language comes from Indonesia, specifically from the Papua region. In 2007, it had discovered that only 11 individuals in Indonesia knew to speak or write the Liki language. In 2021, it will become extinct entirely. 
rarest languages
Source: Wikipedia
  • Chemehuevi: How many languages are dying in the world? Chemehuevi was one of the best-known languages back in the 3rd C.E. in the Midwestern United States. However, now, this language only exists in the forms of recordings and notes. Therefore, there’s hardly any person in 2021 who can speak or understand Chemehuevi. 

What are the best known fictional languages? 

Apart from Klingon as the top fictional languages in the world, today’s youth is not unfamiliar with the following fake or artificial languages: 

Source: Youtube
  • The Elvish Tongues (Quenya, Tengwar, and Telerin)
  • The Demonic Language 
  • Also, Ulam – originated from the movie – The Quest of Fire. 

What are the best-known computer languages in the world? 

From worldly languages to fictional and self-constructed languages, the treasure of communication is surprising. Today, the modern world has introduced computer languages. Here are the top computer languages: 

  • JAVA
  • PHP
  • C++
  • Swift
  • M.A.T.L.A.B.

Want to know about how many languages are there in the world? Bookmark this webpage and enjoy regular updates on the list of languages. Hence, for best results, enquire us in the comment section. Thanks for reading with us. 

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