Unique world languages

Interesting World Languages

A few unique world languages to share

Languages are what drive our world.  Many believe that the art of communication goes hand-in-hand with man’s development.  As we have improved our communication, we have improved our world, to an extent at least.  From the very first grunts to sophisticated debates and public forums, languages have evolved in a variety of forms.  Over time, there has been thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands of languages on Earth.  Today, experts say that there are around 6,000-7,000 living languages left.  Taking a look around the world, I have compiled a list of a few interesting world languages that I have come across.  I have no doubt there are more out there, so if you know another unique world language please share it (or them) below!

1.) Basque – Known formally as Euskara, Basque is a language which is currently found in the northeast region of Spain and southwest region of France.  The Basque people are of their own mysterious ancestry and have a language with no common link to other European languages.  Linguists aren’t exactly sure where they came from as a people or the origin of their language.  Pre-Roman times, the language may not have been written with Latin letters, although it currently is.

Example: Nire aerolabangailua aingirez beteta dago. (Means: My hoovercraft is full of eels. (Thanks Omniglot.com!))

2.) Silbo Gomero (Las canarias) – This is an interesting language that my friend introduced me to the other day. In Las Canarias, an island chain belonging to Spain, there is a language known locally as the silbo, or whistling language.  Locals for generations have been using whistling as a means of communicating due to the geographical layout of the islands.  It is a very unique method of communication and is in many ways ancient.  Check it out when you get a chance.

Example: Watch this short clip if you are interested!

 

3.) The ‘clicking’ language(s) – Several African tribes still use clicking sounds when speaking their languages.  These languages make use of clicking sounds as consonants and words in their respective language.  Xhosa,Yeyi, Ndebele, Bantu, Zulu, are all tribes where clicking sounds can be found to this day.

Example:

 

4.) Amharic – Amharic is the major language of Ethiopia.  It is actually a Semitic language, but it has a unique alphabet, which is why I chose to include it.  The Amharic alphabet, known as the fidel, uses symbols that seem to distantly resemble some Middle-Eastern scripts.

Example:

 

5.) Armenian – The Armenian language is a regional language known only to the country of Armenia. Although it is considered to be an Indo-European language, Armenian is a separate branch all by itself.  It has its own alphabet, and is proudly spoken by Armenians living domestic and abroad.

Example:

 

 

6.) Amazigh (Tamazight) – Amazigh is the formal name of the nomadic people who lived in the Sahara prior to the Moorish invasion of North Africa.  These people, commonly known as Berbers, still exist and keep up their language in many north African countries.  The alphabet, called Tamazight, is written in completely foreign letters to Africa. Some seem to resemble Greek or Latin, while others are unique to it.

Example:

 

7.) Maltese – Malta, is a small-island nation located in the heart of the Mediterranean.   It splits the waters between Sicily and Tunisia almost as if to serve as a midway point between the two.  The language keeps true to this theme as it has become an interesting compilation of regional languages. Maltese has taken words from Sicilian, Italian, English, Arabic, Greek, and possible other languages who have breached it shores over the years.  As a Tunisian friend was telling me, he found words in the Maltese language that were only spoken in his dialect in Tunisia (or so he thought). Although the island is small, Malta, has been mentioned many times in history, even in texts such as the Christian bible.

Example:

Il-bnedmin kollha jitwieldu ħielsa u ugwali fid-dinjità u d-drittijiet. Huma mogħnija bir-raġuni u bil-kuxjenza u għandhom igibu ruħhom ma’ xulxin bi spirtu ta’ aħwa. (Thanks Omniglot!)

Maltese – Siciliano – Italiano – English  (see the similarities in this example?)

skola

scola

scuola

school

 

 

What are your thoughts?

Which unique world languages have you heard of? Please share them with me I love learning about other languages!

 

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