Global Language Diversity Peaked 1,000‑3,000 Years Ago
A new study published in *Science* reconstructs worldwide language diversity over the past 12,000 years. Using mathematical modelling, ethnographic data and population estimates, researchers estimate that the number of distinct languages rose throughout the Holocene, reaching a peak of roughly 30,000‑75,000 languages between 1,000 and 3,000 years ago. The decline began long before European colonial expansion, with the rise of ancient empires such as Rome and the spread of agriculture, and accelerated during the last five centuries of colonialism.
Today roughly 7,500 languages are spoken or signed globally, a fraction of the former linguistic richness. The study’s lead author is Damian Blasi of the Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies in Spain; linguist Claire Bowern of Yale University also contributed. The researchers say languages carry extensive cultural knowledge and provide insight into human history and cognition.
Entities: Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies · Claire Bowern · Damian Blasi · Marcus Hamilton · UNESCO · University of Texas at San Antonio
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 2 SOURCES] The decline in language diversity began with the rise of ancient empires such as the Roman Empire, before European colonialism. (Study published in Science)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The peak number of languages is estimated to be between 30,000 and more than 75,000. (Study published in Science)
- [● 4 SOURCES] Humanity once spoke tens of thousands of languages, peaking between 1,000 and 3,000 years ago. (Study published in Science)
- [● 4 SOURCES] The study was published in the journal Science.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Claire Bowern, professor of linguistics and anthropology at Yale University, contributed to the study and commented on language importance.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Researchers used mathematical modeling, ethnographic evidence, and prehistoric population estimates to reconstruct language diversity over the past 12,000 years.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Damian Blasi, a cognitive scientist at the Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies, is the lead author of the study.
- [● 4 SOURCES] Around 7,500 languages are spoken worldwide today. (Study published in Science)