|
Well, let's see. There's French, Spanish, um, English...oh boy, we can already tell this is going to be a tough one. After all, what is a language? Do different dialects count? What about languages not widely used? With so many variables, we thought it best to stop counting and consult the experts. This report by Stephen R. Anderson of the Linguistic Society of America explains how complicated the question really is. According to Anderson, estimates have risen steadily over time. A 1911 version of the Encyclopedia Britannica, for example, "implies a figure somewhere around 1,000." Throughout the century, that figure grew as experts broadened the "language" definition. In his report,
Anderson cites the Ethnologue organization. According to Ethnologue, there are currently 6,912 living languages, defined as languages that people speak today. Interestingly, the part of the world with the highest level of linguistic diversity is Papua New Guinea. The region has approximately 830 languages for around 5.4 million people. That's about one language for every 6,500 residents. Ethnologue also reports a total of 238 languages in the United States, 162 of which are "living." Those wondering why the country has never declared English its official language may finally have their answer.
|
