- By Ridam Sharma
- Tue, 13 May 2025 06:59 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Oldest Languages In The World: The evolution of human civilisation is closely linked to the history of language. The oldest languages of the world were not just a medium of communication, but they also significantly impacted culture, religion, knowledge on the continents, and shaped the world. To find out more, here’s a list of the oldest languages in the world, along with the years they were estimated to have been found, according to the Global Language Services.
List Of Oldest Languages In The World:
| Language | Approximate Age | First Attested | Region of Origin | Script(s) Used | Status Today | Notable Facts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sumerian | c. 5000 years | c. 3100 BCE | Mesopotamia (Iraq) | Cuneiform | Extinct (studied) | First written language, a language isolate |
| Egyptian | c. 4700 years | c. 2690 BCE | Egypt | Hieroglyphic, others | Extinct (Coptic liturgy) | Evolved into Coptic, rich, monumental and religious texts |
| Sanskrit | c. 4000 years | c. 1500 BCE | Indian Subcontinent | Devanagari, others | Liturgical, scholarly | Language of Vedas, Hinduism, Buddhism |
| Aramaic | c. 3000 years | c. 1100 BCE | Syria, Mesopotamia | Aramaic (Phoenician-derived) | Endangered (few speakers) | Lingua franca of ancient empires, biblical texts |
| Tamil | c. 2300 years | c. 300 BCE* | Southern India, Sri Lanka | Tamil script | Living (85M+ speakers) | Oldest living classical language, vibrant literary legacy |
Sumerian
Sumerian is generally referred to as the oldest written language of the world, dating back to the appearance circa 3100 BCE in ancient Mesopotamia (now Iraq). Sumerian cuneiform is the oldest writing ever known to man, first utilised for accounts of administration and economic purposes. Sumerian was a language isolate-not affiliated with any other documented language-and an important key in the building of urban civilisation, literature, and administration. Although it fell into disuse in about 2000 BCE, Sumerian remained a learned and liturgical language for centuries.
Egyptian
Ancient Egyptian, with its famous hieroglyphic writing, goes back at least to 2690 BCE. The language went through several stages: Old, Middle, and Late Egyptian, Demotic, and ultimately Coptic. The Egyptian language was used for monumental inscriptions, religious texts, and general communication. Although the spoken language disappeared, Coptic remains today as the liturgical language of Egypt's Coptic Christian community, maintaining a direct connection to ancient Egypt's linguistic heritage.
Tamil
Tamil is one of the oldest living languages, with a literary history going back more than 2,000 years and origins perhaps as ancient as 5,000 years. The oldest Tamil grammar, the Tolkāppiyam, is dated between 2,800 and 7,000 years. Tamil is still a living, spoken language with more than 85 million speakers around the globe, mostly in southern India and Sri Lanka. Its classical literature, poetry, and philosophical texts continue to shape South Asian culture with a subtle influence on world dynamics.
Sanskrit
Sanskrit is the ancient language of India, and is at least 3,500 years old, with the earliest written evidence from 1500–1200 BCE in the Rigveda. It was the liturgical language of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism, and a medium for an immense corpus of religious and philosophical texts. The language has largely disappeared from the world landscape, though in some places in India, this ancient language is still relevant. In India, Sanskrit is still used in prayers, sacred rituals, academe, and cultural iconography.
Aramaic
Aramaic has its footprints from about the end of the 11th century BCE in the old land of Syria. By the 8th century BCE, it had become the common language of the Neo-Assyrian and eventually the Achaemenid empires and throughout the Middle East. Aramaic replaced Hebrew as the regular language among the Jews and was used by Jesus and his followers. Although the language was mostly replaced by Arabic after the 7th century CE, Aramaic dialects still exist in a few communities today.
These ancient languages- Sumerian, Egyptian, Tamil, Sanskrit, and Aramaic- are humanity's earliest efforts to express thoughts, culture, and history. Some traditional languages like Tamil and Sanskrit are continuing to influence the modern era. While Sumerian and Egyptian languages live on through their monumental texts and academic studies. These oldest languages in the world that highlight human efforts in the growth of the civilisation.