Language is one of humanity’s most fundamental and defining characteristics, shaping our thoughts, cultures, and societies. Among the vast array of languages that exist today, the Indo-European language family stands as one of the most significant and widespread. Spanning from Europe to parts of Asia, this language family includes English, Sanskrit, and a multitude of other tongues spoken by billions of people. Yet, for centuries, the origins of this language family have remained hidden, fueling debates and conflicting theories among linguists and anthropologists. However, a landmark study, born from the collective efforts of an international team of language specialists, has now shed light on this ancient enigma, offering a compelling glimpse into the common ancestor of Indo-European languages and the intricate threads that weave together our linguistic heritage.

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Digging up the Roots of Indo-European Languages

Over the last three centuries, evidence of common origins of certain languages has been growing, adding to the thriving field of linguistic anthropology. Using linguistic analysis, the new study published in the journal Science, points to the root of all Indo-European languages, after an extensive construction of “a new dataset of core vocabulary from 161 Indo-European languages, including 52 ancient or historical languages”. This likely common ancestor of both English and Sanskrit, may have been spoken 8,100 years ago!

Continue here: Ancient Origins