In the biblical story of the Tower of Babel , all of humanity once spoke a
single language until they suddenly split into many groups unable to
understand each other . We don't really know if such an original language
ever existed , but we do know that the thousands of languages existing
today can be traced back to a much smaller number . So how did we end up
with so many ? In the early days of human migration , the world was much
less populated . Groups of people that shared a single language and culture
often split into smaller tribes , going separate ways in search of fresh game
and fertile land . As they migrated and settled in new places , they became
isolated from one another and developed in different ways . Centuries of
living in different conditions , eating different food and encountering different
neighbors turned similar dialects with varied pronunciation and vocabulary
into radically different languages, continuing to divide as populations grew
and spread out further . Like genealogists , modern linguists try to map this
process by tracing multiple languages back as far as they can to their
common ancestor , or protolanguage . A group of all languages related in this
way is called a language family , which can contain many branches and sub-
families . So how do we determine whether languages are related in the first
place ? Similar sounding words don't tell us much . They could be false
cognates or just directly borrowed terms rather than derived from a common
root . Grammar and syntax are a more reliable guide , as well as basic
vocabulary , such as pronouns , numbers or kinship terms , that's less likely
to be borrowed . By systematically comparing these features and looking for
regular patterns of sound changes and correspondences between languages
, linguists can determine relationships , trace specific steps in their evolution
and even reconstruct earlier languages with no written records . Linguistics
can even reveal other important historical clues , such as determining the
geographic origins and lifestyles of ancient peoples based on which of their
words were native , and which were borrowed. There are two main problems
linguists face when constructing these language family trees . One is that
there is no clear way of deciding where the branches at the bottom should
end, that is , which dialects should be considered separate languages or vice
[Link] is classified as a single language , but its dialects vary to the
point of being mutually unintelligible , while speakers of Spanish and
Portuguese can often understand each other . Languages actually spoken by
living people do not exist in neatly divided categories , but tend to transition
gradually , crossing borders and classifications . Often the difference
between languages and dialects is a matter of changing political and national
considerations , rather than any linguistic features . This is why the answer
to, "How many languages are there ?"can be anywhere between 3,000 and
8,000,depending on who's counting . The other problem is that the farther
we move back in time towards the top of the tree , the less evidence we
have about the languages there . The current division of major language
families represents the limit at which relationships can be established with
reasonable certainty , meaning that languages of different families are
presumed not to be related on any level . But this may change . While many
proposals for higher level relationships --or super families -- are speculative ,
some have been widely accepted and others are being considered ,
especially for native languages with small speaker populations that have not
been extensively studied . We may never be able to determine how language
came about , or whether all human languages did in fact have a common
ancestor scattered through the babel of migration . But the next time you
hear a foreign language , pay attention . It may not be as foreign as you
think.