Modern language

The term survivors language refers to those languages ​​which are currently used by a speech community. In many cases, languages ​​(trade, colonization ) or migrating to modern languages ​​of the world have developed through national expansion.

Dissemination

The most common living languages ​​are ( depending on the source ), Speaker in millions:

Among the dead and extinct languages ​​include the Etruscan, most Celtic languages ​​, the Egyptian and numerous indigenous languages ​​of the Americas.

Special cases

A special case can ensue when an extinct language is revived. The most common example of this is the modern Hebrew ( Ivrit ), which again is now the official language of Israel to the living languages. However, Hebrew was extinct only as a native language, it survived as a sacred language the past millennia and were each read by hundreds of thousands and spoken - if not in everyday life. Other examples are the Cornish language and Manx.

Another special case are those languages ​​that are supported by any linguistic community anymore, so no more children will be learned as a native language, but are still used to a certain extent on. Example is the Sanskrit, which is still used in a religious context and to which it will also be a daily news broadcast in this language. Furthermore, the modern Latin as official language of the Vatican State or the Ge'ez, which is only the language of the Church of the Ethiopian and Eritrean Orthodox Churches.

A third special case is the so-called planned languages ​​.