2006-06-07 01:36:26 · 5 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Languages
The best lists range in number from 3000-8000. Most linguists use 5000 or 6000 as rough estimates. I personally prefer 6000 since I use that number in a little exercise in my linguistics classes. If each of six people learned 1000 languages, one of them would live in the Americas, one of them would live in Europe and Asia, two of them would live in Africa, one of them would live on Australia and all the islands of Asia and the Pacific, and one of them would live on the island of New Guinea
2006-06-07 05:33:28 · answer #1 · answered by Taivo 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
There is no exact answer, but the current estimate is about 6000. There is some debate as to whether some languages are two languages or two dialects of the same language. There are also languages dying very rapidly. Without paying a visit to several far-flung locations, one couldn't know if the last 2 speakers of the language are still alive.
2006-06-07 10:32:27 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
People estimate that there are around 6000 currently spoken languages, but it is impossible to come up with an exact answer. There is often debate amonst linguists as to whether two languages are really seperate languages or whether they are two dialects of the same language.
2006-06-07 08:51:15 · answer #3 · answered by magpie_queen 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't think anyone knows the exact answer
2006-06-07 10:15:06 · answer #4 · answered by the Politics of Pikachu 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A lot.
2006-06-07 14:12:46 · answer #5 · answered by phopper megga blaster 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋