2006-12-16 20:52:19 · 6 answers · asked by bookworm 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Languages
I consider Ethnologue (http://www.ethnologue.com/web.asp ) the most complete database of languages. They have registered 6129 languages.
2006-12-17 05:10:34 · answer #1 · answered by kamelåså 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Depending on definition - whether something is a difference dialect or a different language - between 4000 and 8000. The Top 10 languages are spoken as the first language by something approaching half the world's population. Some languages have only a few thousand speakers.
2006-12-16 21:19:04 · answer #2 · answered by JJ 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you're looking for a database, I suggest going to OmniGlot.com. That site has a sample and brief history of 300+ languages and is still growing. If you account for the dead languages such as Latin, Sanskrit, Ugaritic, Avesta, etc., there seems to be a countless number. I honestly don't think there can ever be a absolute number because languages die and new ones are born.
2006-12-16 23:14:28 · answer #3 · answered by tixmeeoff 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
lol, that's like asking "how many bubbles are in a bar of soap?"
2006-12-16 20:54:15 · answer #4 · answered by Kanayo 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_languages
2006-12-16 20:57:15 · answer #5 · answered by memo 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋
a lot
2006-12-16 21:21:24 · answer #6 · answered by Stel 1 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋