Like other cultural elements, the contemporary distribution of languages exists because of geographic processes of origin and diffusion. The origin and diffusion of language branches and individual languages can be documented because these processes have occurred since recorded history began. On the other hand, the origin and initial diffusion of language families predate recorded history, so we can only speculate about them.

Key Issue 2: Why Do Languages Diffuse?

Origin & Diffusion of Indo-European The geographic processes of origin and diffusion have played a role in the distribution of languages across the world. While these roots can be traced throughout history, language families predate any recording of their development and spread, allowing scholars to only speculate about their beginnings. The origin and distribution of the Romance language branch and the Indo-European language family illustrate these circumstances.

Origin & Diffusion of Romance Languages The Romance languages developed from Latin. The Romans helped diffuse Latin from the Atlantic Ocean on the west to the Black Sea on the east and encompassed all lands bordering the Mediterranean Sea. Most people in the provinces controlled by Rome learned Vulgar Latin, which was a form of Latin used in daily conversation instead of the strict dialect that was used for official documents. After the Roman Empire collapsed, communication among the former provinces declined that distinct languages began to evolve. French, Spanish, and Portuguese diffused throughout the world as a result of colonization.

Common Ancestry of Indo-European Languages Linguists generally agree that the Indo-European languages descended from a single ancestral language. This conclusion is based on shared words.

Origin & Diffusion of English When the Celts landed on the shores of the British Isles around 2000 B.C.E, they brought with them the Celtic languages. Tribes from mainland Europe invaded the Celtic people around 450 C.E. driving them to remote northern and western parts of Britain, including Cornwall and the highlands of Scotland and Wales.

German Invasion Three Germanic tribes invaded the British Isles: the Angles, Jutes, and Saxons. The Jutes invaded from northern Denmark, the Angles from southern Denmark, and the Saxons from northwestern Germany. The languages spoken by these three tribes have each contributed to the evolution of modern English. In fact, the name England stems from “Angles’ Land,” with Angles being spelled Engles in Old English. Before recorded history, all Germanic peoples spoke a common language. The differences that developed between Germanic languages are used to trace their evolution. Other groups such as the Vikings from Norway who invaded northeastern England in the ninth century played a role in the development of English.

Norman Invasion In 1066, the Normans from present-day Normandy in France conquered England. This invasion was key in the divergence of today’s English from the current German language. From the time the Normans invaded until the mid-fourteenth century, French was the official language of England. However, while the entitled class (such as the royal family and nobility) spoke French, most people (who had little education) continued to speak English. After Parliament enacted the Statute of Pleading in 1362, English once again became the official language of England. Modern English is influenced by both its Germanic and French ancestors.

Diffusion of English The worldwide distribution of English speakers throughout the world today is a legacy of four centuries of English colonialism. As the British empire acquired colonies in North America, Ireland, South Asia, the South Pacific, and southern Africa, the English language followed. Although English was the official language of British colonial possessions, generally only the rulers installed by the crown and a select group of elite local residents could speak it. The United States also played a role in the diffusion of English in the twentieth century through its territorial acquisitions.

Sharing Languages In the era of globalization, a common language is essential for the global connections. English is the most important language of international communication. The predominance of the English language has facilitated the spread of pop culture and international trade. Populations for whom English is not their first language should consider the costs and benefits of using English.

Lingua Franca A language used for international communication is called a lingua franca. To aid trade, speakers of two different languages agree to use a lingua franca or common language. Meaning “language of the Franks,” the lingua franca was originally used by Arab traders during the Middle Ages to communicate with Europeans, whom they called Franks. The increasing importance of English as a lingua franca is evidenced by the high percentage of students learning English as a second language in middle or high school. Other modern-day lingua franca languages include Swahili, German, French, or Russian.

English on the Internet More than one-half of all Internet content is in English, meaning that some knowledge of the language is crucial for engagement with others online. The English language websites predominate even though the number of English only Internet users has declined substantially. The U.S.based Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) assigns domain names and the suffixes following the dot, such as “com” and “edu.” U.S.-based websites do not need to add the two-letter suffix indicating the country. Since 2009, however, domain names in characters other than Latin, such as Arabic and Chinese may be used.

Chinese: The Next Lingua Franca? In addition to the sheer amount of people who speak Chinese languages, the way the languages are written broadens their appeal for use in social media. Chinese languages are written with logograms, which are symbols that represent words or meaningful parts of words. Considering this, Chinese would be an ideal language for Twitter, where message length is limited. A 280-character message in English could be written in Chinese in only 140 characters.

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Lingua franca A language that groups of people who don't speak the same language use to communicate often for trade or business

Logogram A symbol that represents a word rather than a sound.

Vulgar Latin A form of Latin used in daily conversation by ancient Romans, as opposed to the standard dialect, which was used for official documents.`