Tides of History
The Languages of Eurasia around 500 BC
Dec 7, 2023
Explore the languages spoken in Eurasia around 500 BC, including Proto-Germanic, Baltic, Finnic, Slavic, and Punic and their geographical significance. Discover the linguistic landscape of Eurasia during the Iron Age and the emergence of new languages. Delve into the linguistic changes influenced by the Scythians and the dominance of the Greek language. Learn about the linguistic history of China and the diverse languages present in China during that time.
40:26
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Quick takeaways
- The Mediterranean region in 500 BC had a diverse range of languages, including Phoenician, Celtic, and non-Indo-European languages coexisting with Greek.
- Indo-European languages were spoken across Eurasia, with different language families present in different regions, such as Germanic, Baltic, Slavic, Uralic, Turkic, Indo-Aryan, Dravidian, Sino-Tibetan, Austro-Asiatic, Scythian, Tokarian, Korean, Chorionic, Japonic, and Old Chinese.
Deep dives
Linguistic Diversity in the Mediterranean
In the Mediterranean region around 500 BC, there was a rich variety of languages being spoken. Phoenician, or Punic, had become a major language of trade, spreading from Tyre to the Atlantic shores of Iberia. Celtic languages were also spreading across Western and Central Europe, displacing non-Celtic languages. Greek was firmly established in the region, with cities like Syracuse and Athens serving as major centers. There were also non-Indo-European languages, such as Iberian, Tartessian, and Basque, coexisting with Celtic and Greek.
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