Dynamics of Language in Prehistory

Language is constantly changing and shaped by various factors, including migration, wars, and power dynamics within societies. The dynamics of language in prehistory can be challenging to understand without written records. However, the comparative method allows us to track language families and reconstruct proto-languages. The Afroasiatic language family, which includes Egyptian and Semitic languages, originated in the Near East and expanded throughout northeastern Africa. Sino-Tibetan languages, including Chinese, likely originated in Neolithic China. Austronesian languages, such as Malay and Tagalog, originated in Taiwan and spread throughout Southeast Asia and the Pacific. These language families experienced diversification, fragmentation, and extinction, leaving only traces in the historical record.