Five ancient languages with immense historical impact are Sanskrit, Egyptian, Sumerian, Greek, and Latin. These languages served as primary carriers of culture, religion, and governance across vast regions, preserving knowledge, and shaping the development of later cultures and languages. Their influence is still evident today in modern languages, law, science, philosophy, and literature.
According to scientists, written languages appeared some 5,500 years ago. And from these myriads of ancient tongues, these five produced the biggest impact.
Whether spoken or written, languages serve an essential purpose. Language enabled the formation of laws, religion, science, and even identity. The jump from spoken to written form only cemented civilisation in many spots. From several civilisations came languages like Greek or Sanskrit, whose influence is still felt today.
Sanskrit: perfection from India
Sanskrit, when translated, means “perfection” in ancient Indic languages. Sanskrit, one of the globe’s oldest languages, emerged in northern India probably around 1500 BCE. Classical Sanskrit was standardised in the 4th century BCE, leading to daily use. Sanskrit’s path to the rest of South Asia came via trade, scholars, or military campaigns.
Sanskrit’s influence became enormous, changing the languages of Nepal, Sri Lanka, Tibet, and more. It would become the sacred language for Hindu and Buddhist scripts.
Besides Sanskrit’s intellectual and philosophical depth, its Devanagari script served as the basis for 120 additional languages.
Egyptian: the language of the pharaohs
Among the languages listed in this article, Egyptian ranks among the world’s oldest. Though Egypt is best known for its hieroglyphics. Used for 3,000 years, hieroglyphics recorded aspects of ancient life in decrees, daily activities, religious texts, government forms, and even political records. Unfortunately, only elite scribes learned the complex writing. This select class helped preserve Egypt’s cultural heritage.
Famous thinkers like Plato or Aristotle debated math and science. Later, scientific or medical terms used included biology, psychology, and chronology. Greek became the language of the New Testament and Christian theology. Literature like Greek tragedies became the Western standard for storytelling, drama, and history.
The Greek alphabet served as the basis for the Latin alphabet and Cyrillic script. Greek served as a strong inspiration due to its nuanced vocabulary and inflected verb endings.
Latin: the language that built the West
Latin, a significant remnant of Imperial Rome, created a legacy that helped shape the West. As Rome grew, Latin followed the legions and settlers across Europe. Besides a military role, Latin’s use included administration, engineering, governance, law, and more.
With Rome’s fall, Latin became the base for Europe’s Romance languages (French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, and Romanian). All inherited Roman grammar and vocabulary. Latin texts saved classical knowledge during the Middle Ages, copied or preserved in monasteries or universities. Europe’s great Renaissance would be powered by preserved Latin texts, sparking intense creativity.
Today, Latin still shines, being the standard for law, medicine, and science. Being a dead language means there’s no change. Plus, Latin’s use of prefixes, suffixes, and roots yields precise definitions, making it perfect for these subjects.
With reference to an article by Matt Whittaker, BA History & Asian Studies,
published on TheCollector, a community for scholars, classrooms and enthusiasts
