Language and Culture

Flashcards covering key concepts related to the study of languages and their cultural significance.

Language

A system of communication through speech or a collection of sounds that represent culture.

Number of Languages

Approximately 7,102 languages are spoken around the world.

Institutional Languages

Languages used in government, businesses, education, and mass media, with a total of 578 among world languages.

Official Language

A language that is designated by law as the language of government and permanent institutions; not all countries, like the US, have an official language.

Lingua Franca

A language that serves as a common means of communication between speakers of different native languages, often introduced through colonization.

Language Family

A group of languages that have a common ancestral language before recorded history.

Language Branch

A collection of languages within a language family that share a more recent common ancestor.

Language Group

A set of languages within a branch that share certain structural similarities and a recent origin.

Vigorous Languages

Languages spoken by people of all ages, but lacking extensive literary tradition, numbering around 2,470.

Dying Languages

Languages spoken by fewer than one million people, many of which are at risk of disappearing.