50+ Fascinating Language Facts You Didn’t Know [Infographic]

Looking for fun language facts? The world is full of diverse and unique languages that can thrill the senses and stretch the boundaries of your imagination. 

The words we use shape how we experience the world around us. For example, while most native English speakers may look at a wintery landscape and label it simply “snow,” Scots are said to have over 420 words for snow. This includes everything from subtle differences in the snowfall to mentions of the supernatural!

Whether you’re looking for fun facts to use on language trivia night or just want to deepen your understanding of the languages of the world, the following fascinating language facts amaze you and your friends!

What is the Most Interesting Language?

If you’re thinking about learning a new language, you don’t have to stick to the traditional options like French, Spanish, or Italian. There are plenty of other interesting languages out there to learn, such as:

• Welsh
• Piraha
• Belarusian
• Archi
• Xhosa
• Esperanto 
• Quechua

If you’ve never heard of these languages, you aren’t alone. Some, like Welsh, are only spoken by less than 20% of a single region or country’s population. 

Here’s a cool video that will provide you with more language facts about the weirdest languages in the world. Did you know some languages consist entirely of whistling? How’s that for tough on the vocal cords!

You might be reading this post wondering whether picking up a language is right for you – is it even possible for language to be interesting? Rest assured, once you read these fascinating language facts, you’ll be convinced! 

With so many unique languages to choose from – and so many fun language facts to pique your interest – you’ll have a ball. 

What is an Interesting Fact About Languages?

Before we dive into our fun facts about languages, it’s interesting to touch upon some theories about the origins of language.

Here’s one of the best fun facts about language: Ideas such as the “bow wow” theory say that language began with humans imitating the sounds animals make to communicate. Others believe that language was a divine gift. Many scholars agree that modern languages share an ancient common root and gradually developed into the dialects we know today.

If you’re looking for interesting language facts, you’ll have plenty of them to choose from. 

Mind-Blowing Facts About Language

Ready to take a deeper dive?

Here are a few facts about the English language:

• E is the most commonly used letter in the English language, found in about 11% of all words in the English vocabulary (A is the next runner up)
• There are more people in the world who have learned English as their second language than there are native speakers
• Some English words only exist in plural form, such as glasses, scissors, jeans, and pajamas

…and some Spanish language facts!

• Spanish is a Romance language that was derived from a vulgar take on the Latin language
• As with many other languages, Spanish has several unique words that can’t be translated into other languages (such as sobremesa – in which you stay at a table after a meal to share conversation over coffee or wine) 
• The language can also be referred to as Castilian –  it owes its origins to the region of Castile where the Castile language was developed and later inspired Spanish

Have these Spanish language facts convinced you that learning Spanish, Espanol, or “Castilian” is right for you? Make sure you check out this video to get started with learning this fun Romance language!

There are even unique sign language facts, like these:

• It’s the fourth most used language in the United Kingdom
• Sign language uses more than just hand gestures
• Different countries and languages have their own versions of sign language

As you can see, understanding the many quirks of written and spoken language IS possible when you turn to these fun facts about languages for more information!

50+ Fascinating Language Facts to Inspire You

How much do you know about foreign languages? Whether you’re a student learning a second language, a polyglot, or a translator, check out the graphic below. There are dozens of interesting language facts to take your linguistic knowledge to the next level!

50+ Language Facts in Detail

• There are over 7,000 languages worldwide, and most of them are dialects.
• Cambodian has the longest alphabet with 74 characters. Try making that into an alphabet song!
• The Bible is the most translated book, followed by Pinocchio.
• The English word “alphabet” comes from the first two letters of the Greek alphabet – alpha and beta.
• About 2,400 of the world’s languages are in danger of becoming extinct, and about one language becomes extinct every two weeks.
• The first printed book was in German.
• There are over 200 artificial languages in books, movies, and TV shows, such as “Klingon.”
• The Papuan language of Rotokas only has 11 letters, making it the smallest alphabet.
• Only 23 languages account for more than half of the world’s population!
• About ⅔ of all languages are from Asia and Africa.
• French is the main foreign language taught in the UK.
• Of all the language facts, this one fascinates us the most- at least half of the world’s population is bilingual!
• Many linguists believe that language originated around 100,000 BC.
• Basque is a language spoken in the mountains between France and Spain, and it has no relation to any other known language. (They didn’t get out much).  
• South Africa has the most official languages with 11.
• More than 1.5 million Americans are native French speakers.
• The Florentine dialect was chosen as the national language of Italy. Most regions in Italy primarily speak their own dialect to this day.
• Kinshasa is the world’s second-largest French-speaking city after Paris. Kinshasa is the capital city in the Congo.
• There are about 24 official languages spoken throughout Europe.
• Other than English, French is the only language taught in every country.

Bonus Language Facts

• On average, people only use a few hundred words in daily conversation, while most languages have 50,000+ words.
• German words can have three genders: masculine, feminine, and neuter. Most languages only have either masculine or feminine.
• The United States has no “official language.” Most people just assume it’s English.
• The language of La Gomera spoken off the coast of Spain consists entirely of whistles. (…but what if you can’t whistle?)
• Over 20,000 new French words are created each year.
• About 30% of English words come from French.
• Botswana has a language made up of five primary “click” sounds.
• Spanish contains about 4,000 Arabic words.
• German is the most spoken language in Europe. Four countries have it as their official language.
• Physical contact during a conversation is completely normal when speaking Spanish.

• Papua New Guinea has the most languages, at 840.
• Italian is a minority language in Brazil.
• Over 300 languages are spoken in London alone. No matter what, you have a pretty good chance of finding someone to speak with!
• The languages spoken in North Korea and South Korea are different. They have distinct vocabularies and grammatical rules due to being separated for so long.
• The English language contains the most words, with over 250,000.

Even More Language Facts to Keep You Inspired

• Spanish is the second most spoken language in the world.
• Multiple studies have shown that learning a second language can improve memory and slow the process of aging. This is one of our favorite language facts!
• Argentina still has a high number of Welsh speakers, due to settlers inhabiting the Patagonia mountains hundreds of years ago.
• Russian was the first language spoken in outer space.
• People who speak and understand Chinese use both sides of the brain, whereas English only uses the left side.

• Twenty-one countries have Spanish as their official language, making it a great choice for travelers.
• Hindi didn’t become the official language of India until 1965.
• The Pope tweets in nine languages, but his Spanish account has the most followers.
• Hawaiians have over 200 different words for “rain.”
• The culinary and ballet worlds use mostly French words and terms.
• In Indonesian, “air” means “water.”
• Japanese uses three different writing systems: Kanji, Katakana, and Hiragana.  
• The US has the second-highest number of Spanish speakers, after Mexico.
• Mandarin Chinese is the most spoken language in the world. If you speak it, you can speak to 13% of the world’s population!
• Cryptophasia is a language phenomenon that only twins, identical or fraternal, can understand.

Do You Know Facts About Language?

Now that you’ve read this post, chances are, your brain is packed to the brim with all kinds of fun language facts. Whether you’re thinking about learning Korean, Japanese, or even American Sign Language, you now have the knowledge you need to consider taking lessons.

Did these fascinating language facts inspire you to step up your own language skills? This is just the tip of the iceberg. Every language is full of rich historical content and unique idiosyncrasies. The more you dive into learning a new language, the more you’ll discover just how vast the linguistic possibilities are.

Being multilingual opens up many doors from travel opportunities over friendships to new careers. It also helps improve creative thinking and problem-solving skills. Perhaps most importantly, it opens your mind to new ways of perceiving the world and interacting with others. Time spent studying a language is a rewarding investment, no matter how old you are!

If you’re ready to get started, TakeLessons Live is the perfect resource for those wanting to learn a new language or sample a few different languages before deciding on one. While textbooks and videos can help you get the basics down, nothing beats the personalized feedback of language lessons! Whether online or in-person, TakeLessons can connect you with the perfect language tutor. Search for your language teacher today!

Do you know any other cool language facts you’d like to share?

Let us know in the comments below!

Sources:

1. lingualinx.com/blog/12-interesting-facts-languages
2. twentytwowords.com/25-fascinating-language-facts/5
3. edudemic.com/language-quiz
4. spanishtomove.com/blog/item/interesting-facts-about-the-spanish-language
5. lingualinx.com/blog/interesting-facts-about-the-french-language
6. thelanguagefactory.co.uk/facts-japanese-language
7. ethnologue.com/guides/how-many-languages
8. ancient-origins.net/human-origins-science/origins-human-language-one-hardest-problems-science-003610
9. listenandlearnusa.com/blog/9-surprising-facts-about-the-german-language
10. indianeagle.com/travelbeats/hindi-language-history-facts
11. thelocal.it/20170203/21-mildly-interesting-facts-about-the-italian-language
12. thechairmansbao.com/10-interesting-facts-figures-mandarin-chinese

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