So, how do these 7,097 languages break down? Well, it turns out that 23 languages are spoken by over 50 million people, while 43% of languages are spoken by fewer than 10,000 people. That's a pretty staggering statistic, and it just goes to show that language is a fragile and precious thing that needs to be preserved and protected.
But what's even more surprising is that new languages are still being discovered, even in this modern age of globalization and technological advancements. In fact, it's estimated that a new language is discovered every 14 days, which is a pretty mind-boggling rate. I mean, who knew that there were still so many undiscovered languages out there, waiting to be uncovered like hidden treasures?
And then there are the language families, which are like big, extended families that are all related to each other. The Indo-European language family, for example, includes languages like English, Spanish, Russian, and Hindi, among many others. It's like a big, linguistic family tree, with branches and roots that stretch all the way back to ancient times.
How Many Languages in the World