Part of: Miscellaneous Indian Gk set 55

The two oldest languages of the world are:

Category: Miscellaneous Indian Gk

Hint: Consider the historical and linguistic evidence for the oldest languages.

Correct Answer: B) Tamil and Sanskrit.

Exam Relevance: UPSC, SSC, Bank PO, CLAT, MAT

Difficulty: Moderate

Explanations:

The question asks about the two oldest languages in the world. To understand this, we need to delve into the history and linguistic development of languages. The age of a language is often determined by the earliest written records and the continuous use of the language over time.

Tamil and Sanskrit are considered among the oldest languages in the world. Tamil, a Dravidian language, has a rich literary tradition that dates back to the 3rd century BCE. The earliest Tamil literature, known as the Sangam literature, provides evidence of a sophisticated language system that has been in use for over two millennia. Tamil has also been continuously spoken and written, making it one of the longest-surviving classical languages.

Sanskrit, an Indo-Aryan language, is another ancient language with a long history. The earliest written records of Sanskrit date back to the Vedic period, which began around 1500 BCE. The Vedas, a collection of ancient Indian religious texts, are written in Sanskrit and are among the oldest known texts in any Indo-European language. Sanskrit has been used in religious, philosophical, and literary contexts for thousands of years, and its influence can be seen in many modern Indian languages.

English and Hindi, on the other hand, are relatively modern languages. English emerged around the 5th century AD as a result of the Anglo-Saxon invasions of Britain. It evolved from a mix of Germanic languages and has been influenced by Latin, French, and other languages over the centuries. Hindi, which is derived from Sanskrit and other Prakrit languages, developed much later and is primarily a modern Indo-Aryan language.

Therefore, based on historical and linguistic evidence, Tamil and Sanskrit are considered the two oldest languages in the world. Their long-standing literary traditions and continuous use over millennia make them stand out as ancient languages with a rich cultural heritage.

Option Analysis:
  • Option A: This option is incorrect because English and Hindi are relatively modern languages compared to Tamil and Sanskrit. English emerged around the 5th century AD, while Hindi developed from Sanskrit and other Prakrit languages much later.
  • Option B: This option is correct because Tamil and Sanskrit are among the oldest languages with extensive written records and continuous use. Tamil has a literary tradition dating back to the 3rd century BCE, and Sanskrit has a rich corpus of texts from the Vedic period, starting around 1500 BCE.
  • Option C: This option is incorrect because it suggests that either English and Hindi or Tamil and Sanskrit could be the oldest languages, which is not accurate based on historical and linguistic evidence.
  • Option D: This option is incorrect because it suggests that neither English and Hindi nor Tamil and Sanskrit are the oldest languages, which contradicts the well-established linguistic evidence supporting the antiquity of Tamil and Sanskrit.

Mnemonic: TAS: Tamil and Sanskrit are ancient.

Back to Miscellaneous Indian Gk set 55 – Practice all questions