Confusion of tongues
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| - | A '''universal language''' is a hypothetical historical or mythical language said to be spoken and understood by all or most of the world's population;or, in some circles, is said to be understood by all living things, beings, and objects alike. In some conceptions, it may be the primary language of all speakers, or the only existing language; in others, it is a fluent secondary language used for communication between groups speaking different primary languages. Some mythological or religious traditions state that there was once a single universal language among all people, or shared by humans and [[supernatural]] beings; this is not supported by historical evidence; however, sanskrit is often reffered to as akin to this universal language. | + | The '''confusion of tongues''' (''confusio linguarum'') is the initial fragmentation of human languages described in the [[Book of Genesis]] 11:1–9, as a result of the construction of the [[Tower of Babel]]. |
| - | The idea of a universal language is at least as old as the [[Biblical]] story of [[Babel]]. The biblical story of Babel's fall states that there was once a time of a universal [[Adamic language]] (now often associated with the [[Kabbalah]]) — and then something happened, the [[confusion of tongues]], analogous to [[the Fall of Man]]. In the [[Judeo-Christian]] tradition there are various attitudes to regaining the supposed [[golden age]], before Babel; these include optimism, pessimism, and recourse to [[parody]] and warnings on [[hubris]], depending on the wished interpretation of the story. | ||
| - | In other traditions, there is less interest in or a general deflection of the question. For example in [[Islam]] the [[Arabic language]] is the language of the [[Qur'an]], and so universal for Muslims. The written classical [[Chinese language]] was and is still read widely but pronounced somewhat differently by readers in different areas of [[China]], in [[Korea]] and [[Japan]] for centuries; it was a ''[[de facto]]'' universal ''literary'' language for a broad-based culture. In something of the same way [[Sanskrit]] in [[India]] was a literary language for many for whom it was not a [[mother tongue]]. | + | ==See also== |
| - | + | * [[Enmerkar and the Lord of Aratta]] | |
| - | Comparably, the [[Latin|Latin language]] (''qua'' [[Medieval Latin]]) was in effect a universal language of [[literati]] in the [[Middle Ages]], and the language of the [[Vulgate Bible]], in the area of [[Catholicism]] which covered most of Western [[Europe]] and parts of Northern and Central Europe also. | + | * [[Origin of language]] |
| + | * [[Fenius Farsa]] | ||
| + | * [[Luccreth moccu Chiara]] | ||
| + | * [[Enki#Confuser_of_languages]] | ||
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The confusion of tongues (confusio linguarum) is the initial fragmentation of human languages described in the Book of Genesis 11:1–9, as a result of the construction of the Tower of Babel.
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See also
- Enmerkar and the Lord of Aratta
- Origin of language
- Fenius Farsa
- Luccreth moccu Chiara
- Enki#Confuser_of_languages
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