![]() In sub-Saharan Africa, for example, it is said that arrogant humans sought to build a tower to reach their creator, Nyambe. ![]() Each village, having been isolated from the others during the crisis, now spoke its own language.įrom one end of the continent to the other, the stories and legends of African peoples often echo each other. When the evil was gone, it left a terrible aftermath: one language had given way to many. Instead, a devastating famine befell them, attacking their minds and consuming them with madness. But it wasn’t the construction of a tower that incurred the Almighty’s wrath in this case. Here too, a disruptive element put an end to the harmony between humans. So it makes sense that people have used myths as a way to explain the origin of languages. Linguistically speaking, Africa is an extremely diverse continent. African Legends On The Origins Of Languages The name “Babel” is linked to Babylon, the ancient city of Mesopotamia, and survives to this day in the name of the Iraqi province of Babel (or Babil). They forgot about building the Tower of Babel and were dispersed across the planet into linguistic communities. ![]() People no longer understood one another: and that was the origin of languages. To undermine their efforts, God confounded their speech. After banding together to build a great tower that would reach the heavens, they found themselves punished by divine power. Back then, so long ago, everyone spoke the same language. Humanity, driven by pride, soon resumed business as usual. Noah’s Ark saved all the living creatures on the planet. The story is from the Book of Genesis, the first book of the Bible, after the Flood. It even lent its name to Babbel, give or take a “b”. This is one of the Bible’s most famous passages. From the Bible to Chinese legends, via the Aztec Empire and Australia, come with us around the world in 80 – well, fewer than 80 - myths about the origin of languages. Legends, however, hold some fascinating insights regarding the barrier of language. Linguists trying to understand this phenomenon often find themselves hitting a wall, because language is so vast and complex. Why do the words we use for things change across borders? When science can’t explain something, human beings look to myths. What is the origin of languages? Where there is darkness, mythology has always tried to shine a light.
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