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{{short description|Old language with established literature or use}}
{{For|classical languages in India|Classical languages of India}}{{Short lead|date=September 2024}}
Classical languages are usually [[Extinct language|extinct languages]]. Those that are still in use today tend to show highly [[Diglossia|diglossic]] characteristics in areas where they are used, as the difference between spoken and written language has widened over time.
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== Classical languages in Asia ==
In terms of worldwide cultural importance, [[Edward Sapir]] in his 1921 book ''[[Language: An Introduction to the Study of Speech|Language]]'' extends the list to include [[classical Chinese]], [[Classical
<blockquote>When we realize that an educated [[Japanese people|Japanese]] can hardly frame a single literary sentence without the use of Chinese resources, that to this day [[Thai language|Siamese]] and [[Burmese language|Burmese]] and [[Khmer language|Cambodgian]] bear the unmistakable imprint of the Sanskrit and [[Pali language|Pali]] that came in with Hindu Buddhism centuries ago, or that whether we argue for or against the teaching of Latin and Greek [in schools,] our argument is sure to be studded with words that have come to us from [[Rome]] and [[Athens]], we get some indication of what early Chinese culture and [[Buddhism]], and classical [[Mediterranean civilization]] have meant in the world's history. There are just five languages that have had an overwhelming significance as carriers of culture. They are classical Chinese, Sanskrit, Arabic, Greek, and Latin. In comparison with these, even such culturally important languages as [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]] and [[French language|French]] sink into a secondary position.<ref>{{cite book | last =Sapir| first=Edward| author-link =Edward Sapir | title =Language: An introduction to the study of speech | publisher =Harcourt, Brace and Company| date =1921| ___location =New York| page =164| url=https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/12629| isbn =4-87187-529-6| access-date=February 17, 2006}}</ref></blockquote>
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* [[Ancient Greek|Classical Greek]] ([[Attic Greek|Attic dialect]] of the 5th century BC)
* [[Sanskrit#Classical Sanskrit|Classical Sanskrit]] (described by [[Pāṇini|Pāṇini's]] [[Aṣṭādhyāyī|Ashtadhyayi]] of the 4th century BC)<ref>[http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-Panini.html Article "Panini" from ''The Columbia Encyclopedia'' (Sixth Edition) at Encyclopedia.com]</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HR-_LK5kl18C&pg=PA21 |title= The Sanskrit epics, Part 2| volume = 12|first= J. L. |last= Brockington|page = 28|publisher = BRILL| year=1998|isbn=978-90-04-10260-6}}</ref>
* [[Maharashtri Prakrit]] (a [[Prakrit]] language, was the official language of the Satavahana dynasty c. 3rd century BC to 3rd century AD)▼
* [[Old Tamil|Classical Tamil]] ([[Sangam literature]] c. 3rd century BC to 3rd century AD, defined by [[Tolkāppiyam]])<ref>{{Citation|last=Zvelebil|first=Kamil|year = 1997|title=The Smile of Murugan: On Tamil Literature of South India: On Tamil Literature of South India|publisher=BRILL Academic Publishers. p. 378|isbn=90-04-03591-5|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VF2VMUoY_okC&q=smile+of+murugan}} Quote: "Chart 1 literature: 1. the "Urtext" of the ''Tolkappiyam'', i.e. the first two sections, ''Eluttatikaram'' and ''Collatikaram'' minus later interpolations, '''ca. 100 BC''' 2. the earliest strata of bardic poetry in the so-called ''Cankam'' anthologies, '''ca. 1 Cent. BC–2 Cent. AD.'''"</ref>
* [[Pali#Pali literature|Classical Pali]] (Buddhist canon used this language from 2nd centuries BC)
▲* [[Maharashtri Prakrit]] (a [[Prakrit]] language, was the official language of the Satavahana dynasty c.
* [[Classical Latin]] (literary language of the 1st century BC)
* [[Mandaic language|Classical Mandaic]] (literary [[Aramaic]] of [[Mandaeism]], 1st century AD)
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===Middle Ages===
* [[Geʽez]], language of the [[Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church]]; the [[Garima Gospels]] are dated from the 5th century to the 10th century by various scholars.
* [[Classical Armenian]], the oldest attested form of [[Armenian language|Armenian]] from the 5th century and literary language until the 18th century
* [[Classical Arabic]], based on the language of the [[Quran|Qur'an]], 7th century to present; liturgical language of [[Islam]]
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* [[Ottoman Turkish#History|Classical Ottoman Turkish]] (language of poetry and administration of the [[Ottoman Empire]], 16th to 19th centuries)
* [[Manchu language]] (language of the Manchus who ruled China, 16th–20th centuries)
* [[Harari language|Classical Harari]] (language of the city of [[Harar]]. Major language of Islamic scholarship from the 16th -20th centuries.)▼
* [[History of the Dutch language#Standardization and Modern Dutch|Early Modern Dutch]] (language of the [[Dutch Golden Age]], 17th century)
* [[History of French#Modern French|Early Modern French]] (language of [[France]] under [[Louis XIV]] to [[Napoleon]], 17th to 18th centuries)
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* [[Yiddish#Secularization|Classical Yiddish]] (language of the [[Yiddishist movement|Yiddish Renaissance]], 19th–20th centuries)
* [[Classical Newar]] (lingua franca in India-Tibet trade)
▲* [[Harari language|Classical Harari]] (language of the city of [[Harar]]. Major language of Islamic scholarship from the 16th -20th centuries.)
== See also ==
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