The most widely spoken languages in the world

[bjcheung77]

Here's a list of languages, I think it's a growing list of languages as more people are going to learn a few of these if it's not already their first or second language.

Link: The most widely spoken languages in the world (msn.com)

[rachel83az]

A lot of these aren't very "important". But importance shouldn't necessarily be a good indicator of whether or not one should learn a language.

[bjcheung77]

I remember reading something along with a graph of languages, many are endangered (yes, like endangered animal species) as there are only a handful or countable number of knowledgeable speakers who are fluent in that particular language. Previously, I would have recommended to just leave the language and (for prospective learners in that community) learn a very similar language in place of it. But now, I feel like they can amalgamate that language into the next closest thing, or incorporate that as a dialect... With the advances in technology, learning material can be stored online for each and every one of these languages...

Mainly languages that are taught from elementary up to college level will be safe from the growing endangered list, the next languages down the list are the ones where multi-million people in that area constantly use on a daily basis, such as a regional or official languages. The languages that are actually endangered are the ones that are on the outskirts of the large cities, in tribes or villages with only a few thousand of speakers, most of these people would already know the national or official languages, they only speak or use this language primary at home. Many languages are near extinction, a way to save it is to incorporate into another...

[Kab]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_la...e_speakers
for native speakers category
or by first and second language
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_la...f_speakers

[Alex8]

I think that English, Mandarin, Spanish, and Hindi will be among the most spoken languages in 2050, as they have large and growing populations, economic and cultural influence, and global reach. However, I also think that other languages, such as French, Arabic, Portuguese, and Russian, will remain important and relevant, as they are spoken in many countries and regions, and have rich histories and cultures. Language diversity is a valuable asset for humanity, and we should respect and appreciate all languages

[rachel83az]

You can't just "merge" two languages together. Languages don't work like that. Once you do that, neither language would be the same language any more.

Modern English is largely Germanic-Swedish/Norwegian with French loanwords. But English speakers cannot understand Norwegian, Swedish, or French without extensive study. Old English died out hundreds of years ago and we cannot understand it today. (There are people who can, of course, but the average Modern English speaker cannot do so without extensive study.) I wouldn't consider it "saved" any more than I'd consider a Ford F150 to be the same as a wrecked Chevy Silverado simply because I transferred the radio and air freshener from the Chevy to the Ford.

[Charles Fout]

A lot of these aren't very "important". But importance shouldn't necessarily be a good indicator of whether or not one should learn a language.

Saluton!

Languages are fascinating. Recently, with the aid of Face Book groups and YouTube, I have began to study Esperanto. There is a great amount of free information online. I would love to, at some point, have a conversation in Esperanto with someone whose native language is not English. 

[Johann]

Endangered languages are a constant, here in Canada. Aboriginal languages, of course. I live fairly close to a Six Nations (Iroquois) Reserve. The Six Nations of the Iroquois Confederacy are Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Tuscarora and Seneca and each has its own language.

I took a first course in Mohawk, some years back, and was hoping for a second. Unfortunately, it was not available, because funding had been reduced - to none, except for "endangered" languages. That was defined in this case as those with less than 1.000 speakers. I think Cayuga was the most "endangered," with only a few hundred.

I really feel it when I see lists of endangered Aboriginal languages from other parts of Canada, with  3,6 or a dozen speakers. In a few years that will be zero. People of that First Nation had hearts, intellects, meaningful lives and wisdom. And then it's gone....

[rachel83az]

Mango Languages has some lessons in endangered languages available for free, including several Native American/First Nations languages. Unfortunately, not any Iroquois languages. But you can learn a little Cherokee or something else if you want.

[Johann]

Mango Languages has some lessons in endangered languages available for free, including several Native American/First Nations languages. Unfortunately, not any Iroquois languages. But you can learn a little Cherokee or something else if you want.

Cherokee is an Iroquoian language. I knew it was related to Mohawk, when I first saw it. And the pronunciation is similar in spots. "R' and "L" are kind of intermixed in both. And in Mohawk, written "k" is often softened to "g" when spoken. The Cherokee word for their own language and people is "Tsalagi" in English spelling. That one word shows similar use of both devices in Mohawk and Cherokee.

From Google: "Cherokee is part of the Iroquoian language family. Today, the Iroquois are a group of six tribes living in the Great Lakes region of the United States and Canada. Linguists say that at some time, around 3,500 years ago, the Cherokee people lived there as well.

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You can't just "merge" two languages together. Languages don't work like that. Once you do that, neither language would be the same language any more.

Modern English is largely Germanic-Swedish/Norwegian with French loanwords. But English speakers cannot understand Norwegian, Swedish, or French without extensive study. Old English died out hundreds of years ago and we cannot understand it today. (There are people who can, of course, but the average Modern English speaker cannot do so without extensive study.) I wouldn't consider it "saved" any more than I'd consider a Ford F150 to be the same as a wrecked Chevy Silverado simply because I transferred the radio and air freshener from the Chevy to the Ford.

Well, at least PART of Anglo-Saxon is still understandable. We got all our four-letter swear-words from it and most are pretty well unaltered, I note. 

Really - as you say, it's not very understandable today, at least, without study. I took some free lessons on the web a few years ago and it was fascinating. And if you know Modern German, that'll give you a leap forward in learning vocabulary. It's obvious that in so many cases. the old Germanic roots of both are the same.

I should learn it properly. My DNA is about as Anglo-Saxon as it's possible to get. Pretty well all, from my birth-mother, and mainly the same from my birth father, plus little smidges from nearby - Ireland, Wales - and Invaders - Norway, Denmark, Sweden, France. I was adopted (found out at 47) and didn't start investigating my roots until I was over 70.