More than 4.3 billion people in Asia speak nearly 2,300 languages. You probably already know the most common ones, such as Chinese and Japanese.
However, there are many other widely used languages that you may not be as familiar with. Some of them are closely related and therefore provide greater benefits. Other languages are more unusual and offer a unique opportunity to learn a new language.
In this article, we will explore several lineages of the Asian language family tree. These diverse and exciting languages are just the tip of the iceberg of languages spoken in Asia.
arabic
Where Arabic is spoken: On the Asian continent, Arabic is widely spoken in Middle Eastern countries such as Bahrain, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. It's a term. .
Who belongs to the language family: Arabic is a Semitic language, a relative of Amharic, Hebrew, and several other languages spoken primarily in the Middle East.
Due to the influence of Arabic culture in medieval Europe, many Arabic words were incorporated into European languages such as Spanish, Portuguese, French, and English.
bengali
Where it is spoken: Bengali, also known as Bangla, is spoken in Bangladesh and the regions of eastern India near Bangladesh.
Who belongs to the language family: Bengali is an Indo-Aryan language, close to Hindustani and Punjabi.
This makes it a distant relative of European languages such as Slavic, Germanic, and Romance languages.
Chinese
Where Chinese is spoken: Variations of Chinese are spoken throughout China, Taiwan, and Singapore. Of course, that doesn't mean that all Chinese speakers you meet will sound the same or be able to understand each other.
Although Chinese is considered to be the most spoken language in the world, it actually consists of many dialects, some of which are mutually incomprehensible (i.e. people who speak one dialect (meaning you cannot understand someone who speaks a different dialect).
Who belongs to the language family: Chinese is a Sino-Tibetan language, so it is closely related to Burmese, Tibetan, and other Himalayan and Southeast Asian languages. Chinese has also had a major influence on Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese.
Hindustani
Where it is spoken: Hindustani is actually the name used to describe two languages, Hindi and Urdu, which are sometimes classified separately.
Hindi is the official language of many states in northern India. Over the years, there have also been attempts to make it the national language. Urdu is the official language of Pakistan and some states of India.
Language family members: Hindi and Urdu are both members of the Indo-Aryan language family, closely related to Bengali and Punjabi, and more distantly related to European languages.
Hindi and Urdu are almost mutually conceivable. However, the vocabulary and writing system are different.
Indonesian
Where it is spoken: More than 700 languages are spoken in Indonesia, but Indonesian is the only language with official status.
This is where things get a little complicated. Indonesian is a standardized language based on Malay. However, Malay is also spoken in Brunei, Malaysia, and Singapore.
When Indonesian was introduced as the national language, it was only the second most widely used introduced language in Indonesia, with Javanese being the most popular. Even today, there is a large population of people who speak Javanese as their mother tongue and therefore have Indonesian as their second language.
Japanese
Where it is spoken: Japanese is the national language of Japan.
Although Japanese is no longer considered to be related to Chinese, it still uses some characters and words of Chinese origin.
Korean
Where it is spoken: Korean is the official language in North Korea, South Korea, and areas of China along the North Korean border.
Language family members: Korean is considered an “orphan language,” meaning it is not related to other languages.
persian
Areas of use: Persian is the official language of Iran, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan, but each language has some distinct differences.
Persian is an Indo-Iranian language, related to several Indian languages such as Hindustani, Bengali, Punjabi, and Marathi.
punjabi
Where it is used: Punjabi is the most widely spoken language in Pakistan and is also common in northern India.
People who belong to the language family: Punjabi is an Indo-Iranian/Indo-Aryan language, so it is similar to Persian and several other Indian languages, such as Hindustani, Bengali, Punjabi, and Marathi. It is related to
Arabic and Persian have also influenced Punjabi.
Russia
Where it's spoken: You might not think of “Russian” as an “Asian language,” but Russian is widely spoken in Asia.
Most of Russia's land belongs to Asia. Additionally, Russian is the official language of Asian countries such as Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.
Thai
Where Thai is spoken: Thai is the official language of Thailand.
Many Thai words are derived from other languages, such as Khmer, Pali, and Sanskrit.
vietnamese
Where Vietnamese is spoken: Vietnamese is the official language of Vietnam.
Language family members: Vietnamese is Austroasiatic or Mon-Khmer. Its closest relatives are Khmer (spoken in Cambodia) and several regional languages spoken in eastern India and southern China.
