How many languages are there in the world, and how are they counted?
Estimates range from 6,000 to 8,000 languages. What makes counting difficult, and what do we know about how they are distributed geographically?
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Linguistics
Grammar, syntax, etymology, language structure, and the history of languages
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How do children acquire language so quickly without formal instruction?
Children master the grammar of their native language by age 5 or 6 with no explicit teaching. Is this explained by a innate "language acquisition device" as Chomsky proposed, or by general learning mechanisms?
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Why do languages change over time?
Latin became French, Spanish, and Italian. English today is barely recognisable compared to Old English. What forces drive language change, and can it be stopped?
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What is the difference between a language and a dialect?
Linguists often say the distinction is political, not purely linguistic. What does that mean, and how do linguists actually distinguish languages from dialects?
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