Oldest Known Languages and Their Characteristics

Sumerian, a language spoken in ancient Mesopotamia, is believed to be the oldest known written language, with its earliest known texts dating back to around 3500 BCE.

Sumerian was written using a cuneiform script, which consisted of wedge-shaped marks impressed into clay tablets.

Egyptian Hieroglyphics were used in ancient Egypt from around 3100 BCE until the 4th century CE.

Egyptian Hieroglyphics are a system of writing that uses pictorial symbols to represent words, syllables, or sounds.

Chinese Characters have been used in China since around 1600 BCE and are still used today.

Chinese Characters are a system of writing that uses logograms, which are symbols that represent whole words or morphemes.

The Maya Script was used by the Maya civilization in Mesoamerica from around 2600 BCE until the 16th century CE.

The Maya Script is a system of writing that uses hieroglyphs, which are symbols that represent words, syllables, or sounds.

Basque is an isolate language spoken in the Basque Country of Spain and France.

Tok Pisin, Haitian Creole, and Sranan Tongo are all creole languages.

Lingua Franca was a pidgin language used in the Mediterranean Sea from the 11th to the 19th centuries.

Esperanto, Lojban, and Toki Pona are all constructed languages.

Ainu, Guarani, and Nahuatl are all endangered languages.

Latin, Ancient Greek, and Sanskrit are all dead languages.

English, Spanish, and Mandarin Chinese are all living languages.