Geography ยท General Awareness

World Languages and Geography

2,320 Questions

World languages and geography explore the distribution of major language families, official languages, and native speakers across different continents. The questions cover linguistic demographics in Africa, Europe, and the Americas. This topic is frequently asked in UPSC, SSC, and State PSC general studies papers.

Official languagesLanguage familiesWidely spoken languagesRegional languagesLinguistic geography

World Languages and Geography Questions

Multiple choice

Which language has been influenced by Japanese and is spoken in Taiwan?

  1. Hokkien

  2. Mandarin

  3. Cantonese

  4. Hakka
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Hokkien is a language spoken in Taiwan that has been influenced by Japanese during the Japanese colonial period.

Multiple choice

Which language has been influenced by Japanese and is spoken in the Philippines?

  1. Tagalog

  2. Cebuano

  3. Ilocano

  4. Hiligaynon
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Tagalog is a language spoken in the Philippines that has been influenced by Japanese during the Japanese occupation.

Multiple choice

Which language has been influenced by Japanese and is spoken in Malaysia?

  1. Malay

  2. Chinese

  3. Tamil

  4. English
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Malay is a language spoken in Malaysia that has been influenced by Japanese during the Japanese occupation.

Multiple choice

Which language has been influenced by Japanese and is spoken in Indonesia?

  1. Indonesian

  2. Javanese

  3. Sundanese

  4. Madurese
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Indonesian is a language spoken in Indonesia that has been influenced by Japanese during the Japanese occupation.

Multiple choice

Which of the following is not a classical language?

  1. Sanskrit

  2. Latin

  3. Greek

  4. English
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

English is a modern language, while Sanskrit, Latin, and Greek are all classical languages.

Multiple choice

What is the oldest known classical language?

  1. Sanskrit

  2. Latin

  3. Greek

  4. Hebrew
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Sanskrit is the oldest known classical language, with its earliest texts dating back to around 1500 BCE.

Multiple choice

Which classical language was the lingua franca of the Roman Empire?

  1. Sanskrit

  2. Latin

  3. Greek

  4. Hebrew
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Latin was the lingua franca of the Roman Empire, and it continued to be used as a language of scholarship and diplomacy in Europe for centuries after the fall of the empire.

Multiple choice

Which classical language was the lingua franca of the Byzantine Empire?

  1. Sanskrit

  2. Latin

  3. Greek

  4. Hebrew
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Greek was the lingua franca of the Byzantine Empire, and it continued to be used as a language of scholarship and diplomacy in the Eastern Mediterranean for centuries after the fall of the empire.

Multiple choice

Which classical language was the lingua franca of the Islamic world?

  1. Sanskrit

  2. Latin

  3. Greek

  4. Arabic
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Arabic was the lingua franca of the Islamic world, and it continues to be used as a language of scholarship and diplomacy in many Muslim countries today.

Multiple choice

Which classical language was the lingua franca of Southeast Asia?

  1. Sanskrit

  2. Latin

  3. Greek

  4. Chinese
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Sanskrit was the lingua franca of Southeast Asia for centuries, and it continues to be used as a language of scholarship and religious ritual in many parts of Southeast Asia today.

Multiple choice

Which classical language was the lingua franca of East Asia?

  1. Sanskrit

  2. Latin

  3. Greek

  4. Chinese
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Chinese was the lingua franca of East Asia for centuries, and it continues to be used as a language of scholarship and diplomacy in many East Asian countries today.

Multiple choice

Which classical language was the lingua franca of Central Asia?

  1. Sanskrit

  2. Latin

  3. Greek

  4. Persian
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Persian was the lingua franca of Central Asia for centuries, and it continues to be used as a language of scholarship and diplomacy in many Central Asian countries today.

Multiple choice

Which classical language was the lingua franca of the Americas?

  1. Sanskrit

  2. Latin

  3. Greek

  4. Nahuatl
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Nahuatl was the lingua franca of the Americas for centuries, and it continues to be used as a language of scholarship and religious ritual in many parts of Mexico and Central America today.

Multiple choice

Which classical language was the lingua franca of Africa?

  1. Sanskrit

  2. Latin

  3. Greek

  4. Arabic
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Arabic was the lingua franca of Africa for centuries, and it continues to be used as a language of scholarship and diplomacy in many African countries today.

Multiple choice

Which classical language was the lingua franca of Oceania?

  1. Sanskrit

  2. Latin

  3. Greek

  4. Hawaiian
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Hawaiian was the lingua franca of Oceania for centuries, and it continues to be used as a language of scholarship and religious ritual in many parts of Oceania today.