Proto-Indo-European vs. Sumerian: Which is the Oldest Language?

Comparing Proto-Indo-European (PIE) and Sumerian as the oldest language is a task fraught with complexities. While both languages have significant historical significance, they belong to very different linguistic families and have different recorded timelines. In this article, we explore the origins and timelines of these two languages and discuss which might be considered the oldest.

Proto-Indo-European

Proto-Indo-European (PIE) is a theoretical proto-language ancestral to most of the languages of Europe and Western and South Asia. Linguists place the spoken era of PIE approximately between 4500 to 2500 BCE, based on comparative linguistics and archaeological evidence. However, it's important to note that PIE is not a written language. It was reconstructed from daughter languages and linguistic evidence, making it a hypothetical or "proto-language."

Sumerian

Sumerian, on the other hand, is one of the oldest recorded languages. Though proto-Sumerian itself is not well-documented, the language is known through its cuneiform script. The earliest written Sumerian texts date back to around 3500 BCE, existing in the form of signage and accounting records. These early scripts gradually developed into more complex forms, with historical texts appearing around 3000 BCE.

Comparing Prototypes: Proto-Sumerian vs. Proto-Indo-European

The comparison between Proto-Indo-European and Sumerian is often challenging because both involve reconstructed forms of languages. Proto-Sumerian is another prototype language thought to be an ancestor of Sumerian. According to some linguistic theories, Proto-Sumerian would likely have been spoken before Sumerian, as early as 5000 BCE. However, specific evidence of Proto-Sumerian is scant, making it difficult to establish its exact timeline.

Linguistic Ancestry and Spread

It is believed that Dravidian entered into India from Sundaland around 6200 BCE, and later migrated to Mesopotamia around the same time. Sumerian, then, developed from a combination of Dravidian, Scyto-Hunnic, and Avaric-Hun-Bharata languages, along with a pidginization of Sumerian itself. This resulted in the formation of proto-Indo-European languages. By this theory, the spread of Proto-Indo-European languages across Europe from 6200 to 5400 BCE is well-documented and supported by archaeological and linguistic evidence.

Language Evolution and Oral Tradition

Beyond written records, oral tradition played a significant role in the evolution and spread of languages. People spoke languages long before they were recorded in writing. For example, Sumerian, one of the earliest known written languages, emerged much later than spoken languages. Oral traditions and tribal languages existed well before writing was invented, with some estimates dating the spoken languages of early Homo sapiens back to more than 100,000 years ago.

Writing Systems and Civilization

The invention of writing systems coincided closely with the rise of early civilizations. For instance, the first written Sumerian texts appeared around 3500 BCE, while Proto-Indo-European, being an unwritten language, had a far earlier timeline in terms of spoken usage. Similarly, Semitic languages like Akkadian and Eblaite were first written around 4000 BCE, reflecting the advancements in early civilizations.

Global Linguistic Connections

It's also worth noting that some languages, such as Proto-Afro-Asiatic, have deep connections with various language families. This proto-language, believed to have been spoken as early as 7000 BCE, is ancestral to Egyptian, Berber, Chadic, and Cushitic languages, all of which contributed to the rich linguistic heritage of the Afro-Asian region.

While Proto-Indo-European remains an important theoretical construct in our understanding of language evolution, Sumerian, with its earliest recorded texts, represents one of the earliest known written languages. This provides a tangible timeline and written evidence for linguistic scholars and historians alike.