(Replying to PARENT post)
It only took 200 years for 200 of those 260 languages to be lost or brought to the edge of extinction. It's at least plausible and to me quite believable that the arrival of a group with a technological advantage 4,000 years ago could have had a substantial impact on the existing languages.
The same set of languages definitely will not have survived for 60,000 years. Tribes come and go, merge and split. Outside influences bring in new words and grammatical structures. Oral tradition is a low fidelity carrier of language and culture, and easily accommodates change in language.
👤codebje🕑2y🔼0🗨️0
(Replying to PARENT post)
👤causality0🕑2y🔼0🗨️0
(Replying to PARENT post)
Especially only 4,000 years ago. I’m under the impression that the culture is much much older than that. Why would it change so quickly? Especially for a people’s that are quite traditional. At least as I understand it.
I also understand that the native languages are mostly spoken and not written, are these Indian languages written?
👤ace2358🕑2y🔼0🗨️0
(Replying to PARENT post)
I have no idea if its true or not, but it doesn't sound totally impossible. Look at how the language make up has changed over the last 300 years in north america.
👤bawolff🕑2y🔼0🗨️0
(Replying to PARENT post)
Source? Australia has been continuously populated by Aboriginal people for 60,000+ years, with over 260 languages I find that claim incredibly hard to believe.