Indo-European family of languages: hypotheses of origin

Studies of linguists on the origin of a language allow us to judge the degree of kinship of various nationalities. Do not underestimate these searches, because sometimes in the course of this or that analysis reveals the hidden secrets of humanity, which are of great importance. In addition, as a result of the investigation of the origin of world languages, there are more and more facts confirming that all means of communication take their origins from one beginning. There are different versions of the origin of a particular linguistic group. Let us consider the roots of the Indo-European family of languages.

What does this concept include?

The Indo-European family of languages was singled out by linguistic scholars on the basis of great similarity, the principles of similarity, proven by the comparative-historical method. It included more than 200 live and dead means of communication. This language family is represented by carriers, the number of which exceeds the mark of 2.5 billion. At the same time, their speech is not limited to the framework of this or that state, it is distributed throughout the Earth.

The term "Indo-European family of languages" was introduced in 1813 by one of the famous British scientists Thomas Jung. It is interesting that the British physicist is the first who deciphered the Egyptian inscription with the name of Cleopatra.

Hypotheses about the origin

Due to the fact that the Indo-European language family is considered the most widespread on the Earth, many scholars are wondering where the roots of its carriers originate. There are several versions about the origin of this linguistic system, the brief information about which can be presented thus:

1. The Anatolian hypothesis. This is one of the first versions of the origin of the proto-language and the common ancestors of the Indo-European groups. It was put forward by the English archaeologist Colin Renfrew. He suggested that the homeland of this family of languages is the territory where the Turkish settlement of Chatal-Hyuk (Anatolia) is now located. The hypothesis of the scientist was based on the finds found in this place, as well as on his work on analysis using radiocarbon experiments. Another British scientist Barry Cunliffe, known for his works in the field of anthropology and archeology, is also believed to be of Anatolian origin.

2. The Kurgan hypothesis. This version was suggested by Maria Gimbutas, who was one of the prominent figures in the field of cultural studies and anthropology. In 1956, in her writings, she suggested that the Indo-European family of languages originated in the territory of modern Russia and Ukraine. The version was based on the fact that the Kurgan type and pit culture was developed then, and that these two components gradually spread throughout much of Eurasia.

3. The Balkan hypothesis. According to this assumption, it is believed that the ancestors of the Indo-Europeans lived in the southeast of modern Europe. This culture originated in the area of the Balkan Peninsula and included a combination of material and spiritual values created in the Neolithic Age. The scientists who put forward this version based their judgments on the principle of linguistics, according to which the "center of gravity" (that is, the motherland or source) of linguistic distribution lies in the place where the greatest variety of means of communication is observed.

Groups of the Indo-European family of languages include the most common modern means of communication. Studies of linguistic scientists prove the commonality of these cultures, as well as the fact that all people are related to each other. And this is the main thing, which should not be forgotten, and only in this case it is possible to prevent enmity and misunderstanding between different nationalities.