If our little website has developed some turns of phrase in incomprehensible to outsiders it makes sense for two small villages 3 millennia to develop their own language.

[–] KnilAdlez@hexbear.net 26 points 17 hours ago (2 children)

It is my understanding that language was not as discrete as it is now until the invention of the printing press. It doesn't make a lot of sense to say there were some such amount of languages, because everyone spoke some regional dialect

[–] LeeeroooyJeeenkiiins@hexbear.net 8 points 12 hours ago* (last edited 12 hours ago)

There's also probably generally a lot more granularity and differences between regional dialects in periods where there wasn't the infrastructure or economic impetus for trade or travel. The printing press helps codify the written language and is vital for literacy outside of a privileged class but in terms of spoken language I think it's more of an exposure driven thing, where even if there are fundamental differences between languages in proximity the more trade and interaction the more loanwords and other things you'll see, plus the effects of a hegemonic culture establishing a lingua franca

sorry if this be incoherent, my adhd is medicated but my drunkenness is also at a medicated level

[–] robot_dog_with_gun@hexbear.net 10 points 16 hours ago

weird thing to call a golden age when the people over there can't communicate with you at all instead of just sounding a little funny.