My European ancestors arrived to Canada in the early 1600s, and some found romance with Native women. Since then, thirteen generations have passed, and I don't have more than a few diluted drops of Native blood left in my veins. Still, I grew up in Quebec speaking the same language as my European ancestors. French.
They say 'Necessity is the mother of invention'. Well, in my twenties after my husband was posted to Nova Scotia, necessity became the driving force behind me learning English, mostly thanks to my very patient friends & neighbours.
Today, I fluently speak English with a French accent, and according to my relative back in Quebec, I speak French with a slight English accent.
I wish I knew more than French & English, but unless you speak a language regularly, you tend to forget it. Interestingly, there are over 7,000 different languages spoken in the world.
Which language is the most spoken on earth? Mandarin Chinese. Spoken by 1.1 billion people, it's the official language of mainland China.
What is the second most spoken language? Spanish. Spoken by 400 millions people, it is an official language in 20 countries.
The third most spoken is the one I learned as a second language. English. Spoken by nearly 360 millions people, it's an official language in more than 80 countries and is also the international business language.
Are there any dead languages? Yes, many. A dead language is defined as a language no longer spoken as first or second language, such as Latin or Old Norse. Interestingly enough, I had two years of compulsory Latin in high school.
What are the hardest and easiest languages to learn for English speakers?
According to Berlitz, Hungarian is the hardest, but according to Babbel, it's Mandarin Chinese. Berlitz lists Frisia (second official language in the Netherlands) then Dutch as the easiest to learn, but according to Babbel, it's... Norwegian (I didn't see that one coming).
Happy Holiday Season! Joyeux Temps des Fêtes!
J. S.
