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What’s the world’s oldest language?

Scientists are aware of more than 7,100 languages in use today. Nearly 40 per cent of them are considered endangered, meaning they have a declining number of speakers and are at risk of dying out. Some languages are spoken by fewer than 1,000 people, while more than half of the world’s population uses one of just 23 tongues. But when did humans first lay out a structured system to communicate, one that was distinct to a particular area?