The fact that many ancient languages are now extinct and have no documentation makes it challenging to determine the oldest language on Earth. Languages also change with time. But according to linguistic studies and historical data, some of the earliest languages still in use today are Sumerian, Egyptian, Akkadian, Sanskrit, and Tamil.
One of the oldest languages still in use is Sumerian, which was used in Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq) between 4000 and 2000 BCE. In 3200 BCE, the ancient Egyptians also created a written language that eventually gave rise to the hieroglyphic system. One of the first Semitic languages, Akkadian was spoken in ancient Mesopotamia and dated around 2500 BCE.
One of the oldest languages is also regarded to be Sanskrit, an old Indo-European tongue. It was widely used as a liturgical language in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism between the years 2000 and 600 BCE on the Indian subcontinent. Tamil, a Dravidian language spoken in southern India and Sri Lanka, is regarded as one of the oldest living languages and has a written history that dates back to at least 300 BCE.
