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The rise and fall of language diversity through the Holocene.

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Title: The rise and fall of language diversity through the Holocene.
Authors: Blasi, D. E. (AUTHOR), Hamilton, M. J. (AUTHOR), Gray, R. D. (AUTHOR), Bowern, C. L. (AUTHOR)
Source: Science. 7/23/2026, Vol. 393 Issue 6809, p387-391. 5p.
Subjects: Language attrition, Holocene Epoch, Bayesian analysis, Imperialism, Ethnolinguistic groups, Demographic change, Cultural pluralism, Variation in language
Abstract: Characterizing the factors that have shaped linguistic diversity is fundamental for understanding human history, culture, and cognition. In this study, we combined statistical and social computational modeling, ethnographic data, and paleodemographic inference to model trajectories of global linguistic diversity. Before the onset of plant and animal domestication, the number of languages was smaller than it is today (4500 to 6000 compared with 7500). Subsequent increases in global population precipitated increased linguistic diversity. We uncovered a linguistic "golden age" with tens of thousands of languages 3000 to 1000 years ago. Great loss of linguistic diversity did not begin with recent colonial expansion but as multinational empires first spread along with their languages, pathogens, and cultures. Thus, extinction has likely played a much greater role in shaping linguistic and cultural diversity than previously thought. Editor's summary: More than four languages are lost every year, and this rate is predicted to increase. Blasi et al. investigated how language diversity has changed over the Holocene using a Bayesian modeling approach, ethnographic data, and estimates of the total human population size over time. They assumed a maximum size of ethnolinguistic groups and that the number of different ethnolinguistic groups is related to the number of languages. Their findings suggested that language loss is not a new phenomenon, and that language diversity has been decreasing rapidly over the past one to three millennia following a peak of an order of magnitude higher diversity than we see today. —Bianca Lopez [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Science is the property of American Association for the Advancement of Science and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
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  Data: The rise and fall of language diversity through the Holocene.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Science%22">Science</searchLink>. 7/23/2026, Vol. 393 Issue 6809, p387-391. 5p.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Language+attrition%22">Language attrition</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Holocene+Epoch%22">Holocene Epoch</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Bayesian+analysis%22">Bayesian analysis</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Imperialism%22">Imperialism</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Ethnolinguistic+groups%22">Ethnolinguistic groups</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Demographic+change%22">Demographic change</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Cultural+pluralism%22">Cultural pluralism</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Variation+in+language%22">Variation in language</searchLink>
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  Data: Characterizing the factors that have shaped linguistic diversity is fundamental for understanding human history, culture, and cognition. In this study, we combined statistical and social computational modeling, ethnographic data, and paleodemographic inference to model trajectories of global linguistic diversity. Before the onset of plant and animal domestication, the number of languages was smaller than it is today (4500 to 6000 compared with 7500). Subsequent increases in global population precipitated increased linguistic diversity. We uncovered a linguistic "golden age" with tens of thousands of languages 3000 to 1000 years ago. Great loss of linguistic diversity did not begin with recent colonial expansion but as multinational empires first spread along with their languages, pathogens, and cultures. Thus, extinction has likely played a much greater role in shaping linguistic and cultural diversity than previously thought. Editor's summary: More than four languages are lost every year, and this rate is predicted to increase. Blasi et al. investigated how language diversity has changed over the Holocene using a Bayesian modeling approach, ethnographic data, and estimates of the total human population size over time. They assumed a maximum size of ethnolinguistic groups and that the number of different ethnolinguistic groups is related to the number of languages. Their findings suggested that language loss is not a new phenomenon, and that language diversity has been decreasing rapidly over the past one to three millennia following a peak of an order of magnitude higher diversity than we see today. —Bianca Lopez [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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  Data: <i>Copyright of Science is the property of American Association for the Advancement of Science and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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        Text: English
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      – SubjectFull: Bayesian analysis
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              Text: 7/23/2026
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