English to Zulu: The Origin of Languages (part of article)
General field: Social Sciences | |
Source text - English
Some scholars theorize that modern languages stem from one original language—the so-called mother tongue that they thought humans spoke nearly 100,000 years ago. Others claim that today’s languages are related to several root languages spoken at least 6,000 years ago. But how do linguists reconstruct the development of extinct languages? “That is tricky,” says the Economist magazine. “Unlike biologists, linguists do not have fossils to guide them through the past.” The magazine adds that one evolutionary linguist arrives at his conclusions by “mathematically informed guesswork.” | Translation - Zulu
Ezinye izazi zithi izilimi zanamuhla zivela olimini olulodwa lokuqala —okuthiwa ulimi olungumsuka ezicabanga ukuthi lwalukhulunywa abantu eminyakeni engaba ngu-100 000 edlule. Ezinye zithi izilimi zanamuhla zihlobene nezilimi eziningana eziwumnyombo ezazikhulunywa eminyakeni engengaphansi kuka-6 000 edlule. Kodwa-ke osozilimi bakwazi kanjani ukuthola ukuthi izilimi esezafa zazithuthuke kanjani? “Yinto enzima leyo,” kusho umagazini i-Economist. “Ngokungafani nezazi zezinto eziphilayo, osozilimi abanayo imivubukulo ebahlahlela indlela esikhathini esidlule.” Lo magazini unezela uthi, omunye usozilimi okholelwa ekuziphendukeleni kwemvelo ufinyelela iziphetho zakhe ngokwenza izibalo ezisekelwe ekuqageleni.” |
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