Historical language
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Historical languages (also known as historic languages) are
proto-languages) of theoretical linguistics
. One of the approaches to defining and using the concept of historical languages is implemented in the ISO 639 standards.
ISO 639
The
constructed languages (which may or may not have native speakers). Old English is an example of a historic language. The ISO 639 language code for Old English is
form a distinct body of material.
ang. A further ISO 639-3 criterion for historic languages is that they have a distinct literature from their descendant languages: in the example of Old English, Beowulf and other works of Old English literatureSee also
- Classical language, ancient or older languages, with a rich body of literature, in that language.
- Historical linguistics, also called diachronic linguistics, the study of language change.
- Language code, for a general discussion of language codes, together with information on specific implementations.
- List of languages by first written accounts, consisting of the approximate dates for the first written accounts known for various languages.
- List of extinct languages, a list of languages that no longer have any native speakers, are no longer in current use, and no spoken descendant(s).
- Proto-language, hypothetical, or reconstructed, languages from which a number of historically attested, or documented, known languages are hypothetically descended.
- Chronolect