Some like to make parallels to biology, where it is not always possible to make a well-defined distinction between one species and the next. In either case, the ultimate difficulty may stem from the interactions between languages and populations, with modification. (See dialect or August Schleicher for a longer discussion.)
The concepts of Ausbausprache, Abstandsprache, and Dachsprache are used to make finer distinctions about the degree of difference between languages or dialects.
Linguistics examines different theoretical perspectives on human language in detail. The Linguistics article is a useful introductory article about language.
One prominent artificial language, called Esperanto, was created by L. L. Zamenhof. It was a compilation of various elements of different languages, which was intended to be an easy-to-learn language.
Other writers, such as J. R. R. Tolkien, have created fantasy languages, for literary, linguistic, or personal reasons. One of Tolkien’s languages is called Quenya, which is a form of Elvish. It includes its own alphabet and pronunciations aligned with those of Germanic-heritage humans.
While the term ‘Non-Human Animal Languagess’ is widely used, most researchers agree that they are not as complex or expressive as the human language. Some researchers also argue that there are significant differences separating human language from the communication of other animals, and that the underlying principles are not related.
Other researchers argue that a continuum exists between the communication methods of all animals. Almost all researchers agree that human language is more complex than communication between other animals. For more on communication among non-human animals, see The Animal Communication Project.
Mark Rosenfelder's Metaverse provides a useful listing of 4000 languages and dialects (grouped by their relationships), where the numbers one to ten in each language can be found
Eurolang An independent Brussels-based news agency providing daily news coverage of events that matter to Europe's minority language communities. http://www.eurolang.net/
Eliezer Ben-Yehuda and the Revival of Hebrew The life and work of the founder of the Hebrew Language Council, the forerunner of today's Hebrew Language Academy, the supreme arbiter and authority on all matters pertaining to the Hebrew language. http://www.us-israel.org/jsource/biography/ben_yehuda.html
Israel: Language Policy Profile of the role of Hebrew in Israeli government and education. http://www.biu.ac.il/hu/lprc/lprcprof.htm
Language Problems and Language Planning International multi-lingual journal that publishes articles primarily on political, sociological, and economic aspects of language and language use. Site includes submission and subscription information, contents and abstracts. http://www.benjamins.com/jbp/journals/Lplp_info.html
Forgetting Latgalian Article concerning the politics of distinguishing between a language and a dialect. http://www.balticsww.com/latgalian.htm
Nationalism and Language An essay by Bozidar Jaksic on linguistic identity and policy in the Balkans. http://users.volja.net/romag/pub/Nationalism-and-Language.html
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