How did people who speak different languages communicate in the past if language barrier is a thing even now?
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When populations of adults speaking different languages work together they come up with a simplified blend called a [pidgen language](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pidgin). Their children will come up with a more robust, complex [Creole language](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creole_language).
Interesting note: every creole language in the world allows the use of double negatives. All of those ridged thinking English teachers can just go shove.
When populations of adults speaking different languages work together they come up with a simplified blend called a [pidgen language](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pidgin). Their children will come up with a more robust, complex [Creole language](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creole_language).
Interesting note: every creole language in the world allows the use of double negatives. All of those ridged thinking English teachers can just go shove.
Native Americans had a universal sign language that they could use to communicate with other tribes.
If I am not mistaken, it was the basis for ASL.
We smiled and gestured a lot. We used tiny little phrase books published by Berlitz. We depended on people who were bilingual/multilingual.
Native Americans had a universal sign language that they could use to communicate with other tribes.
If I am not mistaken, it was the basis for ASL.
We smiled and gestured a lot. We used tiny little phrase books published by Berlitz. We depended on people who were bilingual/multilingual.
You know why that spiky trees are called “spruce”? Because English people were buying them from Poles, and Poles were saying “z Prus” which sounds exactly like English “spruce” but actually has a meaning, “from Prussia”. In other words, they sometimes just didn’t.
You know why that spiky trees are called “spruce”? Because English people were buying them from Poles, and Poles were saying “z Prus” which sounds exactly like English “spruce” but actually has a meaning, “from Prussia”. In other words, they sometimes just didn’t.
At the edges of every people group there will always be people who can translate between the two adjacent languages. It was normal for explorers to employ translators along the way. Sometimes it would require going through multiple translations.
My wife was in Burkina Faso a few years back. Some things required going through 3 translations. There were 2 local languages, French, and English.
At the edges of every people group there will always be people who can translate between the two adjacent languages. It was normal for explorers to employ translators along the way. Sometimes it would require going through multiple translations.
My wife was in Burkina Faso a few years back. Some things required going through 3 translations. There were 2 local languages, French, and English.
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