The History and Spread of Indo-European Languages Based on DNA
Where do the Indo-European languages, spoken by nearly half the world’s population, come from?
For years, linguists have hotly debated its origins. But now, thanks to modern genetic science, we have perhaps the clearest idea yet about the ancient origins of these languages.
Read on to find out how genetics connects languages as diverse as Hindi, Farsi, French, Russian, and English.
The Outdated Theory of Language Geography in Indo-European Cultures
Until quite recently, there had been two major competing theories about how the Indo-European languages spread to the Asian subcontinent, through the Middle East and Central Asia, and across most of the European continent.
The first of these, proposed in 1987 by archaeologist Colin Renfrew, argued that the spread of the Indo-European languages was attributable to a single event: the spread of agriculture from Anatolia over 9,000 years ago.
The second major theory — often called the steppe hypothesis — was based not on archaeological evidence but on linguistics (the study of languages). It argues that certain “wagon” words shared between Indo-European languages (words like axle, harness, pole, and wheel) suggest these languages originated in a culture that used wagons (and therefore could not have existed before wheels and wagons spread around 6,000 years ago).
Now, modern genetics seems to have settled the matter decisively.
Solid Evidence of Mass Migration and Its Effect on Language
A new study published in the prestigious scientific journal Nature reports genome-wide data from more than twice as many samples of ancient Eurasians as past reports and analyses.
In this study, researchers isolated and sequenced particular areas of the genome for further review. This technique allowed for comprehensive screening of a larger number of ancient Indo-European DNA samples.
The genome-scale data included over 90 ancient Europeans aged 3,000 to 8,000 years.
The study concluded the following:
- A substantial hunter-gatherer ancestry remained in parts of Europe after the first farmers arrived.
- The mass migration from the east affected the languages people spoke both then and now.
- The Corded Ware people, of steppe origin, spoke a steppe language which has contributed to some of the Indo-European languages used today.
- The specific origin of Indo-European languages is still up for debate and has not been fully solidified, but with this new evidence, it is easier to understand and trace.
- Similar DNA tests will be performed to take a closer look at how the inhabitants of Europe were linked to other countries such as Iran, India, Turkey, and the Caucasus 3,000 to 6,000 years ago.
While the author of this study, Harvard geneticist David Reich, was reluctant to draw conclusions about the origins of the Indo-European languages in the Nature study, he elaborates more in his book Who We Are and How We Got Here: Ancient DNA and the New Science of the Human Past. In it, he writes:
“…the most likely location of the population that first spoke an Indo-European language was south of the Caucasus Mountains, perhaps in present-day Iran or Armenia, because ancient DNA from people who lived there matches what we would expect for a source population both for the Yamnaya and for ancient Anatolians. If this scenario is right, the population sent one branch up into the steppe — mixing with steppe hunter-gatherers in a none-to-one ratio to become the Yamnaya… and another to Anatolia to found the ancestors of people there who spoke languages such as Hittite.”
The Language You Speak is Derived From Your Genes: Learn More With In-Depth DNA Analysis Through Genomelink
Have you ever wondered whether you have ancestral ties to ancient Europe or beyond? A DNA test can give you clear answers about your past and help you better understand your family history.
Enjoy the very interesting video on the topic above from the American Philosophical Association
