From book “Babel, Around The World In 20 Languages” by Gaston Dorren:
“The world’s 20 biggest languages, which are the subject of this book, are causing the decline of hundreds, even thousands of smaller ones.”
"Among them, these 20 languages are the mother tongues of no less than half the population of the world.
Take second-language speakers into account, and the numbers are much larger still.
Again, the figures are debatable, but it’s safe to claim at least 75 per cent of people on this planet are able to communicate in one of the Babel Twenty.
A less pertinent but more exact figure would be this: over 90 per cent of humankind live in countries where one or more of the twenty are routinely used by central government."
20 Vietnamese | 85 million
19 Korean | 85 million
18 Tamil | 90 million
17 Turkish | 90 million
16 Javanese | 95 million
15 Persian | 110 million
14 Punjabi | 125 million
13 Japanese | 130 million
12 Swahili | 135 million
11 German | 200 million
10 French | 250 million
9 Malay | 275 million
8 Russian | 275 million
7 Portuguese | 275 million
6 Bengali | 275 million
5 Arabic | 375 million
4 Hindi-Urdu | 550 million
3 Spanish | 575 million
2 Mandarin | 1.3 billion
1 English | 1.5 billion
…
240229:
9 – Malay language summary
ChatGPT:
The Malay language, also known as Bahasa Melayu, is the official language of Malaysia, Brunei, and Singapore.
It is also widely spoken in Indonesia and other parts of Southeast Asia.
Malay has a rich history and cultural significance, serving as a unifying language in Southeast Asia.
Malay belongs to the Austronesian language family and is written in both Jawi script (historically) and the Latin script (currently).
It has several dialects and variations in usage across different regions, but Standard Malay is used in official and formal contexts.
Malay has a relatively simple sound system and a regular grammar structure, making it accessible for learners.
It is extensively used in everyday life, mass media, and administration throughout the Malay-speaking world.



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