What Is The Most Grammatically Complex Language To Learn?
One certain thing about humans is that we can never agree on one thing. It often causes a lot of problems for us. It gets difficult to come to a conclusion when everybody has a different opinion. But the difference between us is also a good thing. If all of us thought the same way and had similar ideas, we never would have progressed. However, some people might argue that differences are only good in fields like technology, medical science etc. and when it comes to behavioral and social sciences, there should be a consensus among experts. Although it is true that difference of opinion in these fields can cause confusion among students, sometimes it is impossible to reach a conclusion.
If someone is studying cultures, they cannot rate them because each of them will have a different set of characteristics. There is no good culture or bad culture in the world. You can say that one culture is more vibrant and louder than others but that doesn’t make the other cultures any less important. So, you can’t go up to an anthropologist and ask them to name the best or the worst culture, not only will they be unable to give you a clear answer, they will also tell you how wrong your question is.
The same way, in the world of languages, there is no good or bad category. Each of them is unique and have a complex grammatical system. Plenty of languages use the same alphabets but that does not make them similar to each other. It is also worth mentioning that we have not been able to discover all the languages spoken in the world yet. The number of tongues we know today is expected to rise in the future. And with old languages getting modernized and changing into various dialects, the types of vernacular we can study will keep on increasing.
What is The Most Grammatically Complex Language to Learn?
Many people look for shortcuts so they can reach their destination quickly and avoid the traffic. There is nothing wrong with wanting an easy life. Going to a nine to five job and coming home to eat dinner and rest is the kind of routine that many people prefer over everything else. The idea of a weekend adventure might be a lot for some people. Most of us love to play safe and do things that are easy. We pick up skills that are easy and learn new languages which aren’t complex.
But there are some people who like to challenge themselves frequently. They keep on working their mind and body so they can stay sharp and in shape. They are the ones who might go to a linguist and ask them to name the most grammatically complex language to learn. No matter which linguist you ask, they will tell you that every tongue is complex in some way, and it is impossible to narrow it down to one name. If a tongue doesn’t have a defined grammatical system, it cannot be considered a language. So, each of them can be considered complex and confusing.
However, there are a few criterions that can let people find complex tongues. For instance, the fewer the speakers of a tongue, the harder it will be. This is because few people wouldn’t try to update their language regularly to make it modern and retain its old features. And old features mean complex grammar. It is worth mentioning that English is considered to have a very simple grammatical system, which might by why English speakers consider European tongues difficult. Out of all the tongues that have been extensively studied so far, the following have a complex grammar:
- Tuyuca:
With less than a thousand speakers, Tuyuca is considered the world’s most complex language. It is named after the ethnic group whose people are its native speakers. It is spoken in a few areas of Brazil and Colombia. It has up to 140 noun classes and each of them are indicated by a different suffix and prefix. This tonal language has three different tones which makes it even harder for people to learn it.
Even the speakers of Arabic will tell you how complex their native tongue is. It has been around for a long time and went through a few changes throughout its history to reach its current shape. Due to being the lingua France of the Arab world, Arabic is very important in the region. It doesn’t have short vowels and follows the verb-subject-object (VSO) pattern unlike other languages that are either SOV or SVO. Majority of Arabic letters have four forms, depending on where they are placed in a sentence.
- Mandarin:
This is also an ancient language which picked up a lot of idioms and aphorisms throughout its history. Those idioms make learning Mandarin very difficult. There are four tones of Mandarin that further complicate things for students. It is also rich in homophones and considered quite difficult for a native English speaker to master.
Other grammatically complex languages are Hungarian, Korean, Japanese, Basque, Navajo, Polish, and Icelandic. Depending on your mother tongue, the complexity of other vernaculars can vary. But the names listed above will be difficult for everyone regardless of their mother tongue. Studying a new language is not an easy thing to do, but choosing a complex tongue to start your learning process is something very courageous and only a few go down this path.
