Laura Spinney

Thank you very much for inviting me. Delighted to be here.

Thank you very much for inviting me. Delighted to be here.

Thank you very much for inviting me. Delighted to be here.

I mean, Indo-European is essentially a linguistic term. So it refers to this family of languages. Strictly speaking, we shouldn't talk about Indo-Europeans because that implies there was a group of people with that identity. Whereas what we're talking about is people speaking a language. So it could have been people of many different ethnicities. In fact, it was, and many different cultures.

I mean, Indo-European is essentially a linguistic term. So it refers to this family of languages. Strictly speaking, we shouldn't talk about Indo-Europeans because that implies there was a group of people with that identity. Whereas what we're talking about is people speaking a language. So it could have been people of many different ethnicities. In fact, it was, and many different cultures.

I mean, Indo-European is essentially a linguistic term. So it refers to this family of languages. Strictly speaking, we shouldn't talk about Indo-Europeans because that implies there was a group of people with that identity. Whereas what we're talking about is people speaking a language. So it could have been people of many different ethnicities. In fact, it was, and many different cultures.

And it's important to make that clear because the categories have been blurred and abused, for example, by Nazis in the 20th century. So we'll clear that up from the start.

And it's important to make that clear because the categories have been blurred and abused, for example, by Nazis in the 20th century. So we'll clear that up from the start.

And it's important to make that clear because the categories have been blurred and abused, for example, by Nazis in the 20th century. So we'll clear that up from the start.

Yeah. Okay. So it's called Indo-European because it spanned or spanned initially languages from India, from the subcontinent to the West of Europe. Today, they're spoken on every inhabited continent. They're spoken as a first language. That's not even including people who speak it as a second or subsequent language by a first language by 46% of humanity. So 3.2 billion people.

Yeah. Okay. So it's called Indo-European because it spanned or spanned initially languages from India, from the subcontinent to the West of Europe. Today, they're spoken on every inhabited continent. They're spoken as a first language. That's not even including people who speak it as a second or subsequent language by a first language by 46% of humanity. So 3.2 billion people.

Yeah. Okay. So it's called Indo-European because it spanned or spanned initially languages from India, from the subcontinent to the West of Europe. Today, they're spoken on every inhabited continent. They're spoken as a first language. That's not even including people who speak it as a second or subsequent language by a first language by 46% of humanity. So 3.2 billion people.

So it's by far the largest language family in the world. We think there are about 140 language families in the world. And there are 12 main branches. I'll list them quickly. Iranic, the Iranic languages, the Indic languages, Greek, Armenian, Albanian, Baltic, Slavic, Italic, Germanic, Celtic. And I don't think I've missed any out or have I? Perhaps I have. Tocharian and Anatolian.

So it's by far the largest language family in the world. We think there are about 140 language families in the world. And there are 12 main branches. I'll list them quickly. Iranic, the Iranic languages, the Indic languages, Greek, Armenian, Albanian, Baltic, Slavic, Italic, Germanic, Celtic. And I don't think I've missed any out or have I? Perhaps I have. Tocharian and Anatolian.

So it's by far the largest language family in the world. We think there are about 140 language families in the world. And there are 12 main branches. I'll list them quickly. Iranic, the Iranic languages, the Indic languages, Greek, Armenian, Albanian, Baltic, Slavic, Italic, Germanic, Celtic. And I don't think I've missed any out or have I? Perhaps I have. Tocharian and Anatolian.

Sorry, those are the two that are dead.

Sorry, those are the two that are dead.

Sorry, those are the two that are dead.

Absolutely. There's been hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of examples. The one I actually opened the book with, because I think it's very striking, is the Sanskrit term Dhyapita, which literally meant sky father, or we would say father sky, English speakers. And it was the highest god in the ancient Indian pantheon. But it was also essentially the name of the highest god in the Roman pantheon.

Absolutely. There's been hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of examples. The one I actually opened the book with, because I think it's very striking, is the Sanskrit term Dhyapita, which literally meant sky father, or we would say father sky, English speakers. And it was the highest god in the ancient Indian pantheon. But it was also essentially the name of the highest god in the Roman pantheon.