世界上最古老的已知词语，I,fire, mother等词已是15000岁高龄
<p>英国雷丁大学生物科学学院的科学家们列出了23个最古老的已知词语。这些词语是七种原始欧亚语言所共有的，由这七种语言演化而来的语言有上百种，有的至今还存在，有的已经消亡。研究者估计，这些词语已经有15000年历史了。这些单词包括：</p><p><span word="Were">Were</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="find">find</span> <span word="yourself">yourself</span> <span word="beside">beside</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="campfire">campfire</span> 150 <span word="centuries">centuries</span> <span word="ago">ago</span> <span word="alongside">alongside</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="group">group</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="hunter">hunter</span> <span word="gatherers">gatherers</span>, <span word="chances">chances</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="might">might</span> <span word="understand">understand</span> <span word="some">some</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="these">these</span> <span word="words">words</span>. <span word="Some">Some</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="pretty">pretty</span> <span word="obvious">obvious</span>, <span word="like">like</span> “<span word="mother">mother</span>”, “<span word="not">not</span>”, “<span word="what">what</span>” <span word="or">or</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="ever">ever</span> <span word="so">so</span> <span word="life">life</span>-<span word="saving">saving</span> “<span word="fire">fire</span>”, <span word="but">but</span> “<span word="worm">worm</span>” <span word="and">and</span> “<span word="spit">spit</span>” <span word="definitely">definitely</span> <span word="come">come</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="surprise">surprise</span>.</p><p>如果你穿越到15000年以前，和一群狩猎者围坐在篝火旁边，他们或许能够听懂上述某些词语。他们能理解“<span word="mother">mother</span>（母亲）”、“<span word="not">not</span>（不）”、“<span word="what">what</span>（什么）”以及对生存至关重要的“<span word="fire">fire</span>（火）”等单词，这不意外，不过“<span word="worm">worm</span>（虫子）”和“<span word="spit">spit</span>（吐痰）”这两个词语绝对让人意想不到。</p><p><span word="There">There</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="consensus">consensus</span> <span word="among">among</span> <span word="linguists">linguists</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="language">language</span> <span word="typically">typically</span> <span word="can">can</span>’<span word="t">t</span> <span word="survive">survive</span> <span word="past">past</span> 8,000 <span word="or">or</span> 9,000 <span word="years">years</span>, <span word="since">since</span> <span word="it">it</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="common">common</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="languages">languages</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="mix">mix</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="get">get</span> <span word="replaced">replaced</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="influential">influential</span> <span word="languages">languages</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="morph">morph</span> <span word="into">into</span> <span word="new">new</span> <span word="ones">ones</span> <span word="altogether">altogether</span>. <span word="These">These</span> <span word="timeless">timeless</span> “<span word="ultra">ultra</span> <span word="conservative">conservative</span>” <span word="words">words</span>, <span word="as">as</span> <span word="they">they</span>’<span word="ve">ve</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="dubbed">dubbed</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="researchers">researchers</span>, <span word="show">show</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="isn">isn</span>’<span word="t">t</span> <span word="entirely">entirely</span> <span word="true">true</span>, <span word="albeit">albeit</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="list">list</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="only">only</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="handful">handful</span> <span word="large">large</span>.</p><p>语言学界一致认为，一般来说，一种语言最多只能持续8000或9000年，因为语言通常会彼此融合，被更强势的语言取代或变成新的语言。这些经久不衰的词语却说明该理论并不完全正确，语言学家称之为“超保守”语言，虽然它们数量极少。</p>
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