Diversity of Languages in the Silk Road

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Cultures on the Silk Road
Languages in the Silk Road
The Silk Road and Globalization
Conclusion
Bibliography

Introduction

The Silk Road, which has also been referred to as the Silk Route, was a trade path. Xu and Li explain that the road was functional from the second century B.C to the fourteenth century A.C. One of the reasons why the road is of interest is the fact that it stretched from Asia all the way to the Mediterranean. This means that the route cut across India, China, Arabia, Italy, Greece, and Persia. It is prudent to point out that the road got its name due to the fact that the communities that traded were mainly interested in silk and its product. It can be argued that silk was used as a common currency during that time. However, traders could also get other elements such as grains, other types of fabric, and also wood and metal works. It is prudent to mention that different cultures would meet on the Silk Road. This meant that a majority could not understand each other due to the different languages they spoke. This essay analyzes the languages that were used on the Silk Road. However, in order to understand these languages and how the traders communicated, it is critical to understand the cultures that were represented on the Silk Road.

Cultures on the Silk Road

One of the reasons it is important to understand the cultures on the Silk Road is their impact on language. As mentioned previously, the different communities that were trading on the Silk Route had differing languages. One of the common cultures was Chinese. This was due to the fact that the most valuable commodity for trade (initially) was Chinese Silk. Van Der Wende confirms that once the material became common, other communities started making it. It is important to note that due to the initial interaction with the Chinese in order to get Silk, several cultures borrowed from the Chinese culture. Additionally, it is also possible to find that the Chinese culture also borrowed from the other cultures that were represented on the road. Critically, due to the differences in languages, these cultures had to use a shared language in order to understand one another.

Another culture that was represented in the Silk Road was European. This community was well known for gems and pearls, which became more common as more people were able to get silk from their communities. Therefore, the culture became important on the road as more people wanted to get the desired commodities. It can be argued that one of the ways in which the European culture affected other people on the Silk Road is by offering them items that were already deemed important in the European nations. For example, medicine was traded, not only by the Europeans but also by other cultures. One can argue that medicine was a highly cultural commodity, therefore, trading the item would also mean giving out some parts of one’s culture. This led to the integration of different cultures and further ensured that all the cultures on the road were intertwined.

Critically, Persians were also part of the communities that were found on the Silk Road. McCannon notes that one of the most spread cultural aspects is food preparation. This can be attributed to the Persians and other communities that were found on the Silk Road. It is important to note that one of the key trading commodities of the Persians was spices. They were well known for the different spices that were used both for food preparation and medicine. It should be noted that in order to properly trade this commodity, the Persians had to communicate what the individual spices were for. This goes to prove that there is an element of language exchange that happened on the road. It should be noted that the exchange of culture, or rather some cultural elements, also led to the exchange of language.

Last but not least, the Arabs were also part of the Silk Road. Indeed, one can argue that the growth of the trade led to different cultures visiting different nations. For instance, Arabs got to travel to India while the Chinese got to travel to Iran and so forth. These exchanges not only affected the people’s views of the different cultures but also their languages. Further, it should be noted that these exchanges also led to the distribution and further understanding of different religions. It can, thus, be argued that the road also affected culture by spreading the different religions such as Buddhism and Islam. Other cultural elements that were also shared include martial arts and even calligraphy.

Languages in the Silk Road

As stated, due to the numerous cultures that were represented on the Silk Road, the communities had to use common phrases in order to understand each other. One of the common languages that were used on the road was Sogdian. It can be argued that the Sogdian was based on the Iranian language. Therefore, it can be argued that it was more common near Iran. It can be argued that this was a common language due to the fact that its vocabulary was also found in other parts of the world. It should be noted that specifically, the language was spoken mainly in present-day Uzbekistan, which was referred to as Samarkand at the time. It also extended to Bukhara and Tashkent, which was known as Chach back then. The language, however, spread far and wide from its original point and other traders used it in different parts of the Silk Road as well.

A second language that was used in the Silk Road was Khotanese. It should be noted that this was also a part of the larger Saka language and was borrowed from the Brāhmī script. Critically, the language was often used in the Taklamakan Desert, which is a part of modern-day China. The spread of this language goes to prove how different cultures integrated with one another and how they influenced each other on the Silk Road. The communities that subscribed to this language also read materials in this or the Brāhmī language. It is important to note that the language also led to the spread of Buddhism among communities that traded on the Silk Road. As mentioned previously, the cultures traded more than commodities and language, they also traded cultural aspects such as religion.

Interestingly, there was more than one language that was used in the Taklamakan Desert and the Tarim Basin. Indeed, another common language that was used in the region was Tocharian. This language was also based on the Iranian language and culture although it was spoken more in what is now a part of China. This Indo-European language offered traders a second option that they could use in the event that they did not understand Khotanese. It is important to note that these two languages were also spread far and wide and traders would often use the same languages in other parts of the road. Critically, the fact that this, and the Khotanese language were both used in what is modern-day China indicates the importance of China on the road. As explained previously, China was important due to the silk, which they were the first to produce.

Last but not least is the Chinese language. In order to understand the importance of the Chinese language along the road, one also has to understand the importance of Chinese culture. Critically, all traders started trading for silk and other Chinese products on the road. This meant that they had to learn how to communicate with the Chinese in order to get the products that they needed. Those who could not communicate would miss out on the important trades. The Chinese language, therefore, was more widespread than the other languages due to the initial impact of their silk. This also ensured that the Chinese culture was spread throughout the road.

The Silk Road and Globalization

It can be argued that the element of globalization was based on the activities and trades that occurred on the silk road. This argument stems from the concept of leaving one’s home and going to a different region to either work or get something that is needed. One can debate that the initial silk road was mired with challenges that have been avoided in modern-day globalization. For instance, the traders used more time to travel to the silk road for trading. Today, the issue of travel has been solved due to the advancement of the transportation systems around the globe. Debatably, the silk road shaped and can be used to shape, the topic of globalization today due to the impact of increased and more efficient transport options.

On the issue of language, the silk road also helped shape trade and globalization today due to the spread of language. Currently, the most common language used in the trade is English or French. It can be argued that the two languages have opened up regions and even led to the spread of other cultures to other regions. For instance, English led to the spread of Christianity all over the world. It can be argued that the use of a common language for trade allows for efficient trading and also the growth of the industry. This has also made globalization easier and more effective in regards to the growth of industries and even cultures.

Conclusion

In conclusion, there were numerous languages that were used on the silk road. The most common, arguably, was Chinese. This is due to the fact that when the road started, the most precious commodity was silk, which was a Chinese commodity. Therefore, other cultures had to learn an aspect of their language in order to conduct trade effectively. Other languages that were used include Sogdian, Khotanese, and Tocharian. These languages were often used in different regions but it was also common to find traders using them on different parts of the road. It should be noted that the spread of language also led to the spread of other cultural elements such as religion and even food preparation.

Bibliography

Akgul, A. et al. “An Ethnobotanical Study in Midyat (Turkey): A City on the Silk Road Where Cultures Meet”. Journal of Ethnobiology Ethnomedicine, 14, no. 12 (2018): 6-12.

Fierke KM and Antonio-Alfonso, Francisco. “Language, Entanglement and the New Silk Roads”. Asian Journal of Comparative Politics, 3, no. 3, (2019): 194-206.

Hansen, Valerie. “Silk Roads: Peoples, Cultures, Landscapes”. Journal of Interdisciplinary History, 51, no. 2 (2020): 344-348.

Kim, Tschung-Sun. “The Development of the Silk Road: The Postal Relay Route of Mongol and Goryeo.” Acta Via Serica Inaugural, 1, no. 105 (2016): 117.

McCannon, John. AP World History: Modern Premium: With 5 Practice Tests. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster, 2020.

Van Der Wende, Marijk et al. China and Europe on the New Silk Road: Connecting Universities Across Eurasia. London: Oxford University Press, 2020.

Xu, Dan and Li, Hui. Languages and Genes in Northwestern China and Adjacent Regions. New York, NY: Springer, 2017.

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