Words are a flowing bridge that can connect us to the past. Words carry meaning and with them stories, experiences and memories. Even as words change and come to mean new things, they are always left with an imprint of things before. This temporal relationship means that languages have origins and family trees just like people do.

Theories & Origins

There are various theories about the origin of language, the main one being a single ancestral language as documented in many mythologies. The earliest anthropological evidence supporting the likelihood of communication systems appears around 44,000BCE, yet organised language systems couldn't be definitively confirmed until writing systems appeared nearly 40,000 years later, during which time, languages could have emerged, split, evolved and died out multiple times over. The main question is to determine where language comes from, whether it has a single divine origin point, or whether certain conditions encouraged the emergence of language. This connects to similar theories about magical formation. Is there one ancestral language like First Magi Theory or has language spontaneously developed and split off over and over again like Migration or Hocus Pocus Theory?

The main benefit of First Magi/Single Origin Theory is that it justifies the use of ancient languages and runes as being more powerful as they are closer to the original 'source'. Some of William Marange's contemporaries believed that the First Magi could have been dragon-born which would theoretically make Draconic language the most powerful for magical incantations. This has yet to be proven, but there is some ongoing research at the Romanian Dragon Sanctuary. 

Meanwhile, Migration Theory could explain why a few languages developed around the same time in different geographical regions. These various language families account for the use of several ancient languages in spellcasting as these languages would have been present at the emergence of magic in various places. This could also help to explain magical latency, as language and people may become magic over time under certain conditions or circumstances. 

Yet both these theories fail when considering a few simple spells. The Summoning charm, for example, allows the caster to identify a distance object by saying its name in the modern tongue. Similarly, Locomotor allows for the same blending of languages. This demonstrates that magical language is not necessarily fixed. Hocus Pocus theory makes similar assumptions about the progression of magic therefore it is speculated that spell casting language is largely a function of who agrees to use it. The main issue with this theory is the fact that ancient magic is typically more powerful, although the theory would suggest the opposite. Whether our perceptions or the theory need to be challenged, so far it is the most well supported theory to date.

Etymolgy

Magilinguists test these theories through an area called etymology, the history and evolution of language. In order to do this, they employ typology, a system of categorisation that allows magilinguists to group languages of similarity together in hopes of finding patterns.

For an example of this kind of research, refer below for a diagram of representative languages over time:

As this figure shows, many languages likely came from a central source, but there are many (not depicted) that still have no direct or close relationship with this proposed ancestral language. While there is still speculation whether a more ancestral language exists, this is entirely theoretical as it would be near impossible to prove without the evidence of writing as discussed earlier.

Language Families

Based on my current research, I have found 7 dominant language groups in magical expression. Whether these languages have genuine magical significance or simply the consensus of their communities, is not my place to decide. This section is simply meant to give you an overview of where these languages come from and the significance they have in the context of their region.

Mesopotamia/Middle East - In Mesopotamia, the Kish Tablet was discovered containing Cuniform script dated as early as 3,500BCE with logo-syllabic (pictures depicting syllables) characters. Through their records we can see that Mesopotamians showed a great affinity for transfiguration and a reverence for magical creatures. Their language would later be identified as Sumerian which was eventually overtaken by Babylonian where the divination of dreams became quite common, as did the study of astronomy. Later Aramaic would emerge as the main political and religious administrative language around 800BCE and it continues to be the preferred language of study for magi from the Middle East due to its rich symbolic and subcontextural nature. It is recognised as one of the oldest and most well documented languages in the world.

Europe - With the expanse of the Roman empire in 100BCE and the stigmatisation of the magical community, there became a need for wizarding folk to connect, share and learn from each other. The International Summit of Communications (ISC) was organised to formalise this arrangement and Latin was chosen as the Lingua Franca. This decision defined a magical philosophy that encouraged both an educational and experimental approach to magic. Most of the formal wizarding schools including Hogwarts, Beauxbatons and Durmstrang were set up in Europe after this time and used to propel bright witches and wizards into further exploration of magical theory. These institutions still stand strong today, and for this reason, there is an international prestige to being magically educated in the Latin language.

Northern Europe - Previous to the International Summit, there was a rich culture in the north of Europe. This is best documented through ancient runes from the Norse and Celts which were later modified by the Phoenician alphabet as Christianity dominated the Baltic in 1,200BCE. The cultural practices were also very distinct from before this time, with plenty of evidence for the use of magic and spellcasting; from transfiguration, enchanting objects, concealing charms, curses and hexes. While magic seemed to be quite mischievous by nature, it was generally used as a practical skill. For this reason, select spellcasters choose to preserve the 'ancient ways' and have rejected Latin-based instruction. Other groups have preserved similar philosophies although they are much less documented. 

Africa - Ancient Egyptian was one of the earliest written languages around 3,100BCE. Unfortunately much of Ancient Egyptian culture was lost as after it was overtaken by the Persians and later the Romans. The greatest linguistic feat in understanding Ancient Egyptian was the discovery of the Rosetta Stone which could have been a precursor to the International Summit of Communications. Three languages were represented including Ancient Greek which helped anthropologists translate the Epyptian hieroglyphics which are still used to this day. 

Africa is also home to Khosian languages which are notably marked by the use of clicks. The longstanding oral storytelling and musical traditions of these languages have kept them largely preserved along with their signature wards and protective spells. African spellcasting is also uniquely expressive as they do not typically use wands. Instead their bodies act as focal magic objects through the way they dance. 

Asian - The Sibo-Tibetan language is believed to have existed since in 4,000BCE and is the theoretical source for tonal languages in east and southeast Asia. The oldest recorded writing in this language called Jiaguwen has been dated as early as 1,600BCE, but only a few centuries later, there was a major split in the Sinitic and Tibeto-Burman branches by 1,250BCE. Traditional Hanzi characters, still used today across Asia, carry the rich history of alchemy, potions, divination, and wandlore. 

Americas - The Mayan (900AD) & Uto-Aztecan (1,300AD) languages are preserved today through modern Indigenous languages in Central America. Although they are very different from each other in location and era, they have influenced each other over time. The ritualistic and naturalistic cultures both focused on elemental magic to produce good crops and seasonal harvest. Even Castelubruxo, the only formal magic school in South America, resembles the ancient Mayan temples that honor the indigenous magical flora and fauna.

Australia & Polynesia - Polynesian languages emerged around 1,000BCE from isolated communities on islands meaning there was little linguistic variation to disrupt them, preserving them for a millenia. However, the vast number of islands created a logistic problem. In order to trade and exchange goods, they needed to develop reliable means of transportation including wayfaring and portkeys as apparition was unreliable at such great distances. With new found travel, linguistic diversification began and 40 different languages developed over time including Samoan, Maori, Tahitian, and Tongic. These languages still share many features with their ancestral tongue, making it easy to learn from home emphasising their affinity for astronomy, travel charms and elemental magic.