LeBrok
Elite member
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- Location
- Calgary
- Ethnic group
- Citizen of the world
- Y-DNA haplogroup
- R1b Z2109
- mtDNA haplogroup
- H1c
Language is notoriously bad at determining race or ethnicity. Entire populations can switch languages in a matter of a couple of centuries. For example, today there are close to 400 million people in south america, most of which speaks spanish. Based on how few spaniards actually moved to south america, most of these spanish speakers descend from something other than spain.
Sometimes there are even language revivals and resurections after the fall of empires.
With minority invaders, the language shift happens much faster in their main centers like cities, ports and economic centers. Places where you need to know language of invaders to do business, politics or get job in general.
The situation of Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, or Caribean islands, where Europeans were in majority is simple to explain. For the rest of South America Spanish was probably in minority and spoken in big centers mostly. In these countries, most of villages were speaking original language till 20th century till the times of public education, some still do. The further from economic centers the easier for original language to survive. Maybe learning of new language is about jobs mostly? Most likely it was exactly the case how Romans spread Latin language, by economy and jobs. Same with British Empire.
Also in may situations conquered countries consisted of many tribes speaking different languages. It was also useful for them to learn the main language, the conqueror's, to communicate with other tribes. Exactly why we all learn English these days, the lingua franca of modern world.
PS. All this writing gave me an idea that if IE came to Europe with strong economic advantage like wagons and bronze smelting abilities that gave them an edge in creating strong economic centers and influence IE language learning among locals, through out all Europe. It means that they didn't need to kill and terrorize all of them to learn IE.
PS2. Thanks to above PS my post is no longer off topic, hehe, at least somewhat.