What is Sprachbund?
A '''sprachbund''' is a group of [[language]]s spoken in the same area. They become similar because the speakers live close to each other. They constantly [[communication|communicate]] with each other. Because similarities in the languages develop, they sometimes seem to be in the same [[language family]]. For example, in [[India]], where there are hundreds or thousands of languages and [[dialect]]s spoken, the languages often adopt similar [[Grammar|grammar structures]], [[vocabulary]], and [[sound]]s. [[Indian people|Indians]] often communicate with people who have a different [[first language]] from themselves. In [[East Asia]], since [[China]] introduced writing to nearby countries, especially [[Japan]], [[Korea]], and [[Vietnam]]. This area is called the [[East Asian cultural sphere|sinosphere]], or the Chinese sphere of influence. Not only did speakers of East Asian languages learn to by write using [[Chinese characters]], but they also borrowed many [[loanword]]s from Chinese as well. [[Linguistics|Linguists]] used to believe that languages like [[Japanese language|Japanese]], [[Korean language|Korean]], [[Mongolian language|Mongolian]], [[Turkish language|Turkish]], and [[Finnish language|Finnish]] were part of the [[Altaic languages|Altaic language family]]. This was because of similar features like SVO (subject-verb-object) [[word order]] and [[Agglutinative language|agglutinating]] grammar. However, most linguists no longer believe that the Altaic language family ever existed. The languages became more similar over time, whereas most related languages become more different over time. It is possible that these languages are part of a sprachbund. [[Category:Languages]]