What are Proto-languages?

• Definition: Proto-languages are hypothetical, reconstructed languages that are theorized to have existed as ancestors of modern or historical language families. They have no direct written record.

Key Characteristics:

• Hypothetical: They are reconstructed through linguistic methods like the comparative method.
• Not Attested: They cannot be directly observed or recorded but are inferred from patterns in descendant languages.

Examples:

• Proto-Indo-European: Ancestral language of the Indo-European family.
• Proto-Sino-Tibetan: Ancestral language of Sino-Tibetan languages.
• Proto-Bantu: Ancestral language of Bantu languages.