What is the difference between pristine (origin) languages and secondary (derived) languages?

Pristine (origin) languages and secondary (derived) languages differ primarily in how they developed and their relationship to earlier languages. Here’s a breakdown of the differences:

1. Development

• Pristine (Origin) Languages: These are the earliest languages that arose independently, without influence from any existing written language. They represent the first linguistic systems in a given region and were created by early civilizations to record information, communicate ideas, and establish cultural identity.
• Secondary (Derived) Languages: These languages evolved from existing languages. They are typically descendants of origin languages or other secondary languages and developed through a process of linguistic evolution, which includes borrowing, sound changes, grammatical shifts, and influences from other languages.

2. Historical Influence

• Pristine Languages: Pristine languages are the foundational languages of a civilization or culture. They often created the first writing systems and served as models for other languages in the region.
• Secondary Languages: Secondary languages arose later and were shaped and influenced by their “parent” or source languages. They inherited vocabulary, grammar, and writing systems from the languages that preceded them.

3. Examples

• Pristine Languages: Sumerian, Egyptian, Chinese, Proto-Sinaitic, and Mayan are examples of origin languages. Each developed independently, without borrowing a writing system from an earlier language, and became a base for future languages in their respective regions.
• Secondary Languages: Spanish, French, and Italian are derived from Latin; Russian, Polish, and Serbian from Proto-Slavic; and Hindi, Bengali, and Marathi from Sanskrit. These languages evolved from previous languages and often reflect historical and cultural influences.

4. Writing Systems

• Pristine Languages: They typically created their own writing systems, like cuneiform (Sumerian), hieroglyphs (Egyptian), and early logographic characters (Chinese).
• Secondary Languages: Derived languages usually adopt or adapt existing writing systems. For example, English, French, and Spanish all use the Latin alphabet, which they inherited and influenced from Sumerian / Egyptian to Ancient Greek and Latin.

5. Linguistic Evolution

• Pristine Languages: They represent the first stage in the linguistic history of a culture, often with limited records or knowledge of their precursors.
• Secondary Languages: They are part of a chain of evolution. They have clear, traceable connections to other languages and often emerge through language contact, trade, migration, conquest, or other social influences.

In summary, pristine languages are original linguistic systems created independently by early civilizations, whereas secondary languages evolved and influenced by and from the pristine origin languages, often adopting or modifying vocabulary, structure, and writing from their parent languages. Pristine languages laid the foundation, while secondary languages carried these traditions forward and adapted them through time.