The Tower of Babel
The tale of the Tower of Babel, from Genesis 11: 1-9, is an "explanation"
of why there are so many different languages. You can find the story in some
of those languages by following the links below. Having a single text in a
variety of languages is a good way to see similarities and differences
between those languages.
The Tower of Babel did in fact exist: it was a seven-stage ziggurat
(stepped pyramid) with a temple to the god Marduk at the top. It was
called Etemenanki, or 'the temple of the platform between
heaven and earth', and was built in the city of Babylon sometime
during the 6th or 7th century BC.
Index by language |
Index by language family
Index by language family
Afroasiatic,
Algonqian,
Altaic,
Arawakan,
Austro-Asiatic,
Australian,
Austronesian,
Aymaran,
Barbacoan,
Cahuapanan,
Candoshi-Chirino,
Caucasian,
Chibchan,
Chocoan,
Dravidian,
Eskimo-Aleut,
Finno-Ugric,
Guaicuruan,
Hmong,
Indo-European,
Iroquoian,
Japonic,
Jivaroan,
Maipurean,
Matacoan,
Mayan,
Misumalpan,
Na-Dené,
Niger-Congo,
Panoan,
Papuan,
Nilosaharan,
Quechuan,
Sepik,
Sino-Tibetan,
Siouan,
Tai-Kaidai,
Trans-New Guinea,
Tucanoan,
Tupi-Guarani,
Uralic,
Uto-Aztecan,
Zaparoan,
Isolates,
Pidgins and Creoles,
International Auxiliary Languages,
Alternative writing systems
Afroasiatic languages
- Berber languages
- Tamasheq
- Chadic languages
- South Giziga,
Hausa,
Mafa
- Cushitic languages
- Borana,
Somali
- Egyptian languages
- Coptic
- Omotic languages
- Wolaytta
- Semitic languages
- Amharic,
Arabic,
Aramaic,
Hebrew,
Maltese,
Syriac,
Tigrinya
Algonqian languages
- Cheyenne,
Massachusett,
Míkmaq,
Ojibwe
Altaic languages
- Mongolic languages
- Buryat,
Mongolian
- Turkic languages
- Azeri,
Bashkir,
Chuvash,
Crimean Tatar,
Karakalpak,
Kazakh,
Kumyk,
Kyrgyz,
Tatar,
Turkish,
Turkmen,
Tuvan,
Uyghur,
Uzbek,
Yakut
Arawakan languages
- Arawak,
Machiguenga,
Yucuna
Austro-Asiatic languages
- Mon-Khmer
- Khasi,
Khmer,
Vietnamese
- Munda languages
- Santali
- Palaungic languages
- Wa
Australian languages
- Pama-Nyungan
- Alyawarr,
Guugu Yalandji,
Kala Lagaw Ya,
Martu Wangka,
Warlpiri
Austronesian languages
- Formosan
- Amis,
Atayal,
Bunun
- Malayo-Polynesian
- Acehnese,
Adzera,
Amarasi,
Ambrym,
Ata Manobo,
Balinese,
Bariai,
Batak Angkola,
Batak Simalungun,
Batak Toba,
Biatah Bidayuh,
Bikol,
Bola,
Bugis,
Caribbean Javanese,
Cebuano,
Chuukese,
Dawan,
Fijian,
Futunan,
Hawaiian,
Helong,
Hiligaynon,
Hiri Motu,
Iban,
Iloko,
Indonesian,
Itawis,
Ivatan,
Kadazandusun,
Kapampangan,
Keley-i,
Kinaray-a,
Kiribati,
Kosraean,
Javanese,
Luang,
Makassar,
Malagasy,
Malaweg,
Malay,
Māori,
Marshallese,
Matigsalug Manobo,
Mbula,
Misima-Paneati,
Mortlockese,
Motu,
Nali,
Ngaju,
Nias,
Niuean,
North Efate,
Nyindrou,
Paama,
Pangasinan,
Pangutaran Sama,
Pohnpeian,
Rarotongan,
Rotuman,
Sakao,
Samoan,
Saveeng Tuam,
Southern Kalinga,
Suau,
Sundanese,
Tagalog,
Tagbawa,
Tahitian,
Tolai,
Tongan,
Toraja-Sa'dan,
Tungag,
Tuvaluan,
Tuwali,
Ubir,
Yabem,
Yapese
Aymaran languages
- Aymara
Barbacoan languages
- Cha'palaachi,
Guambiano,
Tsáchila / Colorado
Candoshi-Chirino languages
- Candoshi-Shapra
Cahuapanan languages
- Cahuapanan languages
- Chayahuita
Caucasian languages
- Caucasian languages
- Adyghe,
Chechen,
Georgian
Chibchan languages
- Bribri,
Teribe
Chocoan languages
- Embera
Dravidian languages
- Kannada,
Malayalam,
Tamil,
Telugu
Eskimo-Aleut
- Aleut,
Greenlandic,
Inuktitut
Guaicuruan languages
- Mocoví,
Pilagá,
Toba Qom
Hmong-Mien languages
- White Hmong
Indo-European languages
- Albanian
- Albanian
- Armenian
- Armenian (Eastern and Western)
- Baltic
- Latvian,
Lithuanian
- Celtic
- Breton,
Cornish,
Irish,
Manx,
Scottish Gaelic,
Welsh
- Germanic
- Afrikaans,
Alsatian,
Anglo-Saxon / Old English,
Bavarian,
Danish,
Dutch,
English,
Faroese,
Frisian,
German,
Gronings,
Icelandic,
Low Saxon / Low German,
Norwegian,
Swedish,
Swiss German,
Yiddish
- Hellenic
- Greek (Ancient),
Greek (Modern)
- Indo-Iranian
- Indo-Aryan languages
Assamese,
Awadhi,
Bengali,
Caribbean Hindustani,
Fijian Hindi,
Gujarati,
Hindi,
Marathi,
Nepali,
Oriya,
Punjabi,
Sanskrit,
Sinhala,
Urdu
Irainian languages
Dari,
Kurdish,
Persian/Farsi,
Ossetian
- Romance
- Aragonese,
Aromanian,
Asturian,
Catalan,
Corsican,
French,
Galician,
Italian,
Ladino,
Latin,
Portuguese,
Romanian,
Romansh,
Sicilian,
Spanish
- Slavic
- Belarusian,
Bosnian,
Bulgarian,
Church Slavonic,
Croatian,
Czech,
Macedonian,
Polish,
Russian,
Serbian,
Slovak,
Slovenian,
Sorbian,
Ukrainian
Iroquoian languages
- Cherokee,
Mohawk
Japonic / Japanese-Ryukyuan languages
- Japanese,
Okinawan
Jivaroan languages
- Achuar-Shiwiar,
Aguaruna,
Huambisa
Matacoan languages
- Wichí Lhamtés Vejoz
Mayan languages
- Aguacateco,
Ch'ol of Tila,
Ch'ol of Tumbalá,
Chuj,
Kaqchikel,
K’iche’,
Northern Mam,
Poqomchi',
Q'anjob'al,
Q'eqchi',
Quetzaltenango Mam,
Tzeltal,
Tzotzil,
Yucatec Maya
Misumalpan languages
- Miskito,
Sumo
Na-Dené languages
- Carrier,
Gwich’in,
Navajo
Niger-Congo languages
- Bantu languages
- Bemba,
Beti,
Chichewa,
Dawida,
Kamba,
Kinyarwanda,
Kirundi,
Kwanyama,
Lingala,
Luba-Katanga,
Luganda,
Luragooli,
Ndebele,
Ndonga,
Northern Sotho,
Sena,
Shona,
Southern Sotho,
Swahili,
Tetela,
Tonga,
Tsonga,
Tswana,
Tumbuka,
Venda,
Xhosa,
Zulu
- Benue-Congo languages
- Efik
- Gur languages
- Bariba,
Frafra,
Moba,
Mossi,
Tammari,
Tampulma
- Kru languages
- Bassa
- Kwa languages
- Akan (Twi/Fante),
Chumburung,
Ga
- Mande languages
- Boko,
Kpelle
- Mel languages
- Kissi
- Senegambian languages
- Fula(ni),
Wolof
- Volta-Niger languages
- Ewe,
Igbo,
Yoruba
Nilo-Saharan languages
- Dholuo,
Kalenjin,
Lango,
Mbay,
Ngambay,
Nuer,
Sar,
Teso,
Zarma
Panoan languages
- Sharanahua,
Yaminahua
Papuan languages
- Galela
Quechuan languages
- Ayacucho Quechua,
Cusco Quechua,
Kichwa,
Quechua del Huallaga,
South Bolivian Quechua
Sepik languages
- Namia
Sino-Tibetan languages
- Sinitic
- Cantonese,
Classical Chinese,
Hakka,
Mandarin,
Min (Eastern),
Min (Southern),
Taiwanese
- Tibeto-Burman
- Achang,
Angami,
Ao Naga,
Burmese,
Chin Falam,
Chin Haka,
Chin Tedim,
Jingpho,
Kuki,
Lahu,
Lashi,
Lhao Vo,
Lisu,
Lotha,
Garo,
Hmar,
Mara Chin,
Mizo,
Paite Chin,
Siyin,
Sunuwar,
Tangkhul,
Tibetan
Siouan languages
- Dakota,
Winnebago
Tai-Kadai languages
- Kam,
Lao,
Thai
Trans-New Guinea languages
- Amele,
Awara,
Barai,
Bimin,
Borong,
Burum-Mindik,
Dadibi,
Guhu-Samane,
Huli,
Kamasau,
Kamula,
Kanite,
Komba,
Kyaka,
Maia,
Maring,
Narak,
Ngaing,
Numanggang,
Samberigi,
Siroi,
Tairora,
Tuma-Irumu,
Waris,
Waskia,
Yipma,
Yongkom
Trans-New Guinea languages
- Amele,
Awara,
Barai,
Bimin,
Borong,
Burum-Mindik,
Dadibi,
Guhu-Samane,
Huli,
Kamasau,
Kamula,
Kanite,
Komba,
Kyaka,
Maia,
Maring,
Narak,
Ngaing,
Numanggang,
Samberigi,
Siroi,
Tairora,
Tuma-Irumu,
Waris,
Waskia,
Yipma,
Yongkom
Tucanoan languages
- Koreguaje,
Orejón
Uralic languages
- Estonian,
Finnish,
Hungarian,
Sami,
Võro
Uto-Aztecan languages
- Eastern Huasteca Nahuatl
Zaparoan languages
- Arabela
Isolates
- Ata,
Basque,
Cofán,
Tïcuna
Pidgins and Creoles
- Bislama,
Haitian Creole,
Hawaiian Pidgin,
Kupang,
Kriol,
Papiamentu,
Pijin,
Sranan Tongo,
Tetun Dili,
Tok Pisin
International Auxiliary Languages (IALS)
- Esperanto,
Folkspraak,
Ido,
Interglossa,
Interlingua,
Interlingue/Occidental,
Lingua Franca Nova,
Lojban
Constructed languages/alphabets
- Avorentas HGV,
Bel'Arian,
Cujoltha,
Fishscales,
Gyorsrovás,
Klingon,
Oxidilogi,
Quenya,
Quikscript,
Sabethir,
Toki Pona,
Üqoi,
Viozian
Alternative writing systems
- Gregg Shorthand,
Pitman Shorthand,
The 1847 Alphabet
Index by language |
Index by language family
Sources of the Tower of Babel translations
Details of the background to the tale of the Tower of Babel
http://www.ldolphin.org/babel.html
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