The languages you will encounter over the following pages reflect the diversity of the cultures and traditions which exist side by side on our continent. Some of the around 225 languages which are native to Europe are spoken by millions and others, that are only spoken by a handful of people, are, sadly, close to dying out.
During this short journey, you will discover lots of similarities. European languages largely fall into three main categories: Slavic, Romance and Germanic, the languages within each group have the same roots – however, over centuries they have developed in their own distinct directions. You will also find out about their differences: the variety of alphabets (such as Latin, Cyrillic, Greek, Armenian and Georgian), often using artistic scripts; how they deal with creating words for new inventions and their sometimes mysterious origins. All have a unique identity and their own story to tell!
