linguistic reconstruction

Linguistic reconstruction is a method used by linguists to infer what ancient languages may have sounded or looked like by analyzing similarities across related languages. They examine shared words, grammar patterns, and sounds to identify common origins, then work backwards to hypothesize features of the ancestral language. Think of it as piecing together a family tree, where similarities suggest a common ancestor. This process helps us understand language history and how different languages evolved over time, even though the original languages themselves are no longer spoken or recorded.