@Goldbricker03 - global languages change - for centuries Europe was a linguist battle ground of many languages, the very first ones most likely leading into what we now know as gaelic languages, then it became a contested field by
the Romans (who initially spoke Greek, and the locals a native language, we still haven't deciphered completely) eventually Latin and from then Italian became the majority language.
Latin had an influence over much of Western Europe, leaving related language in the shape of French, Spanish, Portuguese, Romanian and a dialect in Switzerland.
The common Latin in France was added to by the German-speaking Charlemagne (Karl der Grosse) who spoke German, maybe a little Latin, because he was a pious man, whose mission was to convert as many heathen German tribes as he could in his lifetime, he supported learning, The Church, but never learnt to read or write himself. French, a heavily modified Latin dialect, became the main language of the French (eventually was The Diplomatic Language of the Western world, until replaced by English.
You all know about the British Isles whose main language, English, is a combination product of Saxon and French (i.e. Latin)
German was an important language on the continent, being spread by the Northern Germans along the Northern shores almost right into Russia (by way of migrants) as well as by the Austrian Empire as far as today's Kviev, which was at one stage the capital city of a land called Galicia and which had many educated people living there, many educated Jews for a start, who spoke more than one language. German was also spoken or understood along the Adriatic coast and throughout Czechia, most of what was Yugoslavia.
Not it seems English is on the front foot, because it has managed to get top position not via conquest but via the computer and social media world, mostly because it is also a simple language, with not as many grammatical quirks as German or French, or needing an entirely new alphabet as Russian, not to speak of the quirks of Arabic, Indian languages - so 'yes' you are lucky you are not speaking German.
I remember an Austrian friend once commenting; "if Hitler had won the war, we would now be soldiering and standing watch on the Wolga! Thank God, he didn't!" was his sentiment. I cannot agree more, it is an ignoble role, as history has shown.
For now the Americans have taken on the role of the watchman/policeman of the world. Not enviable in the least!
We need to find alternative ways of living together, because if we don't, our appearance as this exceptional being, an intelligent species, is doomed.It's as simple as that!
Taurisk
