PROTO How One Ancient Language Went Global

The topic of this audiobook--the evolution of language--requires a wide range of skills. Actor Emma Spurgin-Hussey's rich, expressive voice demonstrates the linguistic relationships and shifts. Her performance is adept in every syllable and accent. Why do so many of today's languages share a common Eurasian root? Linguists and archaeologists find answers in similarities and variations, and sometimes even in the absence of words. The absence of nautical words, for example, suggests possible inlander origins of a language. Was our proto language spoken by copper traders on the Black Sea? Or marauding horsemen from the steppes? Every theory has its alternatives, its twists and historical anomalies. All are wonderfully conveyed by this steady, supple, supremely competent, and endlessly listenable narrator. D.A.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2025, Portland, Maine [Published: MAY 2025]