Asia & Americas — Historical Language Records

Browse selected historical language stages, scripts and early written records in Asia and the Americas. Many related languages remain living languages today; historical names on these pages refer to specific time periods and written sources.

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South, East and Central Asia

• Sanskrit
• Classical Tamil
• Pali
• Old Turkic
• Old Uyghur
• Classical Chinese
• Old Japanese
• Middle Korean

Southeast Asia

• Old Khmer
• Old Burmese
• Old Javanese
• Old Malay
• Old Balinese
• Old Cham

Indigenous Americas — historical documentation

• Classic Maya
• Classical Nahuatl
• Colonial Quechua
• Colonial Aymara
• Colonial Guarani
• Old Tupí
• Colonial Yucatec Maya