Proto

How One Ancient Language Went Global

De: Laura Spinney

Narrado por: Emma Spurgin-Hussey

Bloomsbury presents Proto by Laura Spinney, read by Emma Spurgin-Hussey

The enthralling story of how today’s largest language family, spoken by nearly half the world’s population, descended from one ancient dialect.

Daughter. Duhitár-. Dustr. Dukte. Listen to these English, Sanskrit, Armenian and Lithuanian words, all meaning the same thing, and you hear echoes of one of history’s most unlikely journeys. All four languages—along with hundreds of others, from French and Gaelic, to Persian and Polish—trace their origins to an ancient tongue spoken as the last ice age receded. This language, which we call Proto-Indo-European, was born between Europe and Asia and exploded out of its cradle, fragmenting as it spread east and west. Its last speaker died thousands of years ago, yet Proto-Indo-European lives on in its myriad linguistic offspring and in some of our best loved works of literature, including Dante’s Inferno and the Rig Veda, The Lord of the Rings and the love poetry of Rumi. How did this happen?

Acclaimed journalist Laura Spinney set out to answer that question, retracing the Indo-European odyssey across continents and millennia. With her we travel the length of the steppe, navigating the Caucasus, the silk roads and the Hindu Kush. We retrace the epic journeys of nomads and monks, warriors and kings – the ancient peoples who carried these languages far and wide. In the present, Spinney meets the scientists on a thrilling mission to retrieve the lost languages and their speakers: the linguists, archaeologists and geneticists who have reconstructed that ancient diaspora. What they have learned has profound implications for our modern world, because people and their languages are on the move again. Proto is a revelatory portrait of world history in its own words.

©2025 Laura Spinney (P)2025 Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

Reseñas de la Crítica

'Formidably researched but lightly written, I put down this book with the pleasurable sense that the world around me had become a little stranger and richer.' (Helen Gordon)

'Superb. With style and panache, Laura Spinney tells a truly extraordinary detective story.' (Matt Ridley)

'This beautifully researched and written book is about far more than language; it is a history of the world in microcosm, drawing together a diversity of subjects from genetics and religion to warfare and boozing. I highly recommend this wholly absorbing book.' (Douglas Preston)

'Spinney charts an extraordinary journey through human history with words as a compass. It is a sweeping story beautifully told. Profound and illuminating.5' (Moudhy Al-Rashid)

Excellent survey of the topic, needs accompanying PDF.

I thought the narration was excellent and so was the content. I'm not credentialed in linguistics but the material seems to me to be of sufficient depth and quality make up an introductory survey course for first year students.

My one big complaint is the lack of an accompanying PDF.

Informative & Enjoyable - Could barely tolerate the orator

First of all this was a wonderful audiobook as far as information goes. It pairs complementarily and well with any other legitimate title in its field. For me, I could barely tolerate the ‘Performance’ of the reader. She pronounced words like ‘debate’ as ‘dhe-bha-t(h)e’ with an extra emphasis on every available “h” that she could muster. Personally I found it grating and quickly became oversaturated. I would certainly listen to this book a second and maybe third time had I found the reader’s style more endurable.

Great start, somewhat unfocused second half, solid performance

This was a well-written and intriguing book about a topic that has long fascinated me. The author draws on what seems to be an expansive base of research and scholarly debate and navigates it all in an easily digestible way. The book is enlivened by poetic flourishes, historical erudition, and the occasional flight of speculative fancy.

Once the stories of the proto-proto-indoeuropeans and the pivotal Yamnaya people are concluded, the book wanders a bit and loses a central thread, spreading the story over each of the main branches of linguistic lineage. This is to be excused somewhat (after all, the story is about the wandering and scattering of peoples), but I still could have used a little more structure to the discussions of the celts, germanics, latins, indo-iranians, etc.

Performance is very good. There are acknowledgments at the end thanking a list of pronunciation consultants. I appreciate the effort that went into the production.

Language,The Glue that binds us together!

Love the stitching together many disparate tongues from a common origin which makes sense in the continuum of our existence. The transmigration of people from the steppes to all over Europe,Iran and India spread a language into it’s various forms but with a commonality so poignant that it reverberates to this day and gives one a sense of belonging.

Attention All Language and History Nerds!

This is the book I've been waiting for! I'm fascinated by historical linguistics and this is the first popular book on the subject, at least as far as I know, in quite a while. Spinney uses the latest findings from archaeology and genetics to to explain the spread and divergence of Indo-European languages across so much of the world. Her discussion of what may have been the original Indo-European tongue and who might have spoken it is brilliant. At the same time, she admits that there is still much to learn. And she readily acknowledges the contributions of other language families. At times, the details do get a bit overwhelming but it is difficult to study languages without such attention. All in all, Spinney does an excellent job of helping the curious reader understand the latest science behind languages old and new.

Very Interesting

I wonder if I should have purchased the print version as well. I wonder if there are maps, diagrams and illustrations to aid the reader. Actually hearing the languages and the associated sounds was well worth the bit of confusion I felt while trying to remember Eastern European geography or imagine what ancient writing might look like.
I have four hearts, and as a speaker of Indo-European languages, I often marvel at little unexpected similarities between seemingly unrelated languages. For example: How did “Haber” make its way into Spanish? Is it from the Visigoths? This book helped take my musings back even further in time, and I appreciate that.
I recommend this book for fans of history, archaeology, European travel, and mythology, But you might want to keep an online map open along the way.

fascinating material

great pronunciation, good pace. very enjoyable listening even though it would be imagined as a dry topic. it was very engaging.

Fascinating and Accessible for All Levels

Laura Spinney’s Proto is a captivating exploration of the Proto-Indo-European language and the people who may have spoken it. The content is both highly informative and thoughtfully structured—perfect for newcomers, yet rich with fresh perspectives for those more familiar with the subject. Spinney blends linguistic research with cultural insight in a way that keeps you engaged throughout. The narrator also does an excellent job, bringing clarity and energy to a complex topic. Highly recommended!

Great Book!

This is a fantastic multidisciplinary work, combining archaeological data, genetic data, and, linguistics, with a story telling presentation. I absolutely love the subject matter and am impressed at the way the author is able to bridge the three disciplines into an entertaining read. Well done!!

interesting combo.of DNA, archeology, linguistics

so much new information gathered and combined productively with each other. an intro to many indo European language families. one thing I missed is the impact of Semitic languages - especially when she discussed the word for wine without mentioning the Hebrew word yayin which is very close to the examples from (if I remember correctly) Armenian. also the reference to early hominids using sign language for which there is obviously no evidence.