The steppe people move out
A migration that shaped the languages of half the world
See it on the timeline →In depth
The kinship between these languages was discovered in 1786; who spread them was settled only by ancient DNA after 2015. In parts of northern Europe up to three quarters of the male genetic inheritance was replaced within a few centuries. What drove it is disputed — violence, plague, or simple demographic advantage from a more mobile way of life. All three are probably partly true.
For children
From the grasslands north of the Black Sea, herding peoples moved west into Europe and east towards India, with horses and wagons. They brought their language with them — and that is why Norwegian, Greek, Russian, Persian and Hindi are related.
Connects to
Part of Terra Saga — the story of Earth on a timeline. terrasaga.org