Every language was once someone's native language

I find it astonishing that every single language that exists today shares the same fate of being acquired by children and grew to be an essential component of people's identity. <br><br>I'm not aiming to compare languages, but there is a stark contrast between English and most foreign languages. While English is the global language of higher education, intellectualism, technology, entertainment, diplomacy, business, etc. many other languages are not as widely used outside of their historical countries/outdated colonial empires. <br><br>However, even though many languages may be considered regional or even tribal, they have acquired their own prestige within their territories and have been incorporated into many countries' institutions, traditions and intellectual spheres, often shaping their cultures, values, philosophies, etc. In this sense, many languages are unique and irreplaceable carriers of their cultures and are often essential to understand, interpret and appreciate the history and identity of a country, its people, traditions, etc. <br><br>While many languages face strong competition from global languages like English, especially in the digital age, I can't help but wonder if this scenario is transitional and if one day regional languages will be replaced by global languages or if there will always be a space and necessity for regional languages in the world, or even if global languages will eventually diverge and form new regional languages.<br><br>I guess I'm just in awe about how complex and dynamic language is, and how intertwined it is with the history of humankind.