In Genesis 10 it becomes clear that from the time of Adam only one language was spoken by all human beings. However, the curse of Babel means that at that point the world was divided on language lines. We do not know how many languages were introduced at this point and which was the original language. The current languages of the world (about 6 or 7,000) are formed partly by variation but at heart no doubt go back to the originals of the time of Babel, although some languages may have been lost. The idea of all the world's languages going back to one common language is not seriously advanced by any linguist. Diversity of language in the world brings many disadvantages but also some advantages in that, for example, when one language group becomes utterly corrupt, it is easier for another one to correct it.
