World language

A world language is one that is spoken internationally and learned and spoken by numerous people as a second language. A world language is characterized not only by the total number of speakers (native and second language speakers) but also by geographical distribution and its use in international organizations and diplomatic relations.^[1][2]

The most widely spoken (and likely the fastest spreading) world language today is English, with over 1.1 billion native and second-language users worldwide.^[3] On similar grounds, French and Spanish are also commonly categorized as world languages. Other possible world languages include Arabic, Mandarin Chinese, Russian and Portuguese.

Historically, Egyptian, Ancient Greek, Latin, Classical Chinese, Persian, Sanskrit, and Classical Arabic have also functioned as world languages due to their previous standings as lingua francas over large parts of the world.