Languages are fascinating. They are the vocabulary in which we describe the world around us, and the platform in which we convey ideas and information to one another.

Languages can help define how groups of people view the world, and their word usage can be influenced by the greater world around them. The Czech language sports an interesting past and structure. Let’s take a moment to better understand this language.  Below are some interesting facts about the Czech language.

Czech Speakers Today
As of today, there are roughly 12 million people worldwide who speak the language.  Of the 12 million, about 10 million of them live in the Czech Republic.

Similarity to Other Languages
The Czech language belongs to a group of Slavic languages within the family of indo-European.  Specifically, Czech is a western Slavic language with close similarities to Polish and Slovak.

Origin of the Czech Language
The Czech language is believed to have begun in the Bohemian state that began existing around the 9^th century.  The first records of the Czech language refer to the language as “Proto-Czech.”

Spreading of the Czech Language
The Czech language began to spread after it became an administrative language for the area.  Through laws, religious texts, and writing, Czech spread to encompass the area we now consider the Czech Republic.  The development of this language was aided by extreme isolation which helped keep it relatively whole and unchanging for hundreds of years. 

An Official Language
Czech is the official language of the Czech Republic.  It represents one of only 23 official languages in the European Union.  Along with being spoken by the majority of Czech citizens, it is also considered a minority language in Poland, Serbia, Ukraine, Slovakia, Bulgaria, and Austria. 

Dialects of the Czech Language
There are four primary dialects in the Czech Republic.  They are broken down based on geographic location.  The most widely used is the “Common Czech,” which is spoken in many places in the country and especially in Bohemia.

Words and Vowels
Another interesting thing regarding the Czech language is that many of the words in the language do not contain vowels.  In addition, entire sentences can be constructed without a single word having a vowel in it.  This makes it an especially big challenge for foreigners attempting to learn the language and pronounce it correctly.