1. Languages with unusual sounds:
* Click languages: Spoken in Southern Africa, these languages use clicks, which are sounds made by clicking the tongue against the roof of the mouth. To speakers of other languages, these sounds can seem very strange and difficult to produce.
* Xhosa: Another language from Southern Africa, Xhosa contains many complex clicks and guttural sounds that might be challenging for non-native speakers.
2. Languages with complex grammars:
* Tsez: This language, spoken in the Caucasus region, has a complex grammar with numerous prefixes and suffixes, making it difficult to learn for those accustomed to simpler language structures.
* Bantu languages: These languages are spoken throughout sub-Saharan Africa and often feature elaborate systems of noun classes, verb conjugations, and tonal systems, which can be quite challenging for non-native speakers.
3. Languages with unusual writing systems:
* Sumerian cuneiform: This ancient writing system used wedge-shaped marks pressed into clay tablets. While it is now understood, the script itself would have been incomprehensible to anyone unfamiliar with it.
* Hieroglyphics: This ancient Egyptian writing system used pictorial symbols that represented words or sounds. While it is now studied and deciphered, the complex symbols and lack of pronunciation rules would have made it difficult for someone unfamiliar with the system to understand.
4. Constructed languages:
* Esperanto: While designed to be simple and easy to learn, the artificial language Esperanto might seem strange to those unfamiliar with its syntax and vocabulary.
* Dothraki: This fictional language from the "Game of Thrones" series was specifically created for the TV show and might sound strange to those not familiar with the show's world.
Important Note: While these languages may seem "strange" or "incomprehensible" to those unfamiliar with them, it's crucial to remember that each language is a complex system with its own unique history, culture, and logic. No language is inherently "strange" or "incomprehensible."
Instead of focusing on the subjective perception of "strangeness," it's more important to appreciate the diversity and complexity of human languages, each with its own unique beauty and purpose.