By Number of Speakers:
1. Mandarin Chinese: With over 1 billion speakers, it is the most spoken language in the world.
2. Hindi: With over 600 million speakers, it is the second most spoken language in the world.
3. English: With over 1.5 billion speakers, it is the most widely spoken language internationally.
4. Spanish: With over 500 million speakers, it is the fourth most spoken language in the world.
By Economic Importance:
1. English: The dominant language of global business, finance, and science.
2. Mandarin Chinese: With China's growing economic power, Mandarin is becoming increasingly important in global business.
3. Spanish: As a result of the growing Hispanic population in the U.S. and other countries, Spanish is becoming increasingly important in commerce and communication.
4. Arabic: Due to its importance in the Middle East and North Africa, Arabic is becoming increasingly important in the global economy.
By Historical Influence:
1. Latin: The basis of many modern European languages, including French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, and Romanian.
2. Greek: A foundational language for Western philosophy, science, and literature.
3. Sanskrit: A classical language of India, important in Hinduism and Buddhism.
4. Arabic: The language of the Quran and a significant influence on many cultures in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia.
Ultimately, the "4 major languages" can be interpreted in many ways. It depends on the context and what criteria you are using to define "major."