Which is the earliest computer language?

There's no single definitive "earliest" computer language, as the field evolved over time. However, a strong contender for the title of the earliest high-level programming language is Plankalkül, developed by Konrad Zuse in 1943-1945.

Here's why:

* Plankalkül was designed specifically for programming computers and included concepts like variables, loops, and conditional statements, which are fundamental to modern programming languages.

* It predates other well-known early languages like FORTRAN (1957) and COBOL (1959).

However, there are some caveats:

* Plankalkül was not implemented until the 1990s, and even then, it was a reconstruction based on Zuse's notes. This makes it difficult to call it a "true" programming language in the same sense as FORTRAN and COBOL, which were actually used on real computers.

* Other early languages like Short Code (1949) and Autocode (1950s) were also significant developments, and it can be argued that they had a greater practical impact on the development of programming languages.

Ultimately, the "earliest" computer language depends on how you define "computer language" and what criteria you prioritize. While Plankalkül holds the historical distinction, other languages played equally crucial roles in shaping the field of programming as we know it today.