The World in Words

May 17, 2018

Karolina lives in Boston but grew up in several countries and speaks a bunch of languages. Her English is perfect but she doesn’t feel completely at home in it, or in American culture. Welcome to the world of third culture kids, a fast-growing group of people who fit in everywhere and nowhere.

The World in Words

Russian-speaking New Yorker would rather her daughter learn Chinese

The World in Words

May 09, 2018

Alina Simone was born in the Soviet Union to Russian-speaking parents. She has given up on passing the language on to her daughter.

The World in Words

If you could talk to the animals

The World in Words

April 25, 2018

What's the meaning of all those howls and growls? Is it language? This week on the podcast, NOVA's Ari Daniel explores how three species communicate.

Culture

Why we are so drawn to the letter 'X'

The World in Words

April 03, 2018

From X-rated to Gen X to Latinx, the meaning of "X" has shifted while retaining an edgy, transgressive quality.

Culture

The three-letter word that rocked a nation

The World in Words

March 27, 2018

In 2012, Sweden erupted in a national debate over the pronoun "hen." Traditionally, Swedish has gendered pronouns when referring to people. There is no gender-neutral pronoun for people. "Hen" was a new word meant to fill a gap in the language. This week on The World in Words podcast we explore how a little-known and little-used word went mainstream in Sweden.

Culture

A British 'Mx.' tape

The World in Words

March 19, 2018

Mx. is a gender-neutral title that's gaining popularity in the UK. Though the road to acceptance for this prefix has not been without a struggle. On The World in Words podcast, we delve into the fight over this two-letter word.

Culture

The secretive language of professional wrestling

The World in Words

March 09, 2018

In 1984 professional wrestler Dr. "D" David Schultz smacked the TV journalist John Stoessel to the ground backstage at Madison Square Garden. Why? One word: kayfabe. This week on The World in Words we throw on some tights and get into the ring to explore this word you were never supposed to hear.

Science

Where does language come from?

The World in Words

February 21, 2018

Humans are the only creatures on Earth that can choke on their own food. Yes, that’s right. Why would humans have evolved such potentially fatal architecture? Some experts say the reason is speech. This week on the podcast, we explore several theories about where language comes from.

Arts

The correspondence of Jean Sibelius and his wife Aino is a bilingual love story

The World in Words

February 13, 2018

He wrote to her mainly in Swedish, and she replied in Finnish. A linguist in Texas says the letters are a goldmine for the study of code-switching.

Global Politics

Why you'll find people named Lenin, Stalin and Krushchev on the roads of Kerala, India

The World in Words

January 30, 2018

Do names determine destiny? Many parents in the Indian state of Kerala hope so, even if the names they chose for their children are going out of fashion.