The World in Words

A humpback whale surfacing from the water surrounded by seagulls

If you could talk to the animals

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.

If you could talk to the animals
In 2007 Språk Magazine published an article about "hen" that raised the profile of the word. In 2012, the children's book, "Kivi & Monsterhund" was published sparking a nationwide debate about "hen"

The three-letter word that rocked a nation

The three-letter word that rocked a nation
Mx. is an honorific growing in popularity

A British 'Mx.' tape

A British 'Mx.' tape
Alex Bukasa, a Congolese asylum-seeker and former journalist, poses in front of the White House.

My voice is my passport — verify me

My voice is my passport — verify me
red pill blue pill

Deciphering the lingo of pro-Trump trolls

Deciphering the lingo of pro-Trump trolls
fortune cookies

Cracking open a case of fortune cookie theft

This week on The World in Words podcast, producer Lidia Jean Kott cracks open a case of fortune cookie theft. How did fortunes become a staple at Chinese restaurants in the US? And why are fortune cookie fortunes never really fortunes?

Cracking open a case of fortune cookie theft
curse word

Grandmothers have the best curse words

This week on The World in Words podcast: swearing around the globe and the bad words our grandmothers teach us.

Grandmothers have the best curse words
gender

Introducing myself as 'they/them/their' at my workplace

What pronouns do you use? Have you ever been asked? Do you ask others their pronouns? This week on the podcast, we hand over the reins to our talented summer intern, Paulus van Horne, to share a very personal story about pronouns. In the spring of 2016, Paulus came out as non-binary at college, asking friends and teachers to use the gender neutral pronouns they/them/their. This summer at The World, Paulus came out for the first time at a workplace. This is their story.

Introducing myself as 'they/them/their' at my workplace
ISIS black and white flag

Exploring why some say we should call ISIS 'Daesh'

Many people call the jihadist group claiming responsibility for the Paris and Beirut attacks, ISIS. Alternatively they've been called ISIL and even the Islamic State. But many in the Arab speaking world, and increasingly Western leaders have taken to calling the group Daesh. So what does Daesh mean?

Exploring why some say we should call ISIS 'Daesh'
Rose and Alfrits Monintja outside of their home in the New York City borough of Queens. The Monintjas are originally from the village of Sonder in North Sulawesi, Indonesia, and are among an estimated 100,000 people who speak the disappearing language Ton

When New Yorker Rose Monintja speaks her native tongue, the memories flood back

If you want to revive vanishing languages, don't just document them. Get people to speak them on stage-- and then videotape it.

When New Yorker Rose Monintja speaks her native tongue, the memories flood back