Some Icelanders are becoming unsettled by this existential question: Will their language still be spoken in the future? Comedian and... more

Many place names in the United States are borrowed from Native American words. It's often hard to trace the roots.... more

In this episode, we're handing over the reins to the podcast series, Home, Interrupted, produced by Feet in 2 Worlds.... more

Icelanders are protective of their language. When a new piece of tech or a new disease emerges, people debate what... more

In recent decades, Americans' perception of bilingualism has been transformed. As recently as the 1990s, the prevailing belief was that... more

How did Basque survive Spain's military dictatorship under Francisco Franco when speaking, writing and reading it were illegal? With more... more

Netflix's lavish new adaptation of Liu Cixin's The Three-Body Problem is the latest 'translation' of one of this century's best,... more

The French language is replete with words borrowed from English, like 'weekend' and 'podcasting.' But French speakers' use of 'black'... more

Irish is among Europe's oldest languages. It's a near miracle that anyone speaks it today. Patrick talks with online Irish... more

Israel Jesus used to be ashamed of being from the Mexican state of Oaxaca and speaking the local indigenous tongue,... more

Mastering six languages sounds like a slog, right? But in some corners of Europe, it happens—maybe not effortlessly, but more... more

Does the brain of an improv comedian or freestyle rapper function in a particular way? Is it processing language faster... more

A conversation with comedian with Samir Khullar who grew up speaking Punjabi, Hindi, English and French. He does standup in... more

When a word first enters the language, it sounds weird to some, radical to others and comforting to just a... more

American English and British English aren't different languages. But they're not the same either, even if they're getting closer. There... more

German used to be one of the most widely-spoken languages in the United States. A survey in 1900 listed 613... more

In our upcoming season, we have stories about voice clones, tongue twisters and small languages fighting back. We'll hear from... more

Never heard of the Udi language? Get ready to be beguiled by this poster child for endangered languages. The history... more

If you want to know where African American English is headed, listen to Shondel Nero. Shondel was born in the... more

Guest host Ciku Theuri speaks with music writer Jordannah Elizabeth about the intimate relationship between music and Black American speech.... more

Are the roots of African American English mainly African? Or English? Or something else? Linguists—and others—don't agree. Ciku Theuri guides... more

Until recently, issuing a death threat required some effort. Today, anyone with a phone or computer can make a threat—or receive... more

If Latin is dead, why is it easy to find meetups of people speaking it? Why is a group of... more

Ellen Jovin belongs to that rare breed of human with a passion for grammar. You will too if you spend... more

Steve Jobs' last words were: "Oh wow. Oh wow. Oh wow." Oscar Wilde went with: "Either that wallpaper goes, or... more

How do you keep your language alive while also protecting the health of elders? That's been the quandary facing Ojibwe... more

For centuries, Russians have dismissed the Ukrainian language as "Little Russian," its speakers as simple-minded peasants. The Kremlin has sporadically... more

Kavita Pillay recently moved to Helsinki with her Finnish husband and half-Finnish daughter. While husband and daughter effortlessly embraced their... more

We can't always find words to describe our emotions—not in English, at least. In this episode, Saleem Reshamwala asks friends... more

For hundreds of years, people living in Louisiana's bayou country have spoken French. But rising sea levels are submerging entire... more