Have you ever thought that the way your language is structured can affect the way you consider the world? Would telling the time Swahili-style affect when you see the day as starting, and would having to specify the age and gender of your sibling, instead of using a generic term, make you think of them in a different way? Having worked with over 140 different languages, I’ve come across a huge variety of fascinating differences in how languages deal with big concepts, like time, counting and colours, as well as little tiny quirks which make learning a new language such a rewarding joy. I’m delighted to be able to share these with other linguists, and spread my enjoyment of the individuality of languages.
This video was recorded at the Polyglot Gathering in Bratislava 2017 (www.polyglotbratislava.com).