Subscribe
linguistics
Maps / 1 week ago
A look at Europe’s many linguistic versions of London
A new linguistic map by The World in Maps shows how the name “London” changes across Europe. While English speakers know it simply as London, its name takes different forms depending on the language. In France, Spain, and Portugal, it appears as Londres. In Italy and Romania, it becomes Londra. Across Poland and Czechia, it’s Londyn and Londýn, while in Finland it’s Lontoo. Greek speakers use Λονδίνο, and in Welsh, the city is known as Llundain.
Culture / 7 weeks ago
Before Latin, Greek or Germanic, these were the languages that ruled Europe
Europe is today mapped in familiar languages—English, French, Spanish, Italian, and German. Yet long before the spread of these Indo-European languages, a patchwork of earlier peoples spoke tongues now lost, surviving only in place names, inscriptions, and linguistic traces. A new map illustrates this mosaic of the languages that preceded Indo-European expansion in Europe. It spotlights extinct tongues like Etruscan, Nuragic, Iberian, Tartessian and Aquitanian, plus the lone survivor still spoken today: Basque.
Culture / 15 weeks ago
What gasoline is called around the world and what it reveals about language
A new map released by World in Maps sheds light on how different countries around the world refer to gasoline, revealing not just linguistic preferences but also the lingering effects of colonial history and regional influences. The terminology for automotive fuel varies significantly by region. The word "petrol" is widely used in the United Kingdom, India, Australia, South Africa, and many other former British colonies, which reflects the legacy of British English.
Culture / 23 weeks ago
These countries speak the most difficult Spanish to understand
Spanish might be a single language, but its accents and dialects vary dramatically across regions, and not all are equally easy to understand. A fascinating map from The World in Maps highlights which Spanish accents are considered easy, normal, or downright perplexing for Spanish learners and even native speakers themselves. The colour-coded map uses a playful but insightful scale to rank Spanish accents:
