Do Pain and Joy Have a Universal Language?
Linguists think that the words that we use to express pain might tell us something about our shared biology and the commonality of language.
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Show Notes
Ouch! Ah! Aïe! The words we use when we stub our toe or receive a pinch may point to a common way to express pain across languages. Associate news editor Allison Parshall explores what linguistic commonalities in expressions of pain and joy might mean for our shared biology. Plus, Parshall and host Rachel Feltman chat about onomatopoeias, the “bouba-kiki” effect and linguistic news you may have missed in 2024.
Recommended reading:
Ouch! Linguists Find Universal Language for Pain
How Our Thoughts Shape the Way Spoken Words Evolve
My Synesthesia Transforms Speech into Text I ‘See’ in My Head
Eight, Ocho, Acht Most Fascinating Language Discoveries of 2024
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Science Quickly is produced by Rachel Feltman, Fonda Mwangi, Kelso Harper, Madison Goldberg and Jeff DelViscio. This episode was hosted by Rachel Feltman with guest Allison Parshall. Our show is edited by Fonda Mwangi with fact-checking by Emily Makowski, Shayna Posses and Aaron Shattuck. The theme music was composed by Dominic Smith.
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