Back to topics

Languages do not always divide colors with the same words

If you lay out a rainbow of color tiles, adjacent samples can look very similar even when speakers give them different names. Different languages divide that spectrum differently: Russian, for instance, has two separate basic words for light blue (goluboy) and dark blue (siniy), prompting psychologists to test whether having distinct words helps speakers spot color differences a fraction of a second faster.

5–7 min

Questions you could explore

  • What does response time establish about language and color?
  • Why might changes in the stimuli or a verbal distraction change the result?

Start reading

Ready to try your ideas aloud?

Your topic carries over. Record up to 2½ minutes, depending on your plan.

Language

How much can six braille dots say?

A braille cell has only six positions, but its meaning depends on more than which dots are raised. In Unified English Braille, letters, indicators, and context work together to represent written language.

3–5 min

How much can six braille dots say?

Language3–5 minA braille cell has only six positions, but its meaning depends on more than which dots are raised. In Unified English Braille, letters, indicators, and context work together to represent written language.

Language

ASL has its own grammar

American Sign Language is a complete language with grammar of its own. Hands, facial expression, and body movement contribute to meaning, so describing it as English transferred into gestures misses how it works.

3–5 min

ASL has its own grammar

Language3–5 minAmerican Sign Language is a complete language with grammar of its own. Hands, facial expression, and body movement contribute to meaning, so describing it as English transferred into gestures misses how it works.

Language

Who decides when a new word belongs in a dictionary?

A new expression can attract attention before there is enough evidence to include it in a dictionary. Cambridge's New Words posts and Merriam-Webster's account of editorial selection show different stages of observing language in use.

3–5 min

Who decides when a new word belongs in a dictionary?

Language3–5 minA new expression can attract attention before there is enough evidence to include it in a dictionary. Cambridge's New Words posts and Merriam-Webster's account of editorial selection show different stages of observing language in use.

Languages do not always divide colors with the same words | Speech Topic | speaking.app