When Talking to Your Mother-in-Law Is a Minefield
From baby talk to formal varieties, languages around the world offer—or even require—different ways of speaking for different situations.
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Episode Notes
All languages provide alternative ways of speaking—so-called “registers”—depending on who is talking to whom and for what purpose. Some even require a particular specialized grammar or vocabulary when addressing elders or a spouse’s family, in which case talking to your mother-in-law can be tricky!
Podcast production by Mike Vuolo.
