Why doesn’t every language have a word for blue?

About this episode

Our planet is full of blue things. The sea, the sky. Blueberries, bluebirds, bluebells. If English is your only language, it’s probably inconceivable to you that a language could exist without a word for blue. After all, it's one of the three primary colours according to traditional colour theory. And yet in reality not every language in the world does have a specific word for blue. You see, in some languages, blue and green are grouped together as a single category. Linguists sometimes refer to these as “grue” languages, a blend of the words green and blue. How do people get by without a word for blue? So why do some colours appear later than others? What about modern languages though - surely they all have a word for blue? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions! To listen to the latest episodes, click here: How can I learn 1000 words in a new language? Does our personality change when we speak in another language? Are blue eyes really more sensitive to light? A Bababam Originals podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices