Outside of China, Mandarin and Cantonese are often referred to as Chinese dialects, despite being even more dissimilar than Spanish and Italian. On the other hand, speakers of Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish, which are three distinct languages, can usually communicate with each other in their native tongues. So, when is speech considered a dialect versus a language? Martin Hilpert investigates. [Directed by Luísa M H Copetti, Hype CG, narrated by Addison Anderson, music by Gabriel Maia].

Martin Hilpert: What makes a language... a language?

What makes a language... a language?

The line between dialect and language blurs, often shaped by politics rather than linguistic features or mutual intelligibility.

Linguists prefer 'varieties' over 'dialects' to describe forms of speech, emphasizing the complexity and uniqueness of each.

Language as a gatekeeper in society: 1999 study shows landlords discriminate based on speech form, revealing deep-seated biases.