Language of the Month

     It goes without saying that language is an inherent part of identity. Words we use can change how we perceive the world or even ourselves.When a language is part of a regional identity, this feeling is only amplified. Nowhere is this truer than the case of Catalan.      While Catalan is mostly […]

     Every December during Christmas time, Christian families around the world prepare for one of the largest religious holidays in the Christian tradition. While many of these traditions have an old world flair, including masses presented in Latin or songs sung in languages of familial heritage, have you ever considered what language would have

In October, I was fortunate enough to take a weekend getaway to Denver, Colorado. As a fan of history, I took the opportunity to go to History Colorado, a major museum in the city that offers a glimpse into the history and culture of the former mining town. I was expecting to learn plenty about

     The months of September and October are an important time for people of the Jewish faith. During this time, they celebrate the New Year during Rosh Hashanah, have a solemn Day of Atonement on Yom Kippur, and celebrate Sukkot to commemorate the provisions given by Yahweh.      Another important aspect of Judaism

     Many times, we have precious little evidence of the foundation or creation of a language. We can look from an anthropological perspective or etymological perspective to make reasonable guesses with evidence, but not often do we have definitive beginnings of the formation (and possible purpose thereof) of a language.      However, this

     Since starting the Language of the Month featured, we have travelled as far as the Museum’s backyard with Piscataway, to the far reaches of Asia with Cantonese. We have also seen languages both surviving (Cantonese) and almost completely forgotten (Piscataway). However, there exist several languages in the middle of these two, which are

     As we continue Language of the Month, we go around the world to the Southeast of China, to the language of Hong Kong and Macau, Cantonese. Many companies are looking for “Chinese” speakers to join their companies, and many schools are even introducing “Chinese” classes into their curriculums, but did you know that

As we continue language of the month, it can be important to remember that language is a vital component of not only our everyday communication, but also for intelligence and defense. As today, June 14th is Flag Day, let’s take a moment to learn about Navajo, a language that in many ways contributed, even if

     Welcome to our newest feature at the Museum, the Language of the Month! A question that we frequently hear is “How does one dedicate a museum to an abstract idea?” While that may be an interesting philosophical question, it’s more than possible! Data collection, restoration projects, ephemera (dictionaries, Bibles, etc.) are all tools