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LANGUAGE CITY
From the co-director of the Endangered Language Alliance, a captivating portrait of contemporary New York City through six speakers of little-known and overlooked languages, diving into the incredible history of the most linguistically diverse place ever to have existed on the planet.
Half of all 7,000-plus human languages may disappear over the next century and—because many have never been recorded—when they’re gone, it will be forever. Ross Perlin, a linguist and co-director of the Manhattan-based non-profit Endangered Language Alliance, is racing against time to map little-known languages across the most linguistically diverse city in contemporary New York. In Language City, Perlin recounts the unique history of immigration that shaped the city, and follows six remarkable yet ordinary speakers of endangered languages deep into their communities to learn how they are maintaining and reviving their languages against overwhelming odds.
Perlin also dives deep into their languages, taking us on a fascinating tour of unusual grammars, rare sounds, and powerful cultural histories from all around the world. Seke is spoken by 700 people from five ancestral villages in Nepal, a hundred of whom have lived in a single Brooklyn apartment building. N’ko is a radical new West African writing system now going global in Harlem and the Bronx. After centuries of colonization and displacement, Lenape, the city’s original Indigenous language and the source of the name Manhattan (“the place where we get bows”), has just one fluent native speaker, bolstered by a small band of revivalists. Also profiled in the book are speakers of the Indigenous Mexican language Nahuatl, the Central Asian minority language Wakhi, and the former lingua franca of the Lower East Side, Yiddish.
A century after the anti-immigration Johnson-Reed Act closed America’s doors for decades and on the 400th anniversary of New York’s colonial founding, Perlin raises the alarm about growing political threats and the onslaught of “killer languages” like English and Spanish. Both remarkable social history and testament to the importance of linguistic diversity, Language City is a joyful and illuminating exploration of a city and the world that made it.
Half of all 7,000-plus human languages may disappear over the next century and—because many have never been recorded—when they’re gone, it will be forever. Ross Perlin, a linguist and co-director of the Manhattan-based non-profit Endangered Language Alliance, is racing against time to map little-known languages across the most linguistically diverse city in contemporary New York. In Language City, Perlin recounts the unique history of immigration that shaped the city, and follows six remarkable yet ordinary speakers of endangered languages deep into their communities to learn how they are maintaining and reviving their languages against overwhelming odds.
Perlin also dives deep into their languages, taking us on a fascinating tour of unusual grammars, rare sounds, and powerful cultural histories from all around the world. Seke is spoken by 700 people from five ancestral villages in Nepal, a hundred of whom have lived in a single Brooklyn apartment building. N’ko is a radical new West African writing system now going global in Harlem and the Bronx. After centuries of colonization and displacement, Lenape, the city’s original Indigenous language and the source of the name Manhattan (“the place where we get bows”), has just one fluent native speaker, bolstered by a small band of revivalists. Also profiled in the book are speakers of the Indigenous Mexican language Nahuatl, the Central Asian minority language Wakhi, and the former lingua franca of the Lower East Side, Yiddish.
A century after the anti-immigration Johnson-Reed Act closed America’s doors for decades and on the 400th anniversary of New York’s colonial founding, Perlin raises the alarm about growing political threats and the onslaught of “killer languages” like English and Spanish. Both remarkable social history and testament to the importance of linguistic diversity, Language City is a joyful and illuminating exploration of a city and the world that made it.
432 pages, Paperback
First published February 24, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 185 reviews
May 29, 2025
(Note: I received an advanced ready copy of this book courtesy of NetGalley)
I wish that I could use a stronger word than “fascinating,” but that’s what Language City most definitely is - an absorbingly, engrossingly fascinating read that had me hooked within the first few pages.
I think I would have already been quite satisfied if the book had consisted only of its first section, which was a history of New York City’s immensely rich language diversity and a macro overview of some of the many, many, many languages spoken there in the present day. But the book then proceeded to delve down into its micro-level look at the city’s linguistic wealth through the eyes of several women and men working to preserve or revive their respective endangered languages through the aid of the Endangered Language Alliance (of which the author is a co-director). Each individual’s respective chapter came packed with their own personal histories, in-depth looks into the communities that they came from and the various New York neighborhoods that they now call home, contextual history in abundance, and of course plenty of information about the specific languages that they’re striving hard to help maintain. Thanks to its surprisingly expansive subject matter and Perlin’s approachable and thoughtful writing style, I ended up learning far more from Language City than I ever could have possibly expected, and I loved every little bit that I was able to mentally soak up.
I genuinely don’t think I’ll be able to look at New York (just an hour or two away from where I live) , and the little mini-cities overlapping over one another within, the same way again. I hope that this book gives ELA and its impressive work some much-needed exposure and boosted support. In the meantime, I’ll be happy to recommend it when I can, and trying to get a copy available for the academic library I work in. This is nonfiction at some of its very best, in my admittedly subjective personal opinion. There's so much shared here in these pages, and to repeat myself, it's so fascinating - wonderfully, eye-openingly fascinating.
I wish that I could use a stronger word than “fascinating,” but that’s what Language City most definitely is - an absorbingly, engrossingly fascinating read that had me hooked within the first few pages.
I think I would have already been quite satisfied if the book had consisted only of its first section, which was a history of New York City’s immensely rich language diversity and a macro overview of some of the many, many, many languages spoken there in the present day. But the book then proceeded to delve down into its micro-level look at the city’s linguistic wealth through the eyes of several women and men working to preserve or revive their respective endangered languages through the aid of the Endangered Language Alliance (of which the author is a co-director). Each individual’s respective chapter came packed with their own personal histories, in-depth looks into the communities that they came from and the various New York neighborhoods that they now call home, contextual history in abundance, and of course plenty of information about the specific languages that they’re striving hard to help maintain. Thanks to its surprisingly expansive subject matter and Perlin’s approachable and thoughtful writing style, I ended up learning far more from Language City than I ever could have possibly expected, and I loved every little bit that I was able to mentally soak up.
I genuinely don’t think I’ll be able to look at New York (just an hour or two away from where I live) , and the little mini-cities overlapping over one another within, the same way again. I hope that this book gives ELA and its impressive work some much-needed exposure and boosted support. In the meantime, I’ll be happy to recommend it when I can, and trying to get a copy available for the academic library I work in. This is nonfiction at some of its very best, in my admittedly subjective personal opinion. There's so much shared here in these pages, and to repeat myself, it's so fascinating - wonderfully, eye-openingly fascinating.
November 22, 2023
This is a marvelous book that does the impossible--it appeals to both the academic and the non-academic. For the academic and specifically the linguist, it is rich in explanation of a smorgasbord of languages. I'm guessing many of them will be new to even the most devoted linguistic student. Perlin is able to talk about language in a way that is fascinating; his enthusiasm for it all shines through.
And for the non-linguists there is the sheer joy of getting to know New York City and the enclaves one finds. We get to know the people and their lives. It's like visiting New York City without the traffic jams and cacophonous honking that one finds in much of the more known parts of the city. It's also the kind of book that readers who love picking up tidbits of random information will find to be a real jewel. So much to learn, so much to know!
Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. I'll look forward to seeing it head to the best seller list!
And for the non-linguists there is the sheer joy of getting to know New York City and the enclaves one finds. We get to know the people and their lives. It's like visiting New York City without the traffic jams and cacophonous honking that one finds in much of the more known parts of the city. It's also the kind of book that readers who love picking up tidbits of random information will find to be a real jewel. So much to learn, so much to know!
Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. I'll look forward to seeing it head to the best seller list!
January 8, 2026
3.5 stars
The heart of this book—the stories of six speakers of endangered languages, and of the languages themselves—is great: fascinating material and storytelling with lots of food for thought. Unfortunately, the other bits were far less engaging, consisting largely of New York vanity, with a weak conclusion.
Ross Perlin works with a NYC-based group, the Endangered Language Alliance, that works to document endangered languages and to advocate for language rights. NYC is apparently a great place to do this, being not only full of immigrants to the point of being the world’s most linguistically diverse place ever, but disproportionately immigrants who were marginalized back home too, including lots of linguistic minorities. This gives the author the opportunity to get to know some fascinating people, learn their stories, and often travel with them to their homelands to meet the communities where their languages are spoken.
The languages themselves are a diverse grouping. The first two, Seke (a Himalayan language spoken in 5 Nepali villages) and Wakhi (a language spoken in the Pamir Mountains in Tajikistan) are what you’re likely to imagine with endangered languages—spoken by small numbers of people in highly linguistically diverse areas, where people are likely to speak half a dozen just to get by. Even back home, the speakers didn’t go to school in these languages, which are largely relegated to the domestic sphere.
Then there’s a couple you’ll have heard of: Yiddish, rapidly dying out due to the Holocaust and Israel’s switch to Hebrew (the Hasidim actually still speak it, but a different version without the cultural and literary connections so important to heritage speakers). And Nahuatl, now rapidly merging into Spanish despite a surprising survival—the early Spanish empire in Mexico was actually administered in Nahuatl and it has a corpus of literature from the time.
Meanwhile, N’Ko isn’t a language but a script, recently invented to serve the whole Manding language group in West Africa (descended from the language of the Malian empire), spoken by around 40 million people, but not used as official languages and rarely written down, let alone in N’Ko. While spoken by many, these languages are seen as low-prestige, and colonial languages are making inroads.
Finally, there’s Lenape, the original language of Manhattan, which at the time of writing was down to one or two native speakers (not interested in talking to the author) though some tribal members, one of whom became his friend, are dedicated to learning and preserving it. While this section is a nice inclusion, as the only true non-immigrant language in New York (albeit, the Lenape people were driven out and the descendants Perlin focuses on now live in Ontario), sadly it is weaker than the others.
At any rate, there’s plenty of interest here: the author traces the lives of the six speakers who serve as his primary sources for their chapters, and also delves into their languages a bit: their history and context, as well as notable linguistic features. (He’s learned at least a bit of all of them.) There are also intriguing reflections on various language-related issues, such as the tension between celebrating the diversity that exists within even tiny languages, versus moving toward standardizing them in the interest of preserving at least one version. There’s a fascinating bit comparing cuisine to language: both fundamentally local, but also seeing a push for standardization into a single national version (and also, lots of our “basic” food words like “tomato” and “chocolate” come from Nahuatl).
That said, everything other than the chapters on the six languages tried my patience. The introductory 110 pages nearly made me give up on the book, consisting primarily of basic U.S. history (with languages various immigrant groups “might have” spoken) and New York vanity. There is just so much describing what groups live on which streets and where their hangout spots are, and how amazing it is that people from a particular faraway village will take over a particular New York apartment building, etc. etc. If you are reasonably well-informed about the history of immigration to the U.S. and not particularly interested in NYC, you can skim or skip Parts 1 and 2 altogether without hurting your comprehension of the book. This is a shame because while documenting the linguistic map of New York is no doubt a worthy endeavor, the endangered languages of the world are an under-explored topic that is fascinating regardless of whether you’re interested in New York, and the NYC-specific framing may limit the book’s appeal.
Finally, there were some “did you fact-check this?” moments that made me raise my eyebrows, when the author suggests that the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis is still an active controversy (it’s been thoroughly debunked) or refers to a pillar of the indigenous NYC community as “Cherokee Princess Naomi” (with “Cherokee princess” being a byword for white people cluelessly claiming indigenous ancestry, this seems to warrant explanation). The conclusion also seems weak, vaguely stating the need for “support” for endangered languages without delving into what this consists of, what methods have actually worked to preserve or revitalize languages.
I do think this book is worth reading just because the chapters on the six languages are so good. And they make up nearly 2/3 of the book. But the remaining material could have been improved, and I wouldn’t have been sorry to see all that hyperspecific NYC stuff be its own book.
The heart of this book—the stories of six speakers of endangered languages, and of the languages themselves—is great: fascinating material and storytelling with lots of food for thought. Unfortunately, the other bits were far less engaging, consisting largely of New York vanity, with a weak conclusion.
Ross Perlin works with a NYC-based group, the Endangered Language Alliance, that works to document endangered languages and to advocate for language rights. NYC is apparently a great place to do this, being not only full of immigrants to the point of being the world’s most linguistically diverse place ever, but disproportionately immigrants who were marginalized back home too, including lots of linguistic minorities. This gives the author the opportunity to get to know some fascinating people, learn their stories, and often travel with them to their homelands to meet the communities where their languages are spoken.
The languages themselves are a diverse grouping. The first two, Seke (a Himalayan language spoken in 5 Nepali villages) and Wakhi (a language spoken in the Pamir Mountains in Tajikistan) are what you’re likely to imagine with endangered languages—spoken by small numbers of people in highly linguistically diverse areas, where people are likely to speak half a dozen just to get by. Even back home, the speakers didn’t go to school in these languages, which are largely relegated to the domestic sphere.
Then there’s a couple you’ll have heard of: Yiddish, rapidly dying out due to the Holocaust and Israel’s switch to Hebrew (the Hasidim actually still speak it, but a different version without the cultural and literary connections so important to heritage speakers). And Nahuatl, now rapidly merging into Spanish despite a surprising survival—the early Spanish empire in Mexico was actually administered in Nahuatl and it has a corpus of literature from the time.
Meanwhile, N’Ko isn’t a language but a script, recently invented to serve the whole Manding language group in West Africa (descended from the language of the Malian empire), spoken by around 40 million people, but not used as official languages and rarely written down, let alone in N’Ko. While spoken by many, these languages are seen as low-prestige, and colonial languages are making inroads.
Finally, there’s Lenape, the original language of Manhattan, which at the time of writing was down to one or two native speakers (not interested in talking to the author) though some tribal members, one of whom became his friend, are dedicated to learning and preserving it. While this section is a nice inclusion, as the only true non-immigrant language in New York (albeit, the Lenape people were driven out and the descendants Perlin focuses on now live in Ontario), sadly it is weaker than the others.
At any rate, there’s plenty of interest here: the author traces the lives of the six speakers who serve as his primary sources for their chapters, and also delves into their languages a bit: their history and context, as well as notable linguistic features. (He’s learned at least a bit of all of them.) There are also intriguing reflections on various language-related issues, such as the tension between celebrating the diversity that exists within even tiny languages, versus moving toward standardizing them in the interest of preserving at least one version. There’s a fascinating bit comparing cuisine to language: both fundamentally local, but also seeing a push for standardization into a single national version (and also, lots of our “basic” food words like “tomato” and “chocolate” come from Nahuatl).
That said, everything other than the chapters on the six languages tried my patience. The introductory 110 pages nearly made me give up on the book, consisting primarily of basic U.S. history (with languages various immigrant groups “might have” spoken) and New York vanity. There is just so much describing what groups live on which streets and where their hangout spots are, and how amazing it is that people from a particular faraway village will take over a particular New York apartment building, etc. etc. If you are reasonably well-informed about the history of immigration to the U.S. and not particularly interested in NYC, you can skim or skip Parts 1 and 2 altogether without hurting your comprehension of the book. This is a shame because while documenting the linguistic map of New York is no doubt a worthy endeavor, the endangered languages of the world are an under-explored topic that is fascinating regardless of whether you’re interested in New York, and the NYC-specific framing may limit the book’s appeal.
Finally, there were some “did you fact-check this?” moments that made me raise my eyebrows, when the author suggests that the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis is still an active controversy (it’s been thoroughly debunked) or refers to a pillar of the indigenous NYC community as “Cherokee Princess Naomi” (with “Cherokee princess” being a byword for white people cluelessly claiming indigenous ancestry, this seems to warrant explanation). The conclusion also seems weak, vaguely stating the need for “support” for endangered languages without delving into what this consists of, what methods have actually worked to preserve or revitalize languages.
I do think this book is worth reading just because the chapters on the six languages are so good. And they make up nearly 2/3 of the book. But the remaining material could have been improved, and I wouldn’t have been sorry to see all that hyperspecific NYC stuff be its own book.
March 17, 2024
The paradox of New York is that it is home to incredible linguistic diversity, and yet it represents and (exists because of) many of the reasons why languages are dying at a rapid pace (e.g. colonialism, modernization, racism, gentrification, climate change). This book felt like a conversation, not a lecture, which is really refreshing when it comes to nonfiction.
April 5, 2025
I know very little about linguistics but this was a real delight to listen to :)
It's about different people fighting to preserve endangered languages, and by extension, their cultures. It mainly focused on the first language, Seke, which I found fascinating, and the rest of the book was fairly even divided between the other languages. It explored some really interesting ideas, like how oral languages (without their own writing systems) are looked down upon, and the efforts to fight against that and preserve those languages. It also looked at indigenous languages such as Nahuatl and Lenape, as well as just what the organization that the author runs strives to do. I found this book very inspiring, since it really does articulate the reasons why we should support minority languages. The only reason I gave it a four instead of five stars is that I don't think this is a favourite for me, but I still enjoyed it and it challenged me.
I think that something that has always bothered me is the idea that learning a language always has to be useful, or rather that you should choose a language that maximizes the number of people you can speak to. That is to say, I believe there is a common sentiment that learning a language that has less speakers should not be a priority - but that discounts and undervalues the many religious, literary and cultural reasons why languages can and should be important to people. On top of that, the book stresses that there is an inherent value in all languages, not only linguistically but in the special things they allow you to express. Whether it is the plant and medicine knowledge contained in language, the linguistic value in unique phonemes, or even the history and migration of the people who speak that language, language doesn't have to be useful to be important.
I would highly recommend this book to everyone. I really enjoyed it, I think it's well written, and I think that the subject matter is valuable. I would especially recommend the audiobook since it has native speakers/recordings of the languages in the book which I felt was particularly great.
It's about different people fighting to preserve endangered languages, and by extension, their cultures. It mainly focused on the first language, Seke, which I found fascinating, and the rest of the book was fairly even divided between the other languages. It explored some really interesting ideas, like how oral languages (without their own writing systems) are looked down upon, and the efforts to fight against that and preserve those languages. It also looked at indigenous languages such as Nahuatl and Lenape, as well as just what the organization that the author runs strives to do. I found this book very inspiring, since it really does articulate the reasons why we should support minority languages. The only reason I gave it a four instead of five stars is that I don't think this is a favourite for me, but I still enjoyed it and it challenged me.
I think that something that has always bothered me is the idea that learning a language always has to be useful, or rather that you should choose a language that maximizes the number of people you can speak to. That is to say, I believe there is a common sentiment that learning a language that has less speakers should not be a priority - but that discounts and undervalues the many religious, literary and cultural reasons why languages can and should be important to people. On top of that, the book stresses that there is an inherent value in all languages, not only linguistically but in the special things they allow you to express. Whether it is the plant and medicine knowledge contained in language, the linguistic value in unique phonemes, or even the history and migration of the people who speak that language, language doesn't have to be useful to be important.
I would highly recommend this book to everyone. I really enjoyed it, I think it's well written, and I think that the subject matter is valuable. I would especially recommend the audiobook since it has native speakers/recordings of the languages in the book which I felt was particularly great.
April 3, 2025
new york ~~~ ( queens ! )
such an amazing book on linguistic diversity and i am just always astonished at how rich the Human Experience is!! there’s so many uniqueness and flavor and it must be preserved!
also just shocked // confused about how Perlin appears to speak every language on earth
book treads a very fine line of Linguistics and Human Stories that i really enjoy
such an amazing book on linguistic diversity and i am just always astonished at how rich the Human Experience is!! there’s so many uniqueness and flavor and it must be preserved!
also just shocked // confused about how Perlin appears to speak every language on earth
book treads a very fine line of Linguistics and Human Stories that i really enjoy
April 30, 2025
Absolutely fascinating from beginning to end. As both a language nerd & a NYC nerd, this was a perfect confluence of the two topics. So many indigenous languages that need to be protected here!! Audiobook was especially good here bc I could actually hear the different languages. Fantastic.
January 16, 2025
So interesting! It makes sense that New York City would be the home to thousands of languages, some spoken by maybe just hundreds or only dozens of people.
Perlin is a linguist and narrates this book, so you get to hear pronunciations and even recordings (songs, stories) of different speakers. His job is truly a labor of love, documenting and preserving languages with few speakers.
This was such a nice reminder that there are people out there just working to preserve culture and validating the cultures of minority groups.
Perlin is a linguist and narrates this book, so you get to hear pronunciations and even recordings (songs, stories) of different speakers. His job is truly a labor of love, documenting and preserving languages with few speakers.
This was such a nice reminder that there are people out there just working to preserve culture and validating the cultures of minority groups.
February 4, 2025
4.5 - I think listening to the audiobook is kind of a non-option here? In each chapter that focuses on a speaker, there is recording of either them or someone in their community. I have no idea how this would have half the effect a regular reading would, so I recommend audiobook 10x over.
The author finds a self-aware balance of outlining the genuine threat that minority languages face and not leaning into majority language linguist voyeurism. There is often a weird fetishization that comes from linguists and polyglots who study languages they didn't grow up speaking and it can turn the language into some abstract toy that requires reverence, rather than following the needs and desires of native speakers. The very nature of the ELA project is prioritizing community needs, so this does not seem to be a huge pitfall for the group or the book.
New Yawk, baby! It was very cool to have its linguistic diversity drawn in such detail, from a macro and micro standpoint, as well as useful history to grasp why it has become a modern Babel. The author illustrates well why that is a good thing and could work well if only federal and state policy didn't keep messing everything up.
Overall, incredibly fascinating read as someone who already cares too much about linguistics, but I think it is accessible to someone who doesn't. There are some phonetics and grammar explanations that might need to be glossed over if you're not primed but I don't think that you'll miss much. I like!
The author finds a self-aware balance of outlining the genuine threat that minority languages face and not leaning into majority language linguist voyeurism. There is often a weird fetishization that comes from linguists and polyglots who study languages they didn't grow up speaking and it can turn the language into some abstract toy that requires reverence, rather than following the needs and desires of native speakers. The very nature of the ELA project is prioritizing community needs, so this does not seem to be a huge pitfall for the group or the book.
New Yawk, baby! It was very cool to have its linguistic diversity drawn in such detail, from a macro and micro standpoint, as well as useful history to grasp why it has become a modern Babel. The author illustrates well why that is a good thing and could work well if only federal and state policy didn't keep messing everything up.
Overall, incredibly fascinating read as someone who already cares too much about linguistics, but I think it is accessible to someone who doesn't. There are some phonetics and grammar explanations that might need to be glossed over if you're not primed but I don't think that you'll miss much. I like!
February 26, 2024
It has been known for a while now that New York city is one of the greenest places on the planet simply due to its population density. In "Language City: The Fight to Preserve Endangered Mother Tongues in New York " Ross Perlin examines a similar phenomenon, that is , that the Big Apple is actually a very good place to shelter and preserve linguistic diversity. Focusing on a number of grass roots efforts to preserve seriously endangered languages this book also serves as a very good foundation for understanding both the fundamental concepts and motivations behind language study and preservation. Additionally, the book provides major insights into the historical forces that resulted in the development of New York's rich multi-ethnic identity. Readers with even a passing interest in the study of language and / or the New York experience should find something of interest here.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Grove Atlantic, for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest review.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Grove Atlantic, for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest review.
2024
October 7, 2025Non-fiction November TBR
📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Atlantic Monthly Press
📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Atlantic Monthly Press
November 9, 2024
My one non fiction book for the year is finally done!! Only took me 6 months haha(though half the time was waiting for my hold to come in at the library). But even though it took a long time(it was quite readable , I swear!) I loved this book! I feel like I learned so much from it and it really changed how I think about languages and it informed so much of my MUNUM background guide (feeling actually passionate about doing research for MUNUM which is crazy). A book that makes me think “maybe this is what I should be doing with my life”. A book that makes me want to learn sooo many languages. I’m glad I had some linguistics background going into this, and I feel like this book has also complemented my learning in my linguistics class this semester. Time to build a society that actually values and allows for multilingualism!
Read
February 12, 2025This is fucking awesome, especially on audio (narrated by the author), especially the six speakers’ stories, especially Irwin’s (Nahuatl) and Karen’s (Lunaape).
December 24, 2025
Never ask a linguist how many languages they speak.
January 8, 2025
A bit disorganized at times, but heavily insightful! I learned so much and how important language are to culture and the efforts it takes to preserve it.
January 9, 2026
I know NYC is a global hub but wow the sheer diversity of languages spoken here is truly amazing. The chapter on Lenape was particularly interesting given its ties to the land.
October 25, 2024
one of the most remarkable books I have ever read, full of a richness and depth that feels impossible for the less than 400 pages Perlin uses to take us through what is, undeniably, the most miraculous city in the history of the world. a polemic against the city as a playground for the rich and beautiful and a panacea for those who love the city they do not (and can not! and may not ever!) understand.
January 16, 2025
10000% recommend the audiobook so you can hear the true pronunciation of the languages in the book. Wowowow
April 26, 2025
Truly fascinating. To all the language-nerds out there: this is the book for you!
February 10, 2025
I've been recommending this one to everyone in the last couple weeks and sharing fun language facts! As a Chicagoan I hate to admit this but: New York City is kind of magic.
July 16, 2025
A super cool cross between a linguistics lesson, travel memoir, and celebration of New York. I’m learning to love non-fiction
October 16, 2025
love love loved this. Rich and full of detail, will change how I walk around nyc
November 28, 2025
4.5/5
Meant to be enjoyed as an audiobook:)
Meant to be enjoyed as an audiobook:)
September 1, 2025
This was a great book! I really enjoyed the concept and how Perlin talks about endangered languages in the context of what is likely the greatest melting pot in the world: New York City. The diaspora (or dispersion of users of various languages) is easily seen in NYC, where people from one particular village may all now live within a radius of just a few blocks, creating their own unique microcosms based on their shared language. But as time goes on, each successive new generation may begin relying more on the use of colonial languages and/or lingua franca*, moving away from their mother tongues. As use dwindles, their original language becomes endangered and may very well die out.
* "A lingua franca, also known as a bridge language, common language, trade language, auxiliary language, link language or language of wider communication, is a language systematically used to make communication possible between groups of people who do not share a native language or dialect, particularly when it is a third language that is distinct from both of the speakers' native languages." (Source: Wikipedia, accessed 9/1/2025)
My favorite passage ends with a thought-provoking concept: "No feature of any language, other than the power of the people who use it, makes it any more or less adaptable to the life of a great city, any more or less fit to spread in the mouths of children. Any language can add vocabulary; any language is more likely to simplify as more people use it; any society can run in any language...Someday English, too, will be down to its last speaker." 🤔
The most interesting question Perlin posed was that we have old English, middle English, and modern English...so "when will postmodern English begin?" 🤯 I wonder what that will look like?!
Fulfills Nappanee Public Library's 2025 Expand Your Horizons reading challenge, category: Read a book by an author with whom you'd like to have dinner. This was my final book to complete the challenge.
* "A lingua franca, also known as a bridge language, common language, trade language, auxiliary language, link language or language of wider communication, is a language systematically used to make communication possible between groups of people who do not share a native language or dialect, particularly when it is a third language that is distinct from both of the speakers' native languages." (Source: Wikipedia, accessed 9/1/2025)
My favorite passage ends with a thought-provoking concept: "No feature of any language, other than the power of the people who use it, makes it any more or less adaptable to the life of a great city, any more or less fit to spread in the mouths of children. Any language can add vocabulary; any language is more likely to simplify as more people use it; any society can run in any language...Someday English, too, will be down to its last speaker." 🤔
The most interesting question Perlin posed was that we have old English, middle English, and modern English...so "when will postmodern English begin?" 🤯 I wonder what that will look like?!
Fulfills Nappanee Public Library's 2025 Expand Your Horizons reading challenge, category: Read a book by an author with whom you'd like to have dinner. This was my final book to complete the challenge.
January 31, 2024
Grove Atlantic Press provided an early galley for review.
I was attracted to this book due to the New York City connection. It is a city that has always fascinated and called to me. As far as languages go, English is my native, I took a couple years of Spanish back in high school, and I learned a bit of American Sign Language in college.
The first portion of the book is dedicated to the Past. Looking at the evolution and growth of the city through the lens of the languages spoken where and when was an interesting approach. It is not something I ever considered for long during my days of studying American history. But I can very much see how this is an important element in the life of an urban center, and it is something I will keep in mind going forward.
The second portion of the book is dedicated to the Present. The bulk here focuses on a few key languages from the city: Seke, N’ko, Lenape, Nahuatl, Wakhi, and Yiddish. I knew next to nothing about any of these, so this was very much a learning experience for me. Perlin's approach is interesting as he presents these along with people who speak the language, giving more personal, narrative stories for the reader to experience.
The book ends with a chapter about the future, talking about how restrictions on immigration impact the proliferation and growth of linguistic diversity in our country and cities like New York. It really makes one think. I suspect the book will appeal to folks who either want to learn something new or are familiar with one of these six languages and want to get into some of the specifics as they relate to residents and life in New York City.
I was attracted to this book due to the New York City connection. It is a city that has always fascinated and called to me. As far as languages go, English is my native, I took a couple years of Spanish back in high school, and I learned a bit of American Sign Language in college.
The first portion of the book is dedicated to the Past. Looking at the evolution and growth of the city through the lens of the languages spoken where and when was an interesting approach. It is not something I ever considered for long during my days of studying American history. But I can very much see how this is an important element in the life of an urban center, and it is something I will keep in mind going forward.
The second portion of the book is dedicated to the Present. The bulk here focuses on a few key languages from the city: Seke, N’ko, Lenape, Nahuatl, Wakhi, and Yiddish. I knew next to nothing about any of these, so this was very much a learning experience for me. Perlin's approach is interesting as he presents these along with people who speak the language, giving more personal, narrative stories for the reader to experience.
The book ends with a chapter about the future, talking about how restrictions on immigration impact the proliferation and growth of linguistic diversity in our country and cities like New York. It really makes one think. I suspect the book will appeal to folks who either want to learn something new or are familiar with one of these six languages and want to get into some of the specifics as they relate to residents and life in New York City.
June 8, 2024
I need better, more exclamatory words for "fascinating," "mind-blowing," and "wait I go to that restaurant/past that building/through that town all the time who knew?!" The answer of course being the many people from many places who run that restaurant or live in that town. Much to the detriment of us monolinguals that we can drift by blithely unaware. Maybe the ELA videos will have the right words!
I love this book to the extent that I'm sad I have to give it back to the library. Now every time I go to the Tibetan place on Cortelyou for momos I'll think about its Seke background. Every time I walk past what I thought was an average Hasidic shul three blocks down from me I will know that actually it's a congregation of Judeo-Persian-speaking Mountain Jews (with secular suburban "my grandparents knew Yiddish but never passed it down" Jewish apologies to Boris, keeper of the flame). I want to move to that one hyper-diverse building in Queens mentioned in the index.
(Note: read the index. There is so much added info in there and I think I added half of it to my tbr list.)
The day everyone in New York speaks the same dominant type of English as their first language is the day the city dies, and again I realize I'm part of the problem here. Maybe it's time to take Yiddish lessons (for all the problems inherent there, as succinctly described in the book).
I love this book to the extent that I'm sad I have to give it back to the library. Now every time I go to the Tibetan place on Cortelyou for momos I'll think about its Seke background. Every time I walk past what I thought was an average Hasidic shul three blocks down from me I will know that actually it's a congregation of Judeo-Persian-speaking Mountain Jews (with secular suburban "my grandparents knew Yiddish but never passed it down" Jewish apologies to Boris, keeper of the flame). I want to move to that one hyper-diverse building in Queens mentioned in the index.
(Note: read the index. There is so much added info in there and I think I added half of it to my tbr list.)
The day everyone in New York speaks the same dominant type of English as their first language is the day the city dies, and again I realize I'm part of the problem here. Maybe it's time to take Yiddish lessons (for all the problems inherent there, as succinctly described in the book).
January 15, 2025
This was the first non-fiction book of the year, and it was incredible on multiple levels: well-researched, richly-detailed, fascinating in the best ways. It's definitely something I'd love to have on the shelf and though the content can dig down into being fairly niche, it's worth the journey. Diversity in language is a truly interesting subject, even more so when explored in the context of New York City, whose linguistic and other forms of diversity are rarely rivaled. The discussions of language and cultural patterns at a high level as well as the micro-blocks of the city where entire villages and families now wholesale live and have brought their language and traditions with them were amazing. My favorite sections were definitely each of the 6 chapters dedicated to exploring each endangered language with each individual, and how their language work fit into their lives.
Some small detractors for me that probably prevented giving it a 5*: Complex linguistic concepts that were not explored further or brought to a level at which anyone could pick this up. It's easy on an ereader to look up things, but in a physical book you would need to set aside a notepad and time to chase the niche rabbit holes of information. While I don't mind that either, there wasn't always enough context to easily pick up on what it might mean, which could probably feel unfriendly for the average reader. There are also broader ideas I'd like to see handled in a holistic way, beyond the concept that languages only become subsumed/consumed out of malice. A more nuanced discussion would have been interesting to read, but maybe that's beyond the scope of this book.
All in all, definitely one I'd like to read again and own on my shelf!
Some small detractors for me that probably prevented giving it a 5*: Complex linguistic concepts that were not explored further or brought to a level at which anyone could pick this up. It's easy on an ereader to look up things, but in a physical book you would need to set aside a notepad and time to chase the niche rabbit holes of information. While I don't mind that either, there wasn't always enough context to easily pick up on what it might mean, which could probably feel unfriendly for the average reader. There are also broader ideas I'd like to see handled in a holistic way, beyond the concept that languages only become subsumed/consumed out of malice. A more nuanced discussion would have been interesting to read, but maybe that's beyond the scope of this book.
All in all, definitely one I'd like to read again and own on my shelf!
September 6, 2024
I cannot say enough good things about this amazing, fascinating book. So much nuance and balance, intricately woven engaging story filled with information new to me, languages new to me, but at the same time utterly familiar. I felt my own inevitable position as someone both colonized and colonizer, unwitting participant in an ongoing dance of language imperialism. It tuned me in afresh to the wash of languages all around me as a New Yorker, showed me how my own use of language, my language heritage and the language I bequeath are part of a complicated tapestry. Probably the best nonfiction book I’ve read so far this year. And that’s saying something.
May 14, 2025
Part III, going through the lives and experiences of 6 speakers of different endangered languages, is really compelling and worth 5-stars on its own. Through each speaker/language you get not just linguistics, but also history, anthropology, psychology, you name it. Definitely left me with a deep appreciation for the ELA's work and greater curiosity about what languages might exist around me. I found part II, a kind of mixed history of linguistics and New York City, to be a real challenge, but that might be because I'm not as familiar with all the particular places and locales in NYC. Your mileage may vary with that, but part III alone makes this a worthwhile read.
October 26, 2024
As a polyglot and resident of New York,I found this book absolutely breathtaking.. I don’t think I have ever read anything with so much original research and details about languages, history and diverse communities of New York City and indeed the world,as the author has done research in the home communities of some of his informants.. This book she required reading for NYC politicians and teachers, it’s eye opening in ways you could never dream of..
in many ways it was the best book I have ever read, and I listened to the whole thing on audible on the app Hoopla, some chapters I listened to several times because they are so densely packed..
He should win multiple awards, although I don’t think the book is very well known..
in many ways it was the best book I have ever read, and I listened to the whole thing on audible on the app Hoopla, some chapters I listened to several times because they are so densely packed..
He should win multiple awards, although I don’t think the book is very well known..
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