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

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/do-you-really-know-452837/why-doesn-t-every-language-have-a-word-for-blue
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/do-you-really-know-452837/why-doesn-t-every-language-have-a-word-for-blue.md
Podcast: [Do you really know?](https://stenobird.com/podcast/do-you-really-know-452837)
Published: 2026-05-11T03:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://traffic.megaphone.fm/BABA2323155431.mp3
Audio file: https://traffic.megaphone.fm/BABA2323155431.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/do-you-really-know-452837/episodes/why-doesn-t-every-language-have-a-word-for-blue
Duration seconds: 343

## Resource

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

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