From "mama" to "banana": Words that are understood in every language

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Handpicked from our Blog for you• Jun 6, 2026

The universal language From "mama" to "banana": Words that are understood in every language 6 min. Learning languages is hard. But, fortunately, some terms rooted in daily universal experiences don't change much when crossing borders. If you say "mama, "papa," "taxi," or "banana," anywhere in the world, they’ll recognize those nouns immediately —even if the context provided is entirely blurry. The question is: Why did these words barely change over time and across different languages? Let’s explore the stories behind the most spoken words on the planet. Read full article

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