Here are some of our favourite words and phrases that the BBC encountered during in our reporting this year that helped to unravel the changes taking place in world around us.

From words that capture a reindeer’s search for food in the Arctic, to new expressions that convey the nuances of climate change around the world, this year we’ve explored how languages can help our minds travel and take us deep into other cultures. We’ve learned about twins inventing secret languages, and researchers discovering long-lost scripts from ancient trade routes. We picked up an Amish word for subtle food cravings, and heard how Antarctic researchers develop their own slang during their long, dark months of isolation.
There are thousands of languages in the world, and new ones keep being discovered, including lost scripts from the ancient past. But according to the Living Tongues Institute for Endangered Languages, over 3,000 languages are now endangered and at risk of disappearing. Learning, speaking and enjoying them can, however, help to keep them alive for ourselves and future generations. Here are some of the most intriguing expressions we learned from languages around the world during our reporting in 2024. They are listed in alphabetical order – click on each word to read the full story behind it:

Supporters of President-elect Donald Trump clashed online over a visa programme intended to bring skilled workers to the US – showing possible cracks in the upcoming administration.
Vivek Ramaswamy, tapped by Trump to slash government spending, claimed American culture is to blame for US firms deciding to hire skilled foreign workers, which is typically done via the H-1B temporary worker visas.
“Our American culture has venerated mediocrity over excellence,” Ramaswamy wrote in a long X post that argued that foreign workers improve the the US economy.
The post attracted backlash from Trump supporters who are strongly opposed to immigration of any sort, causing Ramaswamy to clarify his position.

Listen to Theo read this story
This has been a miserable year for Boeing. Not only has it struggled to cope with a safety and quality control crisis, it has lost billions of dollars following a strike by workers that paralysed production at two of its biggest factories.

Even its space programme has been in trouble. Two astronauts were left stranded on the International Space Station in June after their Boeing Starliner capsule developed a potential fault, which would have made returning to Earth in it too dangerous.
On top of all this, the company faces a crisis of confidence from within its own ranks, says Bjorn Fehrm, an aeronautical and economic analyst at industry consultants Leeham Company.