Language City // Live from New Amsterdam

Recorded March 28, 2024
Four centuries ago, what had been a Lenape-speaking archipelago suddenly became New Amsterdam-a crossroads of Native American, European, and African cultures. Here, 18 languages were reported as being spoken within the first few decades, and the number is likely far greater. Join Ross Perlin, author of the new book "Language City: The Fight to Preserve Endangered Mother Tongues in New York," and Russell Shorto as they trace this history of language and how it set the template for the city’s extraordinary transformation into one of the most linguistically diverse cities in the world.
Ross Perlin is the author of Language City: The Fight to Preserve Endangered Mother Tongues in New York, out this February from Grove. He is co-director of the Endangered Language Alliance and teaches linguistics at Columbia.
Russell Shorto is the bestselling author of The Island at the Center of the World, Amsterdam, and Revolution Song. He is the director of the New Amsterdam Project at the New-York Historical Society.
Live From New Amsterdam is an ongoing series hosted by the New Netherland Institute and the New Amsterdam Project at the New-York Historical Society. Through vibrant conversations with scholars and historians, each program will investigate new and exciting research related to New Amsterdam, New Netherland, and the lasting legacies of Dutch rule in New York.
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