Even before the age of one, most people can formulate a word or two, and once a language is mastered, the possibilities to express almost anything are endless. Words can cause fights, change history, or make us feel love.

Language is man's unique way of expressing himself and communicating. It is a tool in constant change. And right now, in some cases, it can seem as if the language is exploding. Oral culture is invading the written language, a number of languages ​​are disappearing, and technology means that more and more people are talking and writing, but is anyone reading and listening?

The role of language in our thinking and who we are is becoming increasingly apparent. It can be seen in the research on grammar, cognition and culture. This is one reason why the Riksbanken Jubileumsfond has chosen words as the theme for a new series of booklets. All booklets are based on language development and the latest research.

In the first booklet, Jenny Björkman and Patrik Hadenius begin by describing some of the changes in language and linguistic culture that we can see right now. It's not just about emojis and new creative ways of spelling, but about a larger linguistic climate change.

In the second booklet, Jenny Larsson, professor of Baltic languages, writes about how language can be a key to our human origins. Through interdisciplinary research, bringing modern archaeogenetics and linguistics together, researchers have managed to understand more about the early humans and what they might have been talking about.

These booklets are the first two in a suite that will be collected in a "box" during the year. The texts are based on research financed by the Riksbanken Jubileumsfond. The researchers also take part in UR's new series Conversations about language, where they, together with other linguists, historians and psychologists, discuss the topics covered in the booklets.