Lexicon Valley is a show about language, from pet peeves, syntax, and etymology to neurolinguistics and the death of languages. Hosted by linguist John McWhorter.
http://www.slate.com/lexiconvalley
Gesamtlänge aller Episoden: 5 days 10 hours 15 minutes
recommended podcasts
Wallowing in Negativity
From the evolution of ain't to double negatives, simply saying no is wonderfully complex.
Fossil Hunting in English
Our language contains a trove of buried clues, petrified remnants of its past. But you have to know where to dig.
Why Do Languages Have Gender?
Lots of languages divide words into categories, like male and female. How does that happen?
Forgetting Your Roots
Words have a way of rebelling against their etymological parents, acquiring meanings of their own.
Future English Speaker, Can You Read Me?
That language changes is certain. How quickly or slowly is another matter.
Getting Got
The story of how one little verb developed a seemingly endless capacity to absorb new meanings.
On the Origin of English
A controversial theory holds that English, along with other Germanic languages, was profoundly influenced early on by Phoenician. The evidence is intriguing.
White Author, Black English. Problem?
Mark Twain famously depicted what he called the "Missouri Negro dialect" of Jim. Would that be acceptable today?
Do Cats Have Language?
Animals bark, sing, purr and even gesture, all fascinating but a far cry from human communication.