If there are pronouns, why aren’t there connouns? What’s the point of these little words?
In this episode of the podcast that’s enthusiastic about linguistics, your hosts Gretchen McCulloch and Lauren Gawne take a look at the many functions of pronouns. We discuss the vastly different pronoun systems in different languages, how you’d need to change English ... Show More
Nov 20
110: The history of the history of Indo-European - Interview with Danny Bate
Before there was English, or Latin, or Czech, or Hindi, there was a language that they all have in common, which we call Proto-Indo-European. Linguists have long been fascinated by the quest to get a glimpse into what Proto-Indo-European must have looked like through careful comp ... Show More
1 h
May 2024
How Can We Be More Effective With Language?
Have you ever wondered what’s up with double negation, the history of gender neutral pronouns, or why swearing is taboo? Then get ready for this week’s guest, linguist Anne Curzan! Anne and Jonathan talk about how the English language has evolved since the 1300s and how our words ... Show More
53m 20s
Sep 2021
How Do You Pronounce 'Tomato'? Why Is 'Chiropractic' Singular. Fish.
<p>In the world of great debates, there is one that has been long enduring and still keeps language prescriptivists awake at night: Is it "tom-ay-to" or "tom-ah-to"? Now, this may not seem as pressing as whether nuclear fusion is possible, but to people in the linguistic trenche ... Show More
11m 35s
Aug 2023
The wonders of the 'a-' prefix in English. 'Personal' versus 'personnel.'
<p>942. We’re diving deep into the chameleon-like nature of the "a-" prefix, tracing its journey from Latin, where it often started out as "ad-," to its function as a preposition in French, and its transformative role in Greek that gifts English words like "atypical" and "asymmet ... Show More
18m 50s
Feb 2024
The ULTIMATE French Pronunciation Podcast / How we ACTUALLY say "NOUS"?
Send us a textEPISODE 4:Welcome back to another episode of our linguistic journey, examining the intricacies of French that no classroom will teach you. Today, we're diving into the nuanced world of "Nous" and "On." These pronouns may seem interchangeable at a glance, but they ca ... Show More
26m 30s
Jul 2023
147.2 - 10 Words a Day: German Words in English (11-20)
This is part two of a very special story about my dear friend, Nina, who is from Germany. In the story of our friendship, which I'll wrap up in the this episode, you'll learn 10+ German loanwords in English. A loanword is a words borrowed from a foreign language.American English ... Show More
31m 19s
Oct 2022
Wick-ED Fun Pronunciations. Deviled Eggs.
<p>896. If you've ever wondered why we pronounce the "-ed" at the end of "wicked" (and "jagged," "beloved" and more), but don't at the end of words like "aggrieved," this show is for you! You'll also discover why "wicked" is different from "naked" and what's weird about the phras ... Show More
15m 15s