A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all over cover image

Niblings and Nieflings (Rebroadcast) - 8 January 2024

A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all over

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Origins of the Word 'Laraben'

The hosts receive a call from Robert who asks about a word he used to hear a lot while traveling with a gospel quartet in the southern United States. He mentions that whenever they had a meal that was especially good, his group would say that the meal was 'laraben'. Robert is curious about the origin of this word and how it became popular in Alabama but seemingly nowhere else. The hosts discuss the regional distribution of the word and mention that it is more commonly used in places like Texas and Oklahoma.

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