Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing

From grunts to grammar. The Irish 'after doing.' The winning NGD poem!

Mar 12, 2024

Explore the evolution of human language from ancient theories to modern complexities. Discover Irish-English calques and celebrate the winning NGD poem. Uncover language theories and sound symbolism, along with the impact of Irish on English and the origin of 'Brogue.' Dive into Leslie F. Miller's limerick about Hamlet and her background as a healthcare writer.

13:44

Creator website

Episode guests

Valerie Fridland

Leslie F. Miller

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Episode notes

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Human language evolution theories include humorous Bow Wow and Pooh Pooh theories from the 19th century.

Darwin proposed language evolution through sound imitation, while Max Mueller suggested language as a distinct human feature.

Deep dives

The Origins of Human Language in the 19th Century

In the 19th century, scientific discussions on the origins of human language led to humorous theories like the Bow Wow and Pooh Pooh theories. Darwin proposed that human language evolved through imitating sounds from the environment, leading to brain development and linguistic abilities. Max Mueller criticized Darwin's ideas and presented his own view that language was a distinct feature separating humans from animals.

Introduction

3min

Evolutionary Theories of Language Origins

3min

Evolution of Language Theories and Sound Symbolism

3min

Exploring Irish Linguistic Influence on English and the Origin of 'Brogue'

5min

National Grammar Day Poetry Contest Winner and Author Spotlight

3min

972. How did humans evolve from grunting ancestors to masters of language and poetry? This week, we explore fascinating theories on the origins of human language, including the laugh-inducing Bow-Wow and Pooh-Pooh theories. We also delve into Irish-English calques for St. Patrick's Day (and in response to a question from a Grammarpaloozian) and celebrate Leslie F. Miller's winning limerick from the National Grammar Day contest.

Miller works as a health care writer in Baltimore. She is the author of the nonfiction book "Let Me Eat Cake: A Celebration of Flour, Sugar, Butter, Eggs, Vanilla, Baking Powder, and Pinch of Salt," which is not about BAKING cake, but about EATING cake; a chapbook of "arty and electric" poems called "BoyGirlBoyGirl"; and a forthcoming full-length poetry book called "Words with Friends."

The "language theories" segment was written by Valerie Fridland, a professor of linguistics at the University of Nevada in Reno and the author of "Like Literally, Dude: Arguing for the Good in Bad English." You can find her at valeriefridland.com.

| Edited transcript with links: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/bow-wow-theory/transcript

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