NPR's Book of the Day ‘Friends with Words’ is a book about language, from word origins to regional dialects
Sep 3, 2025
Martha Barnette, co-host of 'A Way with Words' and author of 'Friends with Words', dives into the fascinating world of language. She shares her journey sparked by a curious 'spark word' and highlights quirky etymologies. Instead of grammatical rants, Martha celebrates regional dialects and explores agricultural roots of words like 'broadcasting'. She discusses the mellifluous nature of language and even delves into societal dislikes, like the word 'moist', enriching listeners' appreciation for the magic within our daily vocabulary.
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Language Beyond Grammar Police
- Barnette argues that griping about grammar is the least interesting way to talk about language.
- She prefers exploring word origins, dialects, slang, and family expressions to reveal culture and history.
Spark Word That Started It All
- Martha Barnette describes a ninth-grade "spark word" that launched her love of etymology.
- She traced procrastinate to Latin cras, which means "tomorrow," and dove into word histories from there.
Learn Classics To See Language Connections
- Study related languages to gain a bird's-eye view of language families.
- Barnette recommends learning classical languages and comparative patterns to see deep connections.
