This hour we investigate the ways words change when they enter our discourse and how they acquire new meanings, or sometimes even lose their meanings.

We look at specific examples, discuss how the internet is influencing language, and learn about how dictionaries interact with the evolving nature of words.

GUESTS:

Sylvia Sierra: A linguist and the author of Millennials Talking Media: Creating Intertextual Identities in Everyday Conversation
Peter Sokolowski: Editor-at-large at Merriam-Webster and co-host of the Word Matters podcast
Kory Stamper: A lexicographer and the author of Word by Word: The Secret Life of Dictionaries

The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!

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Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired May 16, 2022.

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What’s in a word? A look at the ways words change