Lexicon Valley
Lexicon Valley
A podcast about language, with hosts Mike Vuolo, Bob Garfield and John McWhorter.
Episodes
Mentioned books
May 12, 2020 • 58min
Our Indigenous Languages
A luxuriance of long words, baroque case endings and irregular everything—the Native American tongues!
Twitter: @lexiconvalley
Facebook: facebook.com/LexiconValley
Website: booksmartstudios.com/LexiconValley
Apr 28, 2020 • 43min
I Just Can't!
Host John McWhorter shares some of his longstanding language peeves—yes, linguists have them too!
Twitter: @lexiconvalley
Facebook: facebook.com/LexiconValley
Website: booksmartstudios.com/LexiconValley
Apr 14, 2020 • 39min
The Many Meanings of Too
Host John McWhorter finds linguistic inspiration in an 80-year-old musical performance of Rubber Dolly.
Twitter: @lexiconvalley
Facebook: facebook.com/LexiconValley
Website: booksmartstudios.com/LexiconValley
Mar 31, 2020 • 41min
Sicko, Whacko, Weirdo
The -o suffix traces back to old comic strip characters with names like Knocko and Groucho. Neato!
Twitter: @lexiconvalley
Facebook: facebook.com/LexiconValley
Website: booksmartstudios.com/LexiconValley
Mar 17, 2020 • 47min
Chinese Has No Grammar, Right? Wrong!
Mandarin might not have gender or case endings but there's more to grammar than conjugations.
Twitter: @lexiconvalley
Facebook: facebook.com/LexiconValley
Website: booksmartstudios.com/LexiconValley
Mar 4, 2020 • 47min
From Uptalk to Vocal Fry, Women Are Prolific Language Innovators
Want to hear what English will sound like in the future? Talk to a woman.
Twitter: @lexiconvalley
Facebook: facebook.com/LexiconValley
Website: booksmartstudios.com/LexiconValley
Feb 18, 2020 • 41min
In What Order Did Languages Arrive in Europe?
DNA analysis is revealing which speakers traveled where and when.
Twitter: @lexiconvalley
Facebook: facebook.com/LexiconValley
Website: booksmartstudios.com/LexiconValley
Feb 4, 2020 • 39min
Digging Up the Past
Let's talk about how we talk about that which already occurred.
Twitter: @lexiconvalley
Facebook: facebook.com/LexiconValley
Website: booksmartstudios.com/LexiconValley
Jan 21, 2020 • 38min
Verbs on the Move
Coming and going in languages around the world.
Twitter: @lexiconvalley
Facebook: facebook.com/LexiconValley
Website: booksmartstudios.com/LexiconValley
Jan 7, 2020 • 45min
Does PROCESSES Rhyme with KNEES?
How our idea of formality can affect the way we say certain words.
Twitter: @lexiconvalley
Facebook: facebook.com/LexiconValley
Website: booksmartstudios.com/LexiconValley
