Lexicon Valley
Lexicon Valley
A podcast about language, with hosts Mike Vuolo, Bob Garfield and John McWhorter.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Aug 6, 2019 • 39min
Language vs. Dialect
The difference between a language and a dialect is mostly meaningless and entirely political.
Twitter: @lexiconvalley
Facebook: facebook.com/LexiconValley
Website: booksmartstudios.com/LexiconValley
Jul 23, 2019 • 36min
The Internet Loves the Exclamation Point!!
A conversation with linguist Gretchen McCulloch about her new book, Because Internet.
Twitter: @lexiconvalley
Facebook: facebook.com/LexiconValley
Website: booksmartstudios.com/LexiconValley
Jul 9, 2019 • 44min
Why Is "Ph" Pronounced That Way?
Why is ph pronounced that way? The answer is positively phantastic.
Twitter: @lexiconvalley
Facebook: facebook.com/LexiconValley
Website: booksmartstudios.com/LexiconValley
Jun 25, 2019 • 45min
Does Language Affect Thought?
We revisit the popular notion that our language helps shapes our worldview.
Twitter: @lexiconvalley
Facebook: facebook.com/LexiconValley
Website: booksmartstudios.com/LexiconValley
Jun 11, 2019 • 36min
A Fleeting Glance
The word transient reveals some enduring patterns in English pronunciation and etymology.
Twitter: @lexiconvalley
Facebook: facebook.com/LexiconValley
Website: booksmartstudios.com/LexiconValley
May 28, 2019 • 41min
The Romance Languages
What an ancient, undecipherable manuscript says—and doesn't say—about Latin and its spawn.
Twitter: @lexiconvalley
Facebook: facebook.com/LexiconValley
Website: booksmartstudios.com/LexiconValley
May 14, 2019 • 45min
Why Do Some Americans Say Warshed?
The letter R has a habit of intruding on spoken English. How come?
Twitter: @lexiconvalley
Facebook: facebook.com/LexiconValley
Website: booksmartstudios.com/LexiconValley
Apr 29, 2019 • 44min
Flores Man vs. Sulawesi
A linguistic mystery in the Lesser Sunda Islands.
Twitter: @lexiconvalley
Facebook: facebook.com/LexiconValley
Website: booksmartstudios.com/LexiconValley
Apr 16, 2019 • 33min
The Lingua Francas
A conversation with Gaston Dorren, author of Babel: Around the World in Twenty Languages.
Twitter: @lexiconvalley
Facebook: facebook.com/LexiconValley
Website: booksmartstudios.com/LexiconValley
Apr 2, 2019 • 42min
Can Climate Influence Language?
Tonal languages evolved mostly in hot and humid places. What would explain that?
Twitter: @lexiconvalley
Facebook: facebook.com/LexiconValley
Website: booksmartstudios.com/LexiconValley
