Lexicon Valley
Lexicon Valley
A podcast about language, with hosts Mike Vuolo, Bob Garfield and John McWhorter.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Feb 16, 2021 • 42min
Wallowing in Negativity
From the evolution of ain't to double negatives, simply saying no is wonderfully complex.
Twitter: @lexiconvalley
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Website: booksmartstudios.com/LexiconValley
Feb 2, 2021 • 42min
Fossil Hunting in English
Our language contains a trove of buried clues, petrified remnants of its past. But you have to know where to dig.
Twitter: @lexiconvalley
Facebook: facebook.com/LexiconValley
Website: booksmartstudios.com/LexiconValley
Jan 19, 2021 • 52min
Why Do Languages Have Gender?
Lots of languages divide words into categories, like male and female. How does that happen?
Twitter: @lexiconvalley
Facebook: facebook.com/LexiconValley
Website: booksmartstudios.com/LexiconValley
Jan 5, 2021 • 55min
Forgetting Your Roots
Words have a way of rebelling against their etymological parents, acquiring meanings of their own.
Twitter: @lexiconvalley
Facebook: facebook.com/LexiconValley
Website: booksmartstudios.com/LexiconValley
Dec 22, 2020 • 1h 2min
Future English Speaker, Can You Read Me?
That language changes is certain. How quickly or slowly is another matter.
Twitter: @lexiconvalley
Facebook: facebook.com/LexiconValley
Website: booksmartstudios.com/LexiconValley
Dec 8, 2020 • 41min
Getting Got
The story of how one little verb developed a seemingly endless capacity to absorb new meanings.
Twitter: @lexiconvalley
Facebook: facebook.com/LexiconValley
Website: booksmartstudios.com/LexiconValley
Nov 24, 2020 • 58min
On the Origin of English
A controversial theory holds that English, along with other Germanic languages, was profoundly influenced early on by Phoenician. The evidence is intriguing.
Twitter: @lexiconvalley
Facebook: facebook.com/LexiconValley
Website: booksmartstudios.com/LexiconValley
Nov 10, 2020 • 53min
White Author, Black English. Problem?
Mark Twain famously depicted what he called the "Missouri Negro dialect" of Jim. Would that be acceptable today?
Twitter: @lexiconvalley
Facebook: facebook.com/LexiconValley
Website: booksmartstudios.com/LexiconValley
Oct 27, 2020 • 59min
Do Cats Have Language?
Animals bark, sing, purr and even gesture, all fascinating but a far cry from human communication.
Twitter: @lexiconvalley
Facebook: facebook.com/LexiconValley
Website: booksmartstudios.com/LexiconValley
Oct 13, 2020 • 37min
Sergeant, Corporal, Colonel!
Peculiar linguistic tales of America's soldiers.
Twitter: @lexiconvalley
Facebook: facebook.com/LexiconValley
Website: booksmartstudios.com/LexiconValley
