The History of English Podcast

A look at words used by the original Indo-Europeans and the clues such words provide to the identity of the first Indo-Europeans.  The etymology of modern English words is explored in relation to the original Indo-European words. TRANSCRIPT: EPISODE 6

A look at the early division of the Indo-European languages into the Centum and Satem languages.  The sound shift which marks the division of the Centum and Satem languages is then explored in the context of the modern English letter ‘C’. The history of the letter C is presented from its Greek origins to its modern usage. TRANSCRIPT: EPISODE 5

The famous fairy-tale collector Jacob Grimm formulated the rules which help modern linguists reconstruct the ancient Indo-European language.  In this episode, we look at Grimm’s Law and how the Germanic languages evolved from the original ancestral language. TRANSCRIPT: EPISODE 4

A look at the family tree of Indo-European languages and the relationship of English to those related languages. The closest relatives of English are highlighted, including the Germanic languages, Latin and Greek. We explore the background of English from the first Indo-Europeans to the first Anglo-Saxons in Britain. TRANSCRIPT: EPISODE 3 Click Map for Larger Image

The story of the discovery of the ancient language which gave rise to most of the languages of Europe, including English. TRANSCRIPT: EPISODE 2

In this introductory episode, we look at the emergence of English as a global language and the evolution of the language from its Germanic origins. TRANSCRIPT