The History of English Podcast

This podcast explores the emergence of romantic literature in English in the late 1200s, focusing on the oldest surviving English romance poem called King Horn. It also discusses the linguistic developments revealed in the poem and the evolution of words like 'boy' and 'girl' in the English language. Additionally, it explores the story of Horn, the discovery of the oldest love song in English, and the association between birds and women in Middle English poetry.

Explore the movement of people and money in the 13th century, the origins of markets and fairs, the influence of trade and commerce on English society, the fear and dominance of the Mongols, their invention of fast food, the evolution of the word 'horde', Kublai Khan and the Mongol Empire, and the use of paper money by the Mongols.

Explore the rebirth of English writing in the mid-1200s, the evolution of language in religious texts, the origins of the word 'parlor', the first Great Council meeting and tax negotiations, the importance of honor and loyalty in King Henry's letter, Simon de Montfort and the emergence of parliament, and the development of parliament and the role of language.

Discover the birth of the Medieval book trade and the shift from monks to craftsmen in producing books. Explore innovations in medieval bookmaking, including the creation of the first mass-produced book in Europe, the portable handheld Bible. Delve into the use of red and black ink in manuscripts and the evolution of 'letter' in the English language. Learn about the origins of the colors yellow and gold in Old English and their connection to illuminated letters.

This podcast explores the changing nature of suffixes in early middle English, discussing common suffixes in old and middle English as well as new suffixes borrowed from Latin and French. It also delves into the decline and survival of old English suffixes in modern English, the origins and meanings of various old English suffixes, and the evolution of suffixes like 'ness', 'ity', 'ion', and 'ment' in the English language.

Exploring the borrowing of words from French and Latin in English during the 1200s, the emergence of new prefixes and suffixes in the Ancrenoisa text, creating new words with prefixes and suffixes, the use of 'yer' prefix in Old English and German, the usage of Old English prefixes in modern English, the evolution of English prefixes during the Middle Ages, and the introduction and adoption of prefixes in Early Middle English.

This podcast explores the rise of anchorites in the 13th century, the evolution of monasteries in England and Europe, and the manual 'An Krena Wiesa'. It also discusses the Corpus version manuscript, the role of rules, new words related to Christianity in Ankrenoisa, and the origins and meanings of various words.

Explore the coexistence of English and French in Medieval manuscripts, the evolution of glossaries, the glossing of French bird names, the evolution of the word 'spell', the development of spelling and grammar, and the impact of the Norman Conquest on the English language.

This podcast discusses the origins of English folk songs, including the oldest surviving songs composed in English. It explores the connection between the legend of Robin Hood and English folk songs. The episode also looks at the role of song in preserving the English language and the development of Gregorian chant. It delves into Anglo-Saxon musical instruments and secular music, as well as the interpretation of words in an Old English song.

The 100th episode of the podcast explores major consonant sound changes in English, discussing their impact on loanwords and native words. It also highlights the support on Patreon, upcoming bonus episodes, the period of Early Middle English, and the transformation of Old English. The podcast delves into the development of English accents, sound changes in Germanic and Latin, the shift of Y and W sounds in Latin, and the evolution of sounds in Old English and Early French.