Best Historical Linguistics Podcasts (2024)

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Podcast episode 39: Interview with Ingrid Piller on Life in a New Language 26:10

6d ago26:10

26:10

In this interview, we talk to Ingrid Piller about her forthcoming co-authored book Life in a New Language. Download | Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts References for Episode 38 Kachru, Braj B. 1985. ‘Standards, codification and sociolinguistic realism: The English language in the outer circle’, in English in the world: Teaching and learni…

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Romansh and Emma Gledhill 39:57

8d ago39:57

39:57

For episode 22, we're travelling high into the Alps, to join linguist and translator Emma Gledhill in the Graubünden/Grisons canton of Switzerland. Emma's chosen language is Romansh, the distinct Romance language of the region that, despite its endangered and disunited state, nonetheless holds the status of one of Switzerland's four official langua…

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38. English Breakfast 14:28

8d ago14:28

14:28

In this episode, we get into the history of the Full English Breakfast, a dish that took shape around the 18th century. Explore the etymological origins of its essential components such as sausages, eggs, bacon, black pudding and baked beans. Uncover the intriguing story of why tomatoes were once known as 'love apples'. Additionally, discover the c…

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37. Phobias 14:46

16d ago14:46

14:46

In this episode, we delve into the world of phobias, uncovering the etymological origins behind words associated with deep-seated fears. Explore the roots of well-known phobias like arachnophobia, acrophobia and claustrophobia, as well as the lesser-known oenophobia, the fear of wine. Additionally, we explore the linguistic origins of glossophobia,…

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Catalan and Alba Clopés and Joey Barber 42:29

21d ago42:29

42:29

For episode 21, ALILI becomes A Language We Love Is, as two guests, Alba Clopés and Joey Barber, join me to chat Catalan. Our conversation ranges from its Latin origins to ongoing efforts to build up popular usage of the language. Through the phonology, orthography, morphology, history and sociolinguistics of Catalan, you can see why Alba and Joey …

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36. Family Members 15:00

23d ago15:00

15:00

In this episode, we explore the evolution of family member terminology, unravelling the origins of words such as mother, brother, nephew and cousin in English. Many of these familial designations have undergone significant changes over time; for instance, the term "niece" once referred to a granddaughter. Discover when terms like "co-parent", "glam…

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35. Cocktails 15:30

30d ago15:30

15:30

This time, we're delving into the origins of famous cocktail drinks and uncovering the intriguing stories behind their names. The Bloody Mary, for instance, is rumoured to be named after a theatre production, while the name Mai Tai is thought to translate to 'good' or 'best'. The term "cocktail" itself has a mysterious origin, with some speculating…

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Podcast episode 38: Interview with Dan Everett on C.S. Peirce and Peircean linguistics 23:47

1M ago23:47

23:47

In this interview, we talk to Dan Everett about the life and work of the American pragmatist philosopher Charles Sanders Peirce and Everett’s application of Peirce’s ideas to create a Peircean linguistics. Download | Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts References for Episode 38 Cole, David. 2023. “The Chinese Room Argument”, The Stanford Enc…

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P'urhepecha and Kate Bellamy 42:20

1M ago42:20

42:20

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34. Spring 14:08

1M ago14:08

14:08

This episode looks at words of the spring season. The month of March is named after the Roman god of war Mars, and the month of May was once known as 'the month of three milks'. As for the term 'spring clean', various theories exist to explain why this season is so connected to tidying. Delve into the etymological roots of springtime British vegeta…

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Kashmiri and Sāmapriẏa Basu 50:22

2M ago50:22

50:22

Episode 19 sees the show's first returning guest, as the maestro of Indo-Iranian languages, Dr. Sāmapriẏa Basu, joins me again, this time to introduce Kashmiri. Beginning with its geographical and political situation, our conversation explores the many distinct features of Kashmiri that, for Sāmapriẏa, make it a 'linguist's language'. Sample of spo…

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33. Pregnancy 14:01

2M ago14:01

14:01

This episode uncovers the linguistic roots behind words associated with pregnancy and childbirth. For some generations the word pregnant is considered taboo which is why phrases like 'with child' and 'in the family way' emerged. Discover how the placenta's name harks back to an ancient cake, and how the umbilical cord derives its name from the Lati…

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32. Names: B 13:44

2M ago13:44

13:44

In this episode, we delve into the meanings and etymology of names commencing with the letter 'B'. Unravel the intriguing connections as Barbara's roots intertwine with the word 'barbarian', and find out why Bridget is responsible for the term 'old biddy'. Despite their similar sound, Brendan and Brenda boast distinct etymological origins. Addition…

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Biblical Hebrew and Benjamin Suchard 49:43

2M ago49:43

49:43

The third episode of this second series is a Biblical bonanza, as Dr Benjamin Suchard comes on the show to introduce the linguistic world of Biblical Hebrew. We discuss the language's history, its family tree, its layer of loanwords and external influences, and how human this holy language can be. Benjamin's website: ⁠https://bnuyaminim.wordpress.c…

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31. Sports 14:23

2M ago14:23

14:23

This episode delves into the origins of sports names, embarking on a journey that begins with the intertwined history of Football, Rugby and Soccer. Explore the linguistic roots behind the names of sports like Pickleball, Tennis and Golf. The equestrian sport of Polo, brought to England by tea planters returning from India, finds its origins in Per…

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Podcast episode 37: Interview with Michael Lynch on conversation analysis and ethnomethodology 27:22

2M ago27:22

27:22

In this interview, we talk to Michael Lynch about the history of conversation analysis and its connections to ethnomethodology. Download | Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts References for Episode 37 Button, Graham, Michael Lynch and Wes Sharrock (2022) Ethnomethodology, Conversation Analysis and Constructive Analysis: On Formal Structures …

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Bulgarian and Leonid Motz 49:07

2M ago49:07

49:07

Episode 17 of ALILI is a linguistic and historical voyage into the Bulgarian language, as Vienna's Leonid Motz guides us through the language's many ingredients, far-reaching connections, and membership of the Balkan Sprachbund. To hear more from Leonid: His Twitter: ⁠https://twitter.com/ulaantenger⁠ His podcasting performance with Jeremy Bradley: …

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30. Stereotypes 13:38

2M ago13:38

13:38

This episode delves into the intricate world of stereotypes, uncovering the historical evolution of names such as Karen, Keisha and Chad. Gain an understanding of the stereotypes associated with these names and explore their origins. Trace the linguistic journeys that introduced terms like prejudice, bias and stereotype into the English language. A…

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Mari and Jeremy Bradley 52:25

3M ago52:25

52:25

ALILI is back for a second series! Here's episode 16 with Jeremy Bradley, who takes us on a journey into the Mari language. This is a linguistic tour de force, surely the episode that mentions and discusses the most languages, from Estonian to Indonesian. Jeremy's Twitter: ⁠https://twitter.com/Chi_con_carnage⁠ The Mari website: ⁠https://mari-langua…

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29. Fine Dining 14:09

3M ago14:09

14:09

This time we're exploring the language of fine dining. Unravel the linguistic origins behind terms such as "foie gras", where "gras" means fat and traces back to a Latin word which is also the root of the word "grease". Discover the etymology of words like "restaurant", "a la carte", "flambé", and "sous vide", and delve into the link between Michel…

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28. Valentine's Day 13:57

3M ago13:57

13:57

This episode investigates the history of words associated with love and romance. Delve into the theory surrounding the inception of Valentine's Day and uncover the connection between the term 'darling' and the concept of being expensive. Explore the reason why red roses are linked to love, and unravel theories behind the term 'French kiss' for an i…

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27. Names: Nominative Determinism 15:28

3M ago15:28

15:28

In this episode, we explore the intriguing correlation between people's names and their professions. Usain Bolt, the Jamaican sprinter renowned for his speed, aptly carries the surname "Bolt". Weather presenters Amy Freeze and Sara Blizzard have last names that embody the essence of their forecasts, while the founder of a major financial company ap…

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26. Business 15:41

3M ago15:41

15:41

This time we're looking at the etymological origins of business terms, from the Ancient Greek origins of the words monopoly and duopoly, to the words describing the leader of a business such as 'entrepreneur', 'founder', 'director' and 'boss'. This episode also strips back the word 'company' to the root Latin word for bread and explores the name an…

1
25. Chocolate Bars 15:19

4M ago15:19

15:19

This time, indulge in a delectable episode tracing the name roots of chocolate bars beloved in Britain and America. Discover the fascinating history behind these confectionery delights, learning when they first graced shelves. The Snickers is named after a Mars family horse and its former UK name has ties to a vegetable. This episode also delves in…

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24. Crime 15:48

4M ago15:48

15:48

This episode peels back the layers of criminal language, exposing the etymology behind words linked to true crime. Journey through the linguistic roots of terms like detective, suspect, forensic and motive. The word landscape of taking without permission is explored with words like loot, shoplifting, theft and burglary, as are words of mortality li…

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23. Positivity 14:31

4M ago14:31

14:31

This time we're diving into positivity, dissecting the origins of uplifting words like resolution, goal, determined and aspiration. Delve into the history behind 'turn over a new leaf' and origin theories surrounding 'bite the bullet.' Also explored are the words ambition, self improvement and persevere.…

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Lessons on Language with the Grammar Girl (Mignon Fogerty) 31:45

4M ago31:45

31:45

In this episode, Ray chats with Mignon Fogerty, aka the Grammar Girl. "Good grammar" may seem like the epitome of prescriptivism, but when it comes to her "Quick and Dirty Tips", Mignon leans on a more ideologically neutral approach. Might you even call "good grammar" ... a style choice?

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22. Names: Christmas 15:34

5M ago15:34

15:34

This episode unwraps the enchanting origins and meanings of Christmassy names. Discover the history behind names like Holly, Noel, Carol and even Jesus. Rudolph may be a famous deer but his name translates to 'famous wolf'. Explore the connection between Nicholas and Santa Claus, and delve into the festive names of Ivy, Joseph, Gabriel and Mary, wh…

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Old Irish and Danny Bate 48:25

5M ago48:25

48:25

It's episode 15 and the finale of the first series of ALILI! To mark the occasion, the tables have been turned and your usual host now finds himself on the receiving end of the format he created, as Krishnan Ram-Prasad rejoins the show to interview me about the amazing Old Irish language. We dive into what this language is, who spoke it, who wrote …

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21. Winter 14:33

5M ago14:33

14:33

This episode ventures into the wintry realm, unravelling the origins of words that paint the chilly landscape of December, January and February, from the linguistic evolution of winter clothing like jumpers, or sweaters as they're better known in America, to the history of the beloved warming 'hot chocolate' and 'mulled wine' beverages. Also explor…

1
20. Streets 14:03

5M ago14:03

14:03

This episode takes a look at street names, starting with suffixes we use for streets such as road, avenue, crescent and the ubiquitous street itself. Interesting history is uncovered by exploring the name origins of famous London streets Downing Street, Oxford Street and Abbey Road, as well as Birmingham's Broad Street. Also explored are the etymol…

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Podcast housekeeping December 2023 1:13

5M ago1:13

1:13

In this brief audio clip, we provide an update on what’s been happening with the podcast – and what’s coming up. Download | Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts McElvenny, James. 2024. A History of Modern Linguistics: From the Beginnings to World War II. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. Entry in the Edinburgh University Press catalogue…

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Tigrinya and Gioia Cacchioli 37:12

5M ago37:12

37:12

It's time for the fourteenth and penultimate episode of the first series of ALILI, in which Gioia Cacchioli joins me to talk about Tigrinya, a Semitic and syntactically striking language of eastern Africa. Gioia introduces the language, its family tree, its word-building, its use of the Ge'ez script, and how she came to love Tigrinya. Here's Gioia'…

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19. Pets 14:28

6M ago14:28

14:28

This episode exposes theories behind the origins of what we call pets. While 'cat' has its roots in the Old English 'catte' and 'dog' in 'docga,' the origins of 'guinea pig' and 'budgerigar' remain shrouded in mystery. Also explored are the meanings of the UK's favourite pet names including Luna, Milo, Lola, Bella and Simba, and a theory behind the…

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Welsh and Victoria Noble 42:22

6M ago42:22

42:22

Here's episode 13 and it's all about Welsh! Victoria Noble, a PhD researcher in the semantics of Welsh and Arabic, joins me to share her enthusiasm and admiration for the Welsh language, discussing both its cool linguistic features and the difficult details of its history. Note from Victoria: the annual population survey mentioned at 8:02 is from 2…

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18. Social Media 14:04

6M ago14:04

14:04

This episode explores the roots of social media terminology. Find out why influencer and influenza sound so alike, and listen on to learn the origins of the words such as like, tag, post, meme and the term 'social media' itself. Learn what trolling has to do with fishing, and what blocking has to do with a log of wood.…

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Czech and Radek Šimík 41:48

6M ago41:48

41:48

For episode 12, I popped along to Charles University in Prague, to interview Dr Radek Šimík, a linguist, lecturer and researcher there, and to talk all about the local language: Czech. The topics ranged from the history of Czech and its dialects, to the influences of German and a special bit of syntax, which made for a great discussion. You can fin…

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17. Cancer 14:27

6M ago14:27

14:27

This episode delves into the origins of words intertwined with cancer, from oncology to chemotherapy, tumour and remission. Also explored are the name meanings and legacies of individuals who have made significant contributions to cancer research, such as Jane C. Wright, Richard Doll and Austin Bradford Hill.…

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16. Names: A 14:58

6M ago14:58

14:58

This episode reveals the name meanings and origins of given names beginning with A including Amy, Angela, Archibald and Adam. We delve into the Ancient Greek anēr which means man, and can be found in the name Andrew, and in the 'ander' of Alexander, and Achilles, Athena and Aphrodite, three iconic figures from Greek mythology that have left their m…

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Lithuanian and Francis Young 43:30

6M ago43:30

43:30

Episode 11 of ALILI sees us back beside the Baltic Sea, where Dr Francis Young guides us into the story of Lithuania and the Lithuanian language. Francis discusses both history and prehistory in detail, and joyously shares some rather wrong ideas that people have held about the origin of this Indo-European language. To learn more from Francis, here…

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15. Dating 14:53

6M ago14:53

14:53

This episode takes a look at the etymologies of dating lingo. From modern terms such as ghosting, orbiting and catfishing, to the rather old-fashion synonym for dating 'courting'. Find out the name meanings behind dating app names Tinder and Grindr, and when the word 'date' first picked up its meaning in relation to two people seeing each other rom…

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Persian and Alexander Jabbari 36:59

7M ago36:59

36:59

ALILI has made it to ten episodes, and this tenth instalment is a suitably sensational journey into the linguistic and cultural cosmos of Persian. Alexander Jabbari joins me to talk about this influential language, and demonstrate why Persian is a hugely important yet surprisingly accessible global tongue. Alexander's ⁠website⁠ and ⁠Twitter⁠. Host:…

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14. Cosmetic Procedures 14:12

7M ago14:12

14:12

This episode delves into the history of words related to cosmetic surgery and procedures. Botox can be traced back to poisonous sausages, collagen goes back to an ancient word meaning glue and veneer comes from the same root as the word furniture. Also unearthed in this episode are the etymologies of the words aesthetic, liposuction and rhinoplasty…

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Mexican Spanish and Gilly Marchini 41:42

7M ago41:42

41:42

Episode 9 is here and it's all about Mexico! The wonderful Gilly Marchini, a PhD researcher at Edinburgh, guide us into the linguistic landscape of Mexico and its particular variety of Spanish, and into the practice of linguistic fieldwork and documentation. Gilly's passion and principles combine to make for a fun and fascinating look at Mexican Sp…

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13. Culture War Slurs 14:47

7M ago14:47

14:47

This episode looks at culture war slurs such as woke, gammon and snowflake, exploring the origins of their use in political commentary and the roots of the words in the English language. Listen on to find out who is credited with the controversial phrase 'pale, male and stale' and what the term 'loony left' has to do with the moon.…

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Medieval Latin and Charles Roe 39:58

7M ago39:58

39:58

For the eighth episode of A Language I Love Is..., Charles Roe joins me to introduce into the linguistic world of Latin in the Middle Ages. Charles offers a great example of how a particular language is often not defined linguistically, and demonstrates how Latin after Rome was anything but a dead language. Host: Danny Bate Guest: Dr. Charles Roe M…

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12. Sustainability 14:02

7M ago14:02

14:02

This episode is all about words related to sustainability, looking at the origins of words like climate, environment, eco and carbon. Find out where the 'denier' in climate denier comes from and why the word 'zealot', as in an eco zealot, is related to jealousy.By Leon Bailey-Green

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11. Contradicting Meanings 15:09

7M ago15:09

15:09

This episode delves into words with double meanings. From words with contradictory meanings, to those that have had their meanings change over decades and centuries. To 'dust' can mean to wipe fine particles away, or to sprinkle them, and 'sanction' can mean to allow or to restrict. Just like the word 'sick', the word 'bad' can, in some contexts, m…

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Podcast episode 36: Interview with Ghil‘ad Zuckermann on revivalistics 30:04

7M ago30:04

30:04

In this interview, we talk to Ghil‘ad Zuckermann about language reclamation and revival in Australia and around the world. Download | Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts References for Episode 36 The Barngarla trinity: people, language, land. The Barngarla trilogy: (1) Barngarlidhi Manoo (‘Speaking Barngarla Together’): Barngarla Alphabet & …

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