Episode Notes
I see Spot. Subject-verb-object is the default word order for a typical sentence in English. It just makes sense that way. Or does it? Turns out that S-V-O, as linguists call it, is not the way all languages work. In fact, it’s not even the most common. John breaks it down.
Podcast production by Mike Vuolo.
Episode Notes
What can the single word
company tell us about the haphazard way that language often changes? For starters, we might not have that word in English at all if it weren’t for a single ancient text containing the Late Latin “companio” modeled after a Germanic word meaning “with bread” and used to denote a dining companion. Follow the fascinating twists and turns all the way to Sondheim!
Podcast production by Mike Vuolo.
Episode Notes
English has preserved bits and pieces of its long, tortuous history in various sounds, syllables, and even letters that lie concealed unless, of course, you know what you’re looking for. These fossilized remains, like flies frozen in amber, tell fascinating tales of language evolution and change.
Podcast production by Mike Vuolo.