Words for Granted - An etymology and linguistics podcast
164 episodes - English - Latest episode: 4 months ago - ★★★★★ - 220 ratingsWords for Granted is a podcast that looks at how words change over time. Host Ray Belli uses linguistic evolution as a way of understanding larger historical and cultural changes.
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Episodes
Lessons on Language with the Grammar Girl (Mignon Fogerty)
January 02, 2024 02:02 - 31 minutes - 29.1 MBIn 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?
The Marvels of Translation: Interview with Keith Khan-Harris
July 08, 2023 03:37 - 37 minutes - 34.6 MBWhat can we learn about the nature of translation by reading a warning message in hundreds of different languages? In this episode, Keith Kahn-Harris discusses his latest book, The Babel Message, in which the mundane, multilingual warning message found inside Kinder Surprise Eggs ignites profound observations about the nature of language and the written word. To buy The Babel Message, click here.
The Power (and Omnipresence) of Rhetoric: Interview with Guy Doza
May 20, 2023 18:26 - 56 minutes - 51.8 MBRhetoric has a bad reputation. We tend to think of it as a linguistic tool used by polticians and marketing execs to maipulate the masses. While this stereotype is true, rhetoric is more than just snake oil––we use it in apologies, negotions, and love letters, all without even realizing it. In this episode, speech writer and author Guy Doza takes through a wide range of rhetorical techniques and the psychology behind their effectiveness. This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. For 10% o...
A Defense of "Bad" English: Interview with Valerie Fridland
April 27, 2023 04:41 - 50 minutes - 69.6 MBInstead of criticizing deviations from Standard English as "wrong," what if we celebrated them as expressive lingusitic innovations? In this conversation with Valerie, we take a look at some of the quirky features of English that our language teachers taught us to avoid, and in true Words for Granted fashion, we attempt to understand how and why they emerged. To buy Valerie's new book, "Like Literally, Dude," click here.
Learning New Languages: Interview with Rob Paterson
March 19, 2023 17:30 - 33 minutes - 48.2 MBWhat goes into building a language learning curriculum? How do designers choose features within a language learing app? Are some approaches to language learning better than others, or is it up to the indiviudal? In this episode, I explore these questions and more with Rob Paterson, Content Production Manager at Memrise. To get 50% off an annual plan with Memrise, go to: https://memri.se/WFG50
Combatting Bias in Linguistic AI: Interview with Courtney Napoles
January 22, 2023 23:29 - 30 minutes - 42.5 MBAs Lead of Language Research at Grammarly, Courtney Napoles is building systems to better help people from around the world communicate. In this episode, we discuss things such as the fundamentals of linguistic machine learning and how AI learns linguistic biases––not to mention how those biases are undone. To get 50% off an annual plan with Memrise, go to: https://memri.se/WFG50
Origins of Place Names: Interview with Duncan Madden
December 20, 2022 00:06 - 42 minutes - 61.2 MBPlace names are not random––behind the name of every country is a story of how it came to be. From stories of invasion and rebellion to the fantastical and mundane, author Duncan Madden takes us on a journey across the world in his latest book, Found in Translation: The Unexpected Origins of Place Names. To order or pre-order the book, go to https://www.duncanmadden.com/.
Grammatical Gender: Interview with Danny Bate
November 07, 2022 00:29 - 58 minutes - 81 MBIn this interview with linguist Danny Bate, we go deep on all things gender––grammatical gender, that is. Why do some languages have gender while others don't? Where does gender come from? What is the function of gender? To get 50% off your first month of Lingoda courses, follow this link: https://try.lingoda.com/Words_Nov
Episode 109: Trivia
September 14, 2022 04:25 - 21 minutes - 29.9 MBTrivia refers to obscure or useless information, but this definition is a far cry from the word's etymology. Trivia, or tri-via, literally means "three roads," and in Ancient Roman times, it referred to three-way intersections. These heavily trafficked intersections were places where common people would chat, trade, gossip, and bicker, and it is in this context that the seeds of our modern sense of the word were first sown. You can sign up for the Lingoda Sprint Challenge here: https...
African American English: Interview w/ Tracey Weldon
August 02, 2022 00:47 - 38 minutes - 53.4 MBIn this episode, I speak with Tracey Weldon, linguist and board advisor on the Oxford Dictionary of African American English project. We discuss the origins of AAE, the role of code switching within its speech community, AAE's contributions to mainstream English, and more. For $25 off your Lingoda Sprint Challenge enrollment, use this link: https://try.lingoda.com/Ray_Sprint
Episode 108: Understand
July 05, 2022 00:18 - 19 minutes - 23.2 MBWhat does "standing under" have to do with "understanding?" Nothing at all, which is why most of us probably overlook the obvious fact that "understand" is actually a compound word comprising "under" and "stand." In our exploration of this confusing etymology, we look at some archaic meanings of the preposition "under" in addition to words with similar semantic constructions in other languages. Today's episode is sponsored by Lingoda. To get 25% off your enrollment in the Lingoda Sprint ...
Episode 107: World
May 22, 2022 19:39 - 17 minutes - 24.3 MBIn Old English, the word "world", or weorold, did not refer to a place. It was a compound word comprising wer, meaing "man", and ald, meaning "age". "World" literally meant "the age of man", and in many of its earliest usages, it's more closely related to a man's "lifetime" or "lifespan" than the earth he inhabits. We also look at some unlikely cognates of "world", all of which share etymologies related to "manliness".
Deciphering Ancient Scripts: Interview with Silvia Ferrara
March 12, 2022 22:53 - 48 minutes - 66.3 MBHave you ever wondered how writing was invented - or, how many times it was invented? How many undeciphered scripts has the ancient world left us, and is there any hope in eventually deciphering them? In this interview with Silvia Ferrara, author of The Greatest Invention, we explore these questions and many more. To buy Silvia's book, click here. You can also support Words for Granted on Patreon!
Episode 106: Grotesque
February 02, 2022 04:05 - 16 minutes - 25.4 MBThe etymology of "grotesque" is hiding in plain sight: "grotto-esque". Originally, the word was used to describe a style of ancient art that was discovered in underground grottos––or at least what appeared to be underground grottos. In the Renaissance, this style was emulated and innovated upon, influencing the evolution of the sense of "grotesque" familiar to us today.
Episode 105: Idiot
January 05, 2022 00:51 - 17 minutes - 30.9 MBIn Ancient Greece, an "idiot", or idiotes, was a "private person", which meant someone who did not hold a political office. In this episode, we explore how the word's modern pejorative connotation emerged. We also look into the word's 19th and early 20th century association with the IQ test.
Episode 104: Genius
December 12, 2021 20:19 - 25 minutes - 35 MBThough people of extraordinary talents and intellect have always existed, the modern sense of "genius" didn't emerge until the relatively recent 18th century. In Ancient Rome, a "genius" was neither a person nor their brilliant works, but a mythological deity whose function within society evolved over the course of antiquity.
Episode 103: Run Amok
November 21, 2021 16:27 - 20 minutes - 27.6 MBMost Malay loanwords in English describe the local flora, fauna, and food of Southeast Asia. "Amok", however, is different. Amok, which describes a violent killing spree, is ultimately a Malay word that entered European languages during the era of European colonial expansion. Did Europeans encounter something unique in Southeast Asia that prompted them to adapt this word?
Episode 102: Hyperbola/Hyperbole & Ellipse/Ellipsis
October 23, 2021 16:57 - 17 minutes - 24.5 MB"Hyperbola" and "ellipse" are geometrical curves, while "hyperbole" and "ellipsis" are rhetorical terms. At face value, it's not clear how the meanings of "hyperbola" and "ellipse" relate to those of "hyperbole" and "ellipsis", but the history of these pairs of cognates are indeed closely intertwined. To start learning a new language for free with native speakers from around the world, check out the HelloTalk app at: https://go.hellotalk.com/wordsforgranted
Episode 101: Parabola/Parable
September 19, 2021 15:01 - 15 minutes - 20.6 MBThe meanings of "parabola" and "parable" have very little to do with one another, yet these words are etymological doublets of a single Greek work, parabole, which meant "a throwing aside". In this episode, we explore how this literal meaning connects to the literary and mathematical developments of this Greek word. This month's bonus episode explores the syntax of predicate adjectives. Become a member on Patreon.com for to every WFG bonus episode.
Episode 100: Google
August 21, 2021 16:36 - 18 minutes - 24.9 MBBefore Google was the name of one of the world's biggest tech companies, "googol" was an obscure math term that meant "ten to the one hundredth power". Five decades before the founding of Google, the word "googol" emerged spontaneously out of a conversation between an American mathematician and his nephew. Click here to listen to this month's FREE bonus episode on Patreon.
Episode 99: Average
July 25, 2021 17:36 - 20 minutes - 28.1 MBThe word "average" has anything but an average etymology. If the leading theory is correct, "average" ultimately derives from an Arabic word meaning "defect". In this episode, we explore how this Arabic word made its way into European languages through sea trade and how, given this unlikely origin, its mathematical sense emerged over time.
Why Is English Highly Irregular? (Interview with Arika Okrent)
July 09, 2021 03:53 - 40 minutes - 56.3 MBEnglish may be spoken by a whopping 1.5 billion ESL speakers around the world, but that doesn't mean it's an "easy" language to learn. For native English speakers, it's easy to take for granted just how irregular the English language is. In this interview episode, I chat with Arika Okrent about her new book, Highly Irregular: Why Tough, Through, and Dough Don't Rhyme and Other Oddities of the English Language. Today's episode is brought to you by italki. Go to https://go.italki.com/annive...
Episode 98: Lost Letters: Long s (ſ) and Ampersand (&)
June 27, 2021 04:01 - 24 minutes - 33.3 MBIn many English works printed before the late 19th century, a letter unfamiliar to us today, ſ, is often used in place of the letter S. However, that unfamiliar f-looking letter is actually just an archaic form of the letter S called "long s". In this episode, we explore the origins and decline of this odd orthographical relic. As a coda to our series on lost letters, we also explore the history of the ampersand (&), which up until the late 19th century was often listed as the 27th letter of...
Episode 97: Lost Letters: Ash (Æ, æ) and Ethel (Œ, œ)
May 30, 2021 15:21 - 30 minutes - 41.5 MBIf you've ever encountered the ligatures æ and œ in old texts, you may have wondered: what are they called? Where do they come from? How exactly are they pronounced? Why don't we use them any more? The ligatures ash and ethel are rare in English writing today, but in previous centuries, they were common. (In Old English, the sound we today associate with "short A" was actually not represented by the letter A, but by æ!)
Nine Nasty Words: Interview with John McWhorter (EXPLICIT)
May 16, 2021 19:04 - 26 minutes - 42.6 MBF*ck. Sh*t. C*ck. These are some of the most profane words in the English language, but what exactly makes them profane? Is there something about profanities that makes them different from ordinary vanilla words? In this interview, I speak with John McWhorter, preeminent linguist and author of Nine Nasty Words: English in the Gutter: Then, Now, and Forever. Click here to order Nine Nasty Words. To hear more from John, listen to the Lexicon Valley podcast.
Nine Nasty Words (Interview with John McWhorter) [EXPLICIT]
May 16, 2021 19:04 - 26 minutes - 42.6 MBF*ck. Sh*t. C*ck. These are some of the most profane words in the English language, but what exactly makes them profane? Is there something about profanities that makes them different from ordinary vanilla words? In this interview, I speak with John McWhorter, preeminent linguist and author of Nine Nasty Words: English in the Gutter: Then, Now, and Forever. Click here to order Nine Nasty Words. To hear more from John, listen to the Lexicon Valley podcast.
Episode 96: Lost Letters: Wynn (Ƿ), Insular G (ᵹ), Yogh (Ȝ)
April 19, 2021 00:04 - 30 minutes - 27.6 MBBefore the letter W was invented, the rune wynn was borrowed into the Latin AngloSaxon alphabet as a way of representing the /w/ sound. The letter yogh evolved out of Insular G, an Irish variation of the traditional letter G. The phonetic value of yogh varied. It could represent the /y/ sound, the guttural /x/ sound as in the Scottish "loch," and others. Many Modern English words spelled with GH digraph (laugh, though, night, etc.) were once spelled with the letter yogh. Interested in ta...
Interview with Ralph Keyes, Author of "The Hidden History of Coined Words"
March 28, 2021 14:20 - 31 minutes - 28.6 MBIn this episode, I speak with author Ralph Keyes. Ralph's new book, The Hidden History of Coined Words, is an exuberant celebration of the malleability of the English language. Keyes discusses not only the stories behind word formation, but also how words influence social discourse. Click HERE to order Ralph's new book. Click HERE to RSVP for the Words for Granted Latin 101 course.
Latin 101 Course Announcement!
March 27, 2021 15:29 - 4 minutes - 3.84 MBWords for Granted has partnered with Rebecca Deitsch (Harvard University) to offer a Latin 101 course to listeners. To learn more and RSVP, please fill out this Google form: https://forms.gle/VpEEt2jf3W3yP3Fb6
Episode 95: Lost Letters: Eth and Thorn (Ð,ð and Þ, þ)
March 14, 2021 14:39 - 26 minutes - 24.5 MBIn Modern English, we use the TH digraph to represent the voiced and voiceless dental fricative sounds. However, English previously had two unique letters that did this same job: eth and thorn. In this episode, we look at the origin and decline of eth and thorn in English in addition to some places outside of the English alphabet where these ancient letters have survived. Also, check out these links: Ticket link to Intelligent Speech 2021: https://www.intelligentspeechconference.com/ The...
Episode 94: The Lost Letters of the English Alphabet (Overview)
February 13, 2021 03:11 - 28 minutes - 52.7 MBYou can't have the English language without the ABC's, right? Wrong. In this overview episode, we look at the history of the alphabet and the many changes it has undergone from its Phoenician origins to today. We also consider the significance of the runic alphabet known as futhorc, the first alphabet used to write English. Two of the lost English letters, thorn and wynn, were directly adapted from this older Germanic script. Lingthusiasm Episode 52: Writing is a Technology https://soundc...
Episode 93: Pasta
January 18, 2021 13:43 - 28 minutes - 26.3 MB‘Pasta’ is first attested in English during the 1800's, which is later than one might expect. However, in prior centuries, a handful of its closely related cognates such as ‘paste,’ ‘pastry,’ ‘pastel,’ and others were borrowed into English. We consider how these words relate historically and etymologically to the beloved Italian food. We also examine the semantic relationship between the words pasta, macaroni, and noodle.
Episode 92: Meals (Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner)
December 27, 2020 18:28 - 19 minutes - 18.3 MBIn today's episode, we look at the etymologies of our meal words––not to mention "meal" itself. (As it turns out, "meal" has a long history of usage as a measurement word.) The meanings of our meal words have shifted over time in concert with the standard time at which these meals are eaten. Spoiler: "Dinner" was the original "breakfast," and etymologically, the two words mean almost the same thing. To support the show, go to: https://www.patreon.com/wordsforgranted
Interview with Tim Brookes, founder of Endangered Alphabets
December 08, 2020 06:16 - 54 minutes - 98.2 MBIn this interview episode, I speak with Tim Brookes, founder of the Endangered Alphabets Project. Among many other things, we discuss why preserving endangered writing systems is so important to the cultures that use them, how writings systems become endangered in the first place, and Tim's fundraiser to raise awareness about the Mongolian script through an original board game. You can learn more about Tim and his work at the links below. https://www.endangeredalphabets.com/ htt...
Episode 91: Artichoke
November 22, 2020 20:18 - 14 minutes - 26.6 MBIn ancient Greek botanical literature, there is a reference to a spiny plant called a kaktos. This word would pass into Modern English as "cactus," though the kaktos itself was certainly not a cactus as we know it. More likely, it was an undomesticated "artichoke," a plant whose name ultimately comes from Arabic. In this episode, we take a look at the intertwined history of these two words and the plants they designate.
Episode 90: Apple
October 25, 2020 21:46 - 20 minutes - 37.5 MBIn this episode, we explore the etymology of the most culturally ubiquitous fruit, the apple. Etymologically, the ubiquity of the apple is fitting, since it originally used to refer to apples and all fruits in general. We also explore the Latin and Greek words for ‘apple,’ the derivatives of which are hiding in plain sight in a handful of modern English fruit and vegetable words.
Episode 90: Apple
October 25, 2020 21:46 - 20 minutes - 37.5 MBIn this episode, we explore the etymology of the most culturally ubiquitous fruit, the apple. Etymologically, the ubiquity of the apple is fitting, since it originally used to refer equally to "apples" as we know them and to "fruits" in general. We also explore the Latin and Greek words for "apple," the derivatives of which are hiding in plain sight in a handful of modern English fruit and vegetable words.
Episode 89: Cheese
September 27, 2020 14:03 - 16 minutes - 15 MBIn the episode, we explore the etymology of ‘cheese,’ a Latin-derived word that entered the Germanic languages through trade long before the emergence of English. We also consider why the Italian and French words for cheese, formaggio and fromage, are not its cognates and how the adjective ‘cheesy’ (meaning something lacking subtlety) evolved.
Episode 88: Egg
August 17, 2020 00:52 - 18 minutes - 32.2 MBThe word ‘egg’ plays a part in one of the most famous anecdotes in the written record about the evolution of the English language. In this episode, we consider the implications of that story and look into the etymology of ‘egg’ and some of its cognates. We also look into the ‘egg’ in the idiom ‘to egg on.’
Proto Indo-Europeans with Kevin Stroud of The History of English Podcast
June 30, 2020 00:02 - 40 minutes - 77.1 MBThis episode features a conversation I had with Kevin Stroud of the History of English Podcast at this year's virtual Intelligent Speech conference. We discussed reasons why the history of the Proto Indo-Europeans––the linguistic ancestors of nearly half the world's population––remains obscure to the general public. If you think it has something to do with racist, pseudoscientific scholarship that led to the concept of the Aryan race during World War II, we think so too. For the video of o...
Episode 87: Dead Ringer
June 07, 2020 16:36 - 14 minutes - 24.3 MBThe idiom ‘dead ringer’ comes down to us from horse-racing slang, but a widely believed folk etymology links the idiom's origins to being buried alive. In this episode, we debunk the myths and get down to the written evidence behind the emergence of this phrase. I'll be speaking with Kevin Stroud from the History of English podcast about the Proto Indo-Europeans at this year's Intelligent Speech Conference. To purchase tickets, follow this link.
Episode 86: Red Herring
May 17, 2020 22:07 - 20 minutes - 36.1 MBThe idiom ‘red herring’ is used to describe a distraction from the matter at hand. Literally, a ‘red herring’ is a kipper––that is, a smoked and salted sliced fish––but why would such a fish become an expression for a distraction? In this episode, we debunk a popular myth surrounding the idiom's etymology by close reading a handful of selections from the written record and drawing on the most recent scholarship.
Episode 85: The Proof Is in the Pudding
April 26, 2020 20:47 - 16 minutes - 28.5 MBOf all places, why do we put the ‘proof’ in the ‘pudding?’ Like many idioms whose origins date back several centuries, the connection between the literal and figurative meanings of ‘the proof is in the pudding’ is no longer clear in Modern English. ‘The proof is in the pudding’ is actually a shortened corruption of the idiom ‘the proof of the pudding is in the eating,’ but that's still not the full story. In the 17th century when the idiom was first used, both ‘proof’ and ‘pudding’ had diffe...
Interview with Simon Horobin, Author of "Bagels, Bumf, and Buses"
April 12, 2020 03:00 - 42 minutes - 75.4 MBIn today's episode, I talk with Simon Horobin, Oxford professor and author of "Bagels, Bumf and Buses: A Day in the Life of the English Language," a book that explores the etymology of common words we encounter every day. In addition to discussing Simon's latest book, we discuss a range of language topics including the standardization of grammar, the history of spelling, and more. You can purchase "Bagels, Bumf, and Buses" here. Click here 25% off your first order with Literati. Liste...
**Introducing Lyceum**
April 07, 2020 17:12 - 56 seconds - 1.73 MBLyceum is a new educational audio platform that curates, creates, and builds community around educational audio. You can find Words for Granted there as part of the curated "Words with Friends" collection and join the discussion room to chat with me and other listeners.
Episode 84: Break a Leg
March 25, 2020 01:46 - 23 minutes - 41.2 MBThe etymology of ‘break a leg’ is disputed, but some theories hold up better than others. In today's episode, we look at a handful of plausible explanations for how ‘break a leg’ became theater slang for ‘good luck’ and also bust a few etymological myths surrounding the idiom. Today's episode is brought to you by Yabla. Click here for your risk-free 15-day trial.
Episode 83: Apple of the Eye
February 24, 2020 01:09 - 20 minutes - 36.5 MBAs we all know, the idiomatic meaning of ‘apple of the eye’ has nothing to do with apples. As it turns out, the origins of the idiom also have nothing to do with apples. In this episode, we look at how the English translation of an old Hebrew expression found in the Old Testament unintentionally defined our modern sense of the idiom ‘apple of the eye.’
Episode 82: In a Pickle
February 05, 2020 00:48 - 19 minutes - 32.9 MB"In a pickle" is one of the oddest sounding idioms in English. It means "in a predicament or bad situation," but it's not clear what pickles have to do with anything. In this episode, we look at the origins of both the phrase and the word "pickle" itself.
Episode 81: Idioms (General Overview)
January 13, 2020 21:01 - 22 minutes - 40.6 MBThis episode begins a new series on the etymology of English idioms. In this general overview of idioms, we discuss why idioms are syntactically and semantically peculiar, how idioms emerge, how idioms fossilize archaic grammar, and more.
Episode 80: Cannibal
December 31, 2019 03:32 - 30 minutes - 55.9 MBThe word ‘cannibal’ comes to us by way of a familiar historical figure: Christopher Columbus. The word is ultimately a Hispanicization of the name of an indigenous American group today known as the Caribs. Through Columbus' unreliable portrayal of the Caribs in his travel log, ‘cannibal’ came to refer to ‘a person who eats human flesh.’ In this episode, we explore the evolution of the meaning of ‘cannibal’ in Columbus' own journal and how that single word impacted the colonial history of the...