99% Invisible: What’s in a Name
Throughout Africa and beyond, Zimbabweans are known for choosing some of the most bold, head-turning English-language names. Zimbabwean producer Kim Chakanetsa tells the story of how her country's journey from…
The entire history of English in 22 minutes
In this video you'll learn about where English came from, what impact the Vikings had on our language, what the Normans did to English, why Middle English is so weird,…
How Old is ‘Haha’? The Sound of Medieval Laughter
Surviving in multiple copies, Ælfric’s work is not only the oldest Latin grammar written in English (or, indeed, any vernacular language), but it’s also been described as ‘one of the…
Allusionist 221. Scribe
"I have never felt so naked. That's how exposed I felt at the idea that my handwriting was going to be seen by the world," says Tim Brookes, founder of…
Time words don’t mean what you think
What is a second the "second" of? What time should noon actually be? And how can "hour" and "year" mean the same thing (because they do!)?
‘Morning Edition’ Returns: A Bubbly Girl Named Diot Coke
George Redmonds, a researcher with the British National Archives studying 14th-century names, finds a girl's moniker that pops with recognition: Diot Coke. Redmonds believes Coke was a corruption of "Cook,"…
Why Is It Called A Spelling “Bee”?
where lots of people gather socially to do a lot of work.
Chicago Mayor on dehumanizing language
the words used matter
Allusionist 217. Feminist coffee houses
In their heyday of the 1970s and 1980s, there were more than 200 - possibly more than 400 - feminist restaurants and coffee shops in the USA and Canada. These…
Why English is full of silent letters
English has a silent letter problem. The situation is so out of hand that it's often said that every letter of the alphabet can be found silent somewhere in our…