The History of English Podcast

About this podcast

The Spoken History of a Global Language

The History of English Podcast

Episodes

2021
Episode 146: A Brand New World
In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue. The voyage marked the beginning of the European discovery of the Americas. Columbus encountered natives in the Caribbean who spoke a Native American dialect called Arawakan. As the Europeans encountered the native culture of … Continue reading →
March 24, 2021
81 min
Episode 145: A Sea Change for Europe
The period of European exploration and discovery began in the 1400s as part of an effort to find new trading routes to Africa and Asia. In this episode, we look at how European sailors and merchants began to think of … Continue reading →
February 18, 2021
69 min
Episode 144: A Murder of Crows and Princes
In the second half of the 1400s, there is written evidence of word play and new word formations within English. These new terms included words for the sounds made by animals and collective nouns for various groups of animals and … Continue reading →
January 20, 2021
55 min
2020
Bonus Episode: Chaucer’s Purse and the Great Vowel Shift
In this bonus episode of the regular podcast, we explore the effects of the Great Vowel Shift on the pronunciation of English by reading Geoffrey Chaucer’s last known poem in Middle English, early Modern English and contemporary English.
December 17, 2020
27 min
Episode 143: The Great Vowel Shift (Part 3)
In this final episode about the sound changes associated with the Great Vowel Shift, we explore the vowel shifts that took place in the back of the mouth. We also explore how these changes impacted the way words are spelled … Continue reading →
November 24, 2020
58 min
Episode 142: The Great Vowel Shift (Part 2)
In this second part of our look at the Great Vowel Shift, we explore the movement of the vowel sounds located in the bottom front part of the mouth. We also examine how these sounds were traditionally spelled and how … Continue reading →
October 22, 2020
50 min
Episode 141: The Great Vowel Shift (Part 1)
The term ‘Great Vowel Shift’ was coined in the early 1900s by the Danish linguist Otto Jespersen to describe a systematic change in the long vowel sounds of English. The changes help to mark the transition from Middle English to … Continue reading →
September 24, 2020
56 min
Episode 140: You Say ‘To-may-to’
Vowel sounds are a key feature of every language, but the actual vowel sounds vary from one language to another. The English language contains about twenty vowel sounds, some of which are pure vowels and some of which are a … Continue reading →
August 28, 2020
67 min
Episode 139: The Business of Printing
William Caxton introduced the mass production of books to England in the 1470s. He was also the first person to print books in the English language via the printing press. Caxton’s publications reveal the priorities and concerns of a businessman, … Continue reading →
July 21, 2020
72 min
Episode 138: Family Matters
In the 1400s, rising literacy rates and access to cheap paper combined to produce the first collections of personal letters in the English language. One of the earliest letter collections was maintained by the Paston family of Norfolk. Their letters … Continue reading →
June 25, 2020
68 min
Episode 137: A Rose By Any Other Name
The rose is one of the most beloved flowers in western Europe, and it has a long association with English royalty. In this episode, we explore the history of English gardens and the use of the rose as a symbol … Continue reading →
May 23, 2020
67 min
Episode 136: The Real Robin Hood
The legend of Robin Hood has its origins in the murky history of England after the Norman Conquest, but the first written examples of Robin Hood ballads don’t appear until the mid-1400s. In this episode, we examine the earliest references … Continue reading →
April 24, 2020
64 min
Bonus Episode: Stay at Home Edition
In the century before the Norman Conquest of England, Normandy gradually emerged as a powerful player in the politics of northern Europe. Meanwhile, the language of the Normans underwent a major transition. The original Scandinavian language of the Normans gave … Continue reading →
April 6, 2020
29 min
Episode 135: A House of Cards
In the early 1400s, playing cards made their first appearance in England. Those cards provide evidence of an early form of printing, but it would take another generation for Johannes Gutenberg to invent the printing press. In this episode we … Continue reading →
March 24, 2020
77 min
Episode 134: A Lancastrian Standard
In the early 1400s, England welcomed a new king, a new ruling family, and a new role for the English language in the administration of government. In this episode, we explore the rise of the House of Lancaster and the … Continue reading →
February 20, 2020
70 min
Episode 133: Breaking Bread With Companions
In this episode, we explore words associated with mealtime in the Middle Ages. We also examine the important role of bread in medieval meals and impact of bread-related terms on the English language. Finally, we take a look at early etiquette guides specifying appropriate table manners.
January 21, 2020
70 min
2019
Episode 132: Food for Thought
In the midst of the English literary revival of the late 1300s, the household chefs of Richard II compiled the first cookbook in the English language. In the episode, we examine the cookbook known as ‘The Forme of Cury,’ and we explore the nature of food and cooking in medieval England. We also look at how the culinary arts shaped the English language.
December 19, 2019
71 min
Episode 131: Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is one of the most popular English poems of the Middle Ages. In this episode, we explore the language and story of the poem. We also examine how the poem reflects certain changes that were taking place within the English language in the late 1300s.
November 25, 2019
77 min
Episode 130: Dialect Dialogues
Geoffrey Chaucer was one of the first English writers to compose dialogue in regional dialects to reflect the way characters spoke in the different parts of England. In this episode, we explore the dialogue of Chaucer’s northern students in the Reeve’s Tale, and we also examine the Second Shepherd’s Play from the north of England which reflects a similar approach to regional dialects.
October 22, 2019
56 min
Episode 129: Chaucer’s Vulgar Tongue [EXPLICIT LANGUAGE]
Geoffrey Chaucer was one of the few poets of the Middle Ages to explore the vulgar side of English and the connection between the common people and their language. The Miller’s Tale exemplifies this style. In this episode, we explore … Continue reading →
September 25, 2019
76 min

The History of English Podcast

About this podcast

Categories

About this podcast

Categories

The History of English Podcast

Episodes

Episode 146: A Brand New World

Episode 145: A Sea Change for Europe

Episode 144: A Murder of Crows and Princes

Bonus Episode: Chaucer’s Purse and the Great Vowel Shift

Episode 143: The Great Vowel Shift (Part 3)

Episode 142: The Great Vowel Shift (Part 2)

Episode 141: The Great Vowel Shift (Part 1)

Episode 140: You Say ‘To-may-to’

Episode 139: The Business of Printing

Episode 138: Family Matters

Episode 137: A Rose By Any Other Name

Episode 136: The Real Robin Hood

Bonus Episode: Stay at Home Edition

Episode 135: A House of Cards

Episode 134: A Lancastrian Standard

Episode 133: Breaking Bread With Companions

Episode 132: Food for Thought

Episode 131: Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

Episode 130: Dialect Dialogues

Episode 129: Chaucer’s Vulgar Tongue [EXPLICIT LANGUAGE]