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TELEVISION

Language A to Z

Series: Language A to Z

4.7

(23)

Episodes

Rating

TVPG

Year

2002

Language

English

Publisher

The Great Courses

About

These 24 episodes by Professor John McWhorter, one of the best-known popularizers of language, use the English alphabet as a unique way to let you hopscotch through some of the field's major topics, hot-button issues, curious factoids, and more. Filled with humor, whimsy, and no shortage of insights, this series is a fast-paced tour of the same territory linguists tread each and every day.

Related Subjects

Episodes

1. A for Aramaic

16m

After a brief introduction on why an alphabetic approach makes an engaging way to explore human language, Professor McWhorter provides a close look at one of the ancient world's most influential languages: Aramaic. How did it achieve such prominence? What led to its decline? Where can you hear it today?

2. B for Baby Mama

14m

Explore how the common expression "baby mama" reflects the grammar behind what linguists refer to as African-American Vernacular English (or Ebonics). Along the way, you'll discover how Ebonics emerged as an intriguing mash-up of assorted British regional dialects, along with a sprinkle of grammatical streamlining any language could benefit from.

3. C for Compounds

16m

We can actually change a word's part of speech simply by moving the accent up front (loudspeaker versus loud speaker). Welcome to the world of compounds, one of the fundamental elements of speaking English. And knowing how they work can also help you determine historical pronunciations of words you weren't around to hear.

4. D for Double Negatives

14m

Americans have been taught that double negatives are a grammatical no-no. But they're actually used in most of the world's languages. So who's right? And does the substitute "any" (e.g., "not going anywhere" versus "not going nowhere") solve the problem, or just make it more awkward? Find out here.

5. E for Etymology

15m

Learn more about etymology, the tool linguists use to decipher the fascinating (and mundane) backstories of words and phrases. For example, you'll explore why "eeny, meeny, miney, moe" is really about sheep in Great Britain; why "quaint" originally meant "crafty"; and why we drink punches as well as throw them.

6. F for First Words

16m

"Mama" and "papa" are some of the first words spoken in a majority of the world's languages. Why these first words and not others? As you explore this intriguing subject, you'll also probe some of the theories behind how language starts (involving everything from anatomy to music to mimicked animal calls).

7. G for Greek Alphabet

16m

It's easy to miss just how deeply peculiar an alphabet is. It provides a transcription of language based not on pictures but written representations of sounds. Here, Professor McWhorter takes you back to ancient Greece on an investigation of how the alphabet was invented and (slowly) settled into our consciousness.

8. H for Hobbits

17m

What can hobbits teach us about the actual science involved in linguistics? Find out in this eye-opening episode that introduces you to Homo floresiensis, "little people," on the island of Flores, with their own strangely simplified language that some scientists believe was spoken until just a few centuries ago.

9. I for Island

15m

Use the intriguing backstory of the word "island" as a gateway for exploring why English spelling can be such a mess. Two specific reasons you'll focus on: the "sacred" linguistic nature of Latin and Greek, and the ramifications of the Great Vowel Shift, which dramatically altered the pronunciation of many English words.

10. J for Jamaican

14m

Delve into the world of Jamaican patois, which developed among African slaves in the 1600s as they quickly adopted English. You'll discover that languages vary not just in how they're put together, but according to diverse factors such as socioeconomics and the audience one is speaking to.

Extended Details

SeriesLanguage A to Z

Closed CaptionsEnglish

Artists

The Great CoursesDirector

The Great CoursesProducer

John McWhorterActor

Language A to Z

Language A to Z

About

Related Subjects

Episodes

Extended Details

Artists

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