Dead Air

Dead Air

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Dead Air episodes

  • Interesting Etymologies - Old Norse 3

    "Hello again Word Lovers"  

    This is the third installment of words that come into English through  Old Norse. We cover some basic nouns, adjectives in this last look at Old Norse before we return another day.   


    Full details in the accompanying article on our website: https://www.bulldogz.org/post/interesting-etymologies-47-3-old-norse

    6 min
  • Interesting Etymologies - Old Norse 2
    "Hello again Word Lovers"
    We continue with our journey through the word horde of Old Norse that feeds into Modern English.
    Some surprises in store this week with the fascinating etymology of "gun" and intense argument over "Steak", an obsession with dirt and excrement and a plethora of verbs.
    Enjoy! https://www.bulldogz.org/post/interesting-etymologies-47-2-old-norse
    7 min
  • Interesting Etymologies - Old Norse
    "Hello again word lovers!"
    Today we will begin the first of a three part exploration of one of the major repositories of English, Old Norse. So many of our common English words come from Old Norse and we will be tracing them back where possible and enjoying them along the way.
    Full articles for all Interesting Etymologies episodes are available here:
    https://www.bulldogz.org/ie
    7 min
  • Interesting Etymologies - Philosophy
    "Hello again word lovers!"
    Charly thinks that perhaps this should have been the first edition of Interesting Etymologies because etymology is the study of the meaning of words but we have not asked "what does a word mean?" yet and that is philosophy not etymology.
    To paraphrase Bertrand Russell, philosophy will take a statement that seems to be blindingly obvious and make you doubt it. Be prepared to doubt a great deal as we dip our toes into the world of the philosophy of language.
     Full associated article on our website: https://www.bulldogz.org/post/interesting-etymologies-46-philosophy
    16 min
  • Interesting Etymologies - Irish
    "Hello again word lovers!"
    In this instalment, we head west across the Irish sea to look at words that have come to English from Irish. This episode uncovers some dark stories though, with words thought to be Scottish being claimed as Irish and words thought to be English claimed as Irish and then words believed to be Irish that are believed to have come from English. Strap yourself in, this is a seven-minute wild ride sure to liven up the craic at your next mixer!
    Full article on our website:
    https://www.bulldogz.org/post/interesting-etymologies-45-irish
    7 min
  • Interesting Etymologies - Etymologists
    "Hello again Word Lovers!"
    A little diversion today as we are going to look at Etymologists rather than Etymology! How many etymologists are there in the world? Do people actually get paid to explore the history of words?
    We take a look at the figures in history that can be considered the fathers, grandfathers and God Fathers of Etymology, from Vedic scholars in India and ancient Greek philosophers all the way through to the Brothers Grimm and the race to decode the Rosetta Stone.
    Full article available on our website
    https://www.bulldogz.org/post/interesting-etymologies-44-etymologists
    11 min
  • Interesting Etymologies - Heraldry
    "Hello again word lovers!" Today we are exploring the vocabulary surrounding the topic of heraldry. There are some genuinely interesting etymologies preserved within Heraldry which has effectively pickled some Norman French for us to enjoy.
    Full article on our website:
    https://www.bulldogz.org/post/interesting-etymologies-43-heraldry
    8 min
  • Interesting Etymologies - People
    "Hello again word lovers!"
    And today we will be looking at words that come from the names of people. We are not going to delve into the etymology of the name as such but take a look at words for things or concepts that have come into the language via the name of the person that popularised the idea, product or concept.
     Full article on our website:
    https://www.bulldogz.org/post/interesting-etymologies-42-people
    8 min
  • Need to know - Cincomarzada

    Once again we here in Zaragoza get to enjoy a local bank holiday this Monday. Let us explain all you need to know about this wonderful break from the working drudgery. What is it all about and why we celebrate the 5th of March?


    Find a B2 worksheet for language learners on our website here. 

    6 min
  • Need to know - Saint Valentine
    Saint Valentine! A story of massacres and certainly no bed of roses. How did a third-century priest in Rome become the patron saint of flower sellers and the persecutor of all western men? As so often is the case, this is a story that results in a brutal murder..... Join us as we share with you all you need to know about the man who keeps greetings cards in print. Full associated article on our website: https://www.bulldogz.org/post/2019/02/10/need-to-know-saint-valentine
    6 min

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Learn about the English language, culture, history and traditions with the Bulldogz team of native teachers and special guests!