John talks about the subject of his new book by Avery Publishing — Pronoun Trouble: The Story of Us in Seven Little Words.

Please subscribe at www.booksmartstudios.com and thank you for listening!

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lexiconvalley.substack.com

The Thai words for fire, die and rim sound an awful lot like the English words fire, die and rim. Why is that? John explains.

To help support Lexicon Valley please consider a paid subscription — visit www.booksmartstudios.com and sign up today!

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lexiconvalley.substack.com

Words like thence and thither are all but obsolete in English, but they were actually quite useful! John explains.

SUBSCRIBE to LEXICON VALLEY — please go to www.booksmartstudios.com to become a paid member and receive our BONUS segments.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lexiconvalley.substack.com

Do you know the difference between a rabbit and a hare? And what then is a bunny? Follow John through the etymological warrens of these several words.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lexiconvalley.substack.com

It may seem apparent how we got from busyness to business, but the origins of the word “busy” itself are shrouded in mystery. John explains.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lexiconvalley.substack.com

As a daily listener to WNYC Public Radio in New York City, John has noticed that a certain announcer frequently mispronounces words on air. He has thoughts.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lexiconvalley.substack.com

Working backwards from existing languages, linguists have had great success reconstructing Proto-Indo-European. Does that mean we can do the same for all language families? John explains.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lexiconvalley.substack.com

A cyclone came through and blew off most of English’s clothes, says John, in Part II of his discussion of Indo-European.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lexiconvalley.substack.com

There are at least five defining features among hundreds of related languages from English to Hindi to Russian. And what does any of that have to do with the Hittites? John explains.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lexiconvalley.substack.com

The simple verb to go quickly gets complex in just about any language and English is no exception. John explains.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lexiconvalley.substack.com