Episode 123: A Material Change

FromThe History of English Podcast

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Episode 123: A Material Change

FromThe History of English Podcast

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Length:

66 minutes

Released:

Mar 27, 2019

Format:

Podcast episode

Description

In the 1300s, the scribes of England began a gradual shift from the use of animal hides like parchment to a new material made from plant fibers. That new writing material was paper. In this episode, we explore the history … Continue reading →

Released:

Mar 27, 2019

Format:

Podcast episode

Titles in the series (100)

The Spoken History of a Global Language

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Episode 3: The Indo-European Family Tree: A look at the family tree of Indo-European languages and the relationship of English to those related languages. The closest relatives of English are highlighted, including the Germanic languages, Latin and Greek. by The History of English Podcast
35 min listen
Episode 6: Indo-European Words: A look at words used by the original Indo-Europeans and the clues such words provide to the identity of the first Indo-Europeans. The etymology of modern English words is explored in relation to the original Indo-European words. by The History of English Podcast
38 min listen
Episode 2: The Indo-European Discovery: The story of the discovery of the ancient language which gave rise to most of the languages of Europe, including English. by The History of English Podcast
33 min listen
Episode 4: A Grimm Brother Resurrects the Dead (…language): The famous fairy-tale collector Jacob Grimm formulated the rules which help modern linguists reconstruct the ancient Indo-European language. In this episode, we look at Grimm’s Law and how the Germanic languages evolved from the original ancestral lan... by The History of English Podcast
50 min listen
Episode 15: Etruscans, Romans and a Modified Alphabet: The first Indo-Europeans settle into Italy, but they encounter an existing civilization known as the Etruscans. The Etruscans borrow the alphabet from the Greeks, and soon pass it on to the Romans. Our modern alphabet finally begins to emerge. by The History of English Podcast
38 min listen
Episode 11: Germanic Ancestors: We look at the emergence of the Usatovo culture which spoke an Indo-European dialect believed to be the ancient ancestor of the Germanic languages – including English. We also look at the later migrations of the Indo-European tribes throughout Europe …... by The History of English Podcast
30 min listen
Episode 28: Angles, Saxons, Jutes and Frisians: We explore the origins of the Angles, Saxons, Jutes and Frisians in the North Sea region of northern Europe. The early raids on the coasts of Britain and Gaul set the stage for the later mass migrations. The similarities between … Continue reading → by The History of English Podcast
44 min listen
Episode 18: Keeping Time With The Romans: We explore the origin of modern English words related to time. A direct connection is made to the calendar reforms of Julius Caesar. The etymology of English words related to time illustrate the combined influences of the Germanic languages and … Conti... by The History of English Podcast
53 min listen
Episode 12: Early Greek, Hittite and the Trojan War: The first Greek and Hittite civilizations emerge from Indo-European tribes in the eastern Mediterranean. The Greeks adopt an early form of writing and fight the Trojans. An alphabet allows the ancient history of the Greeks to be recorded in the … Conti... by The History of English Podcast
73 min listen
Episode 7: More Indo-European Words: We complete our review Indo-European words which have impacted modern English. Social terms are explored to provide an insight into Indo-European society and culture. by The History of English Podcast
31 min listen
Episode 21: Early Germanic Words: We look at the first inscription found in a Germanic language and the vocabulary of the early Germanic tribes. The impact of Grimm’s Law on the early Germanic language is examined. by The History of English Podcast
42 min listen
Episode 10: Early Indo-European Migrations: The emergence of the first Indo-Europeans and the early migrations of these steppe herders is examined. The specific advantages favoring the expansion of these people is explored in detail. by The History of English Podcast
43 min listen
Episode 13: Greece, Phoenicia and the Alphabet: Mycenaean Greek writing disappears during the Greek Dark Age, but the Greeks encounter the Phoenicians and adopt their alphabet. The Greek alphabet results in the spread of literacy. Modern English words from this period of Greek history are examined. by The History of English Podcast
39 min listen
Bonus Episode 1: Kevin Stroud updates listeners regarding the podcast and the website for the podcast. Kevin also answers some questions posed by listeners. by The History of English Podcast
13 min listen
Episode 27: Broken Empire and Fractured Languages: Parchment books begin to replace papyrus scrolls as the Western Roman Empire crumbles. New Germanic Kingdoms emerge in the west, but Latin remains the dominant language in Western Europe. Latin itself begins to fracture without the Roman educational s... by The History of English Podcast
50 min listen
$Episode 27: Broken Empire and Fractured Languages: Parchment books begin to replace papyrus scrolls as the Western Roman Empire crumbles. New Germanic Kingdoms emerge in the west, but Latin remains the dominant language in Western Europe. Latin itself begins to fracture without the Roman educational s...$
Episode 1: Introduction: In this introductory episode, we look at the emergence of English as a global language and the evolution of the language from its Germanic origins. by The History of English Podcast
24 min listen
Episode 23: Tacitus and Germanic Society: We explore the Germanic languages during the 1st century AD. The society of the early Germans is examined in the context of ‘Germania’ by the Roman historian Tacitus. Modern English words originating during this period are also discussed. by The History of English Podcast
48 min listen
Episode 9: Who Were the Indo-Europeans?: The evidence is examined to determine when and where the original Indo-Europeans lived. Based upon this evidence, the probable identity of the first Indo-Europeans is revealed. by The History of English Podcast
41 min listen
Episode 20: The Early Germanic Tribes: The first Germanic-speaking tribes emerge in northern Europe. We explore the connection between these tribes and the original Indo-Europeans. We then look at the expansion of the Germanic tribes into the Celtic region of central Europe and their earl... by The History of English Podcast
46 min listen
Episode 5: Centum, Satem and the Letter C: A look at the early division of the Indo-European languages into the Centum and Satem languages. The sound shift which marks the division of the Centum and Satem languages is then explored in the context of the modern English letter … Continue reading → by The History of English Podcast
43 min listen
Episode 16: The Rise of Rome – and Latin: We look at the rise of the Roman Republic from a small Italian city-state to the dominant political and military power of the Mediterranean. The expansion of Rome also led to the expansion of Latin which emerged as a common … Continue reading → by The History of English Podcast
39 min listen
Episode 17: Ancient Celts and the Latin Invasion of Gaul: We look at the arrival of Celtic speaking people in Europe, and the invasion of Celtic Gaul by the Romans. Celtic is replaced by Latin in Western Europe, leading to the modern Romance languages. Celtic words in modern English are … Continue reading → by The History of English Podcast
46 min listen
Episode 26: Imperial Crisis and the Goths: Rome is racked by ‘Imperial Crisis’ while strong Germanic tribes gather along the Rhine and Danube. The Alamanni, Franks, Vandals and Goths rise to power and provide us with many words in modern English. The Goths translate the Bible into … Continue re... by The History of English Podcast
62 min listen
Episode 14: The Greek Word Horde: The Classical Greek period is explored with an emphasis on Modern English words which originated during this period of Greek history. by The History of English Podcast
46 min listen
Episode 19: The Romanization of Britain: The Roman Empire emerges following the death of Julius Caesar. Emperor Claudius sets his sights on Britain, and the native Celtic culture becomes Romanized. We look at the evolution of Latin words related to law, money and social classes. by The History of English Podcast
52 min listen
Episode 8: Indo-European Grammar (Where have all the inflexions gone?): The grammar of the original Indo-European language is compared to Modern English. We explore the word endings called ‘inflexions’ which were a prominent feature of the original Indo-European language. by The History of English Podcast
33 min listen
Episode 24: Germanic Mythology: The role of Germanic mythology on modern English is explored. Germanic gods and religious traditions are examined with an emphasis on words and phrases which are still found in modern English. by The History of English Podcast
49 min listen
Episode 25: Germanic Markings and the Runes: We explore the expansion of Germanic tribes into the Danube region where the Germans encounter the Etruscan alphabet. The Germanic runes develop and provide the first opportunity for the Germanic tribes to write their own language. by The History of English Podcast
37 min listen
Bonus Episode 2: History of the Alphabet: Kevin discusses the new History of the Alphabet series. An excerpt from the series is included. The history of the ‘constant consonants’ (B,D,L,M,N,P,R,T) is explored. by The History of English Podcast
27 min listen
Episode 22: Early Germanic Grammar: We look at the grammar of the early Germanic tribes. The decreasing use of inflexions is explored. Elements of modern English grammar are identified within the original Germanic language. by The History of English Podcast
35 min listen

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Episode 161: Y U and I Have a Problem: In this episode, we explore the complicated history of the letters Y, U and I, and we examine how they gave birth to the letters W, V and J. We also look at the Gothic script of the Middle Ages … Continue reading → by The History of English Podcast
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Episode 160: Approximately English: In this episode, we explore the sounds represented by the letters L and R. Linguists refer to these sounds as ‘approximates,’ and they are some of the most challenging sounds in the English language. They are consonants with vowel-like qualities. by The History of English Podcast
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Episode 159: Elizabethan Voices: In 1569, an English scholar named John Hart published a manuscript called ‘An Orthographie.’ The text argued for a phonetic spelling system, and it provided one of the earliest detailed descriptions of the sounds of English. In this episode, by The History of English Podcast
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Episode 158: Planting Seeds: In the mid-1500s, England attempted to expand its influence in Ireland by establishing plantations there. This same process would soon be applied to North America. In this episode, we explore those early attempts at Irish colonization and England’s fir... by The History of English Podcast
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Episode 157: Highlands, Lowlands and Netherlands: During the first decade of the reign of Elizabeth I, Protestants in Scotland and the Netherlands rebelled against the Catholic authorities who controlled those countries. Those rebellions were supported by England, by The History of English Podcast
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Episode 156: Beggars, Cheats and Thieves: In the 1500s, England saw a significant rise in the number of beggars and vagabonds. Those who couldn’t survive by begging often turned to thievery, gambling and fraud. By the mid-1500s, books and pamphlets were being published that highlighted the … C... by The History of English Podcast
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Episode 154: English Equality: By the mid-1500s, scholars were becoming more confident in ability of English to express sophisticated ideas and concepts associated with classical learning. Writers began to use English beside Latin and Greek in many scholarly works during this period... by The History of English Podcast
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Episode 153: Zombie Letters: In early Modern English, writers and printers began to revise the spelling of many English words to reflect their etymological origins. Old letters were revived from the dead to reflect sounds that had disappeared over time in those words. by The History of English Podcast
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Episode 152: As the Saying Goes: John Heywood was a playwright and poet who made two important contributions to the history of English. He was a key figure in the emergence of modern English drama which led directly to William Shakespeare at the end of the … Continue reading → by The History of English Podcast
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Episode 151: Sick to Death: During the reign of Henry VIII, medical books and herbals proved to be some of the most popular publications in England. The people of England wanted medical books that they could read in the own language. The largely unregulated medical … Continue rea... by The History of English Podcast
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Episode 150: A Capital Offense: In the 1530s, Henry VIII declared himself to be the ‘Supreme Head’ of the Church of England, and he demanded absolute loyalty from his subjects. Those who crossed him risked the loss of their heads. Meanwhile, by The History of English Podcast
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Episode 149: Breaking Up Is Hard To Do: In the years following Martin Luther’s protest against the Catholic Church, small fractures soon turned into a major rift. The Protestant Reformation led to the break-up of the Western Church. Meanwhile in England, by The History of English Podcast
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$Episode 149: Breaking Up Is Hard To Do: In the years following Martin Luther’s protest against the Catholic Church, small fractures soon turned into a major rift. The Protestant Reformation led to the break-up of the Western Church. Meanwhile in England,$

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Episode 123: A Material Change

Episode 123: A Material Change

Description

Titles in the series (100)

More Episodes from The History of English Podcast

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