Shows / Linguistics HQ
Linguistics HQ
Are you curious about how languages work? Have you ever wondered, for example, why humans speak and animals don’t, or why there are so many different languages? Maybe at some point you’ve asked yourself why some people start a sentence in one language and finish it in another, or whether women really do talk more than men, or who invented the alphabet, or where we get new words from. Perhaps you want to know why the language you’re learning has masculine and feminine words, or you’ve heard…
Episodes
Linguistics HQA word about the New World: an introduction to language families of the Americas
Why say it in ten words when you can build it into one (polysynthesis, anyone?)? Did anyone outside Egypt use hieroglyphs? And how do you know whether a…
Linguistics HQThe linguistic Orient Express: an introduction to the language families of Asia
How does Kazakh make its vowels get along while its suffixes do all the heavy lifting? What links Madagascar, Easter Island and the Philippines? And can anyone…
Linguistics HQMeanwhile, in Ethiopia......: an introduction to African language families
The ancient Greeks are back! How did an Austronesian language end up in Africa? Which are the most ancient known African languages? And where does a pachyderm…
Linguistics HQThe usual suspects: an introduction to the Indo-European family
Is it safe to eat a 2000 year old Panini? Are you troubled by eccentric relatives? Should you just Grimm and bear it? Tune into this episode to learn about the…
Linguistics HQIt's all relative: an introduction to language families
How do languages end up with family resemblances? Can two words really be separated at birth? What does your vocabulary have to say about your ancestors? And…
Linguistics HQUse it or lose it! An introduction to language death
Why are some languages living on borrowed time? Is there life after death for a language? And could your language be next? Tune into this episode to find out…
Linguistics HQHow to lose a language in three generations: an introduction to language shift
Why do grandchildren always seem to answer in the wrong language? Can a language lose a popularity contest? And is language shift just rebranding with better…
Linguistics HQThe language remix: an introduction to pidgins and creoles
Could you survive an Arctic trading expedition armed with twenty words and your creativity? When is a pidgin fully fledged? And how can you accidentally invent…
Linguistics HQA double take on contact phenomena: an introduction to code-switching
Do you ever start a sentence in one language and terminarla en otra? Would you like to learn a cunning way to make people think you're bilingual? And the…
Linguistics HQGrammar on the move: an introduction to syntactic borrowing
Do you know your Balkans from your Baltic? Does that preposition have a passport? And how did the Normans get their own back on us for borrowing so many of…
Linguistics HQFinders keepers: an introduction to lexical borrowing
Take a siesta from your schedule, hit the sofa in your pyjamas and rendezvous for a linguistic smorgasbord of loan words! Tune in to this episode to find out…
Linguistics HQGoing back to our roots: an introduction to ethnic identity and mother tongue
How can you trick someone into thinking you're bilingual? What are AAVE, MLE and UBE? And where have the Ancient Greeks got to?! Tune in to find out about how…
Linguistics HQInternational Women's Day: pioneering female linguists
Who was behind the decipherment of Linear B? Who was the 'Saxon Nymph'? And was there once a high priestess of linguistics? Tune in to find out about the work…
Linguistics HQIn a class of its own: an introduction to language and socioeconomic status
What's another name for a precarious proletariat? Do accents open doors - or are they still quietly closing them? And is covert prestige just for secret…
Linguistics HQPutting linguistics on the map: an introduction to language and geographical origin
Do you know your MLE from your UBE? Are you more of a trapper or a strutter? Do you ever find yourself changing your accent to fit the situation? And is that a…
Linguistics HQJust act your age! An introduction to language and age
Does language use really get worse over time, or are we just getting older? Is slang just too skibidi for a parliamentary speech? And for how long have we been…
Linguistics HQHe said, she said.....: an introduction to language and gender
What makes a Greek grammarian grumpy? Is it asking for purple but getting midnight aubergine? Or is it appearing in the same podcast episode as Britney Spears…
Linguistics HQWhen humans first had the last word: an introduction to the origins of language
Have you ever wondered where language actually comes from? Why did humans develop language in a way that other species didn't? And are bow-wow, ding-dong and…
Linguistics HQBetween the lines: an introduction to pragmatics
Why do we say 'I’ll think about it' when we’ve already decided? What's the difference between 'thanks' and 'thanks'? Could a misplaced emoji start a war? And…
Linguistics HQMeaning business: an introduction to semantics
Have you been mixing your metaphors recently? Are you reticent or reluctant? How can you reanalyse a crayfish? And which deadly device is lurking in your…
Linguistics HQBlack History Month: Pioneering black linguists
Is it really possible to succeed academically on four hours sleep a night (and retain your good looks)? What’s the key to getting people to use your new…
Linguistics HQThe grammar blueprint: an introduction to syntax
Do you know your equative from your versative? Why do some languages play fast and loose with word order? And what did Plato have to say about parts of speech?…
Linguistics HQIntroduction: what is linguistics and why do we need to know about it?
In this introductory episode I'm going to tell you what linguistics is and why we need to know about it! I’m also going to talk about why I decided to launch a…
Linguistics HQSounds intriguing! An introduction to phonology
What’s the difference between a pharyngeal and an alveolar? How many types of 'd' do we really need? What are people really doing when they tut-tut…
Linguistics HQWhat's in a word? An introduction to morphology
Have you ever wondered how new words are made? Or how to avoid getting delayed by a chatty Aztec? Is talk of acronyms giving you FOMO? This episode looks at…
Linguistics HQLinguistics HQ trailer
Welcome to Linguistics HQ, the new fortnightly show that aims to get people thinking, talking and learning about the science of language! Starting with the…