100 WVIA Way
Pittston, PA 18640

Phone: 570-826-6144
Fax: 570-655-1180

Copyright © 2024 WVIA, all rights reserved. WVIA is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization.
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Otherwords digs deep into this quintessential human trait of language and finds the fascinating, thought-provoking, and funny stories behind the words and sounds we take for granted. Incorporating the fields of biology, history, cultural studies, literature and more, linguistics has something for everyone and offers a unique perspective into what it means to be human.

What is the best tool for cult leaders to control other people? It’s the power of language.
Headlines have sprung up all over declaring that the Southern American dialect is on its way out.
Why do we use such unusual words for the people we love?
Latest Episodes
All
  • All
  • Otherwords Season 4
  • Otherwords Season 3
  • Otherwords Season 2
  • Otherwords Season 1
What is the best tool for cult leaders to control other people? It’s the power of language.
Headlines have sprung up all over declaring that the Southern American dialect is on its way out.
Why do we use such unusual words for the people we love?
Let’s dig deep and find out why certain names simply fall out of fashion.
There are many words you say incorrectly but don’t know you are saying incorrectly.
Linguists use language everyday to solve crimes. Let’s take a look the most famous ones!
Join us as we find out how certain places got their names.
So how did we get those names of colors?
Why does switching from texting to talking feel like you’re trying to speak a different language?
How do our brains process language?
What are "argots" or what some call "verbal jazz", and how is it used across the globe?
Can you really invent a language? So how does one...do it?
How did English become the most widely spoken language in the world?
Let’s take a deep dive into the etymology of alcohol.
R is an incredibly weird letter; it's a wonder that we use one symbol to represent them.
What makes a word slang, and why does it sound so weird when companies use it?
We take a deeper look as to why sign language was banned for decades.
Besides being annoying, what if the grammar police are actually... wrong?
English has more words than most other languages, but there are still gaps.
Why is gossip an integral part of human social structure?
Current studies with children show show new insight into bilingualism.
It shouldn't matter what a food is called as long as it tastes good, right? Well...
Pronouns may be little, but they say a lot, and they're always changing!
The English spelling system is a MESS... arguably more than any other language.
Adaptable clichés called "snowclones" are EVERYWHERE but they're older than you think.
There's evidence that sweating may be good for your psyche.
The word "Death" has a lot of euphemisms in virtually every language.
We explore some of the popular words authors have created that are now in our lexicon.
Here are the deep misconceptions about African-American English (AAE).
Is it really "language," or just a digital illusion?
We'll have to figure out what the word "word" really means...
What can we learn about our relationship to monsters?