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Otherwords

How English Took Over the World

Season 3 Episode 4 | 6m 35s

English is the most widely spoken language on the planet. But, how did English become the most widely spoken language in the world? And why are there so many different kinds of Englishes?

Aired: 04/19/23
Extras
Watch • 10:11
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Why "a Lie" is Hard to Define
Figuring out what exactly counts as a lie is not as easy as it seems...
Episode: S6 E2 | 10:11
Watch • 7:58
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Why Linguists Love What's Happening with K-Pop
Linguists are tracking how K-Pop is shaping language around the world.
Episode: S6 E1 | 7:58
Watch • 9:13
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The Hidden Linguistic Messages in Brand Names
There are a lot of hidden & surprising messages behind brand names.
Episode: S5 E10 | 9:13
Watch • 9:19
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Punctuation's Weird Backstory
How did we get from written words scrunched together without any spaces or symbols to punctuation?
Episode: S5 E9 | 9:19
Watch • 7:03
Otherwords
Popular Word Origins That Are Totally Wrong
What are folk etymologies?
Episode: S5 E8 | 7:03
Watch • 7:18
Otherwords
Is Social Media Censorship Unaliving Language?
Is TikTok ruining language?
Episode: S5 E7 | 7:18
Watch • 7:21
Otherwords
The Mysterious Origins of Abracadabra and Other Magic Words
Are there 'magic' words?
Episode: E6 | 7:21
Watch • 5:51
Otherwords
Where Did Cringey Corporate Jargon Come From?
We're gonna have to ask you to go ahead and watch this video. "
Episode: E5 | 5:51
Watch • 12:22
Otherwords
Inside the Fiercest Debate in Linguistics
It's one of the most contentious debates in linguistics!
Episode: E4 | 12:22
Watch • 7:05
Otherwords
Why A.I. Struggles with Negative Words
The ways we use negation in language can be pretty complex, even AI can’t seem to make sense of it.
Episode: E3 | 7:05
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Watch • 10:11
Otherwords
Why "a Lie" is Hard to Define
Figuring out what exactly counts as a lie is not as easy as it seems...
Episode: S6 E2 | 10:11
Watch • 7:58
Otherwords
Why Linguists Love What's Happening with K-Pop
Linguists are tracking how K-Pop is shaping language around the world.
Episode: S6 E1 | 7:58
Watch • 9:13
Otherwords
The Hidden Linguistic Messages in Brand Names
There are a lot of hidden & surprising messages behind brand names.
Episode: S5 E10 | 9:13
Watch • 9:19
Otherwords
Punctuation's Weird Backstory
How did we get from written words scrunched together without any spaces or symbols to punctuation?
Episode: S5 E9 | 9:19
Watch • 7:03
Otherwords
Popular Word Origins That Are Totally Wrong
What are folk etymologies?
Episode: S5 E8 | 7:03
Watch • 7:18
Otherwords
Is Social Media Censorship Unaliving Language?
Is TikTok ruining language?
Episode: S5 E7 | 7:18
Watch • 7:21
Otherwords
The Mysterious Origins of Abracadabra and Other Magic Words
Are there 'magic' words?
Episode: E6 | 7:21
Watch • 5:51
Otherwords
Where Did Cringey Corporate Jargon Come From?
We're gonna have to ask you to go ahead and watch this video. "
Episode: E5 | 5:51
Watch • 12:22
Otherwords
Inside the Fiercest Debate in Linguistics
It's one of the most contentious debates in linguistics!
Episode: E4 | 12:22
Watch • 7:05
Otherwords
Why A.I. Struggles with Negative Words
The ways we use negation in language can be pretty complex, even AI can’t seem to make sense of it.
Episode: E3 | 7:05