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How the Colors Got Their Names

Season 3 Episode 9 | 6m 29s

In some ways, colors are the ultimate example of language's power. The earliest humans didn't have words for colors. They had words for objects and actions, and it took tens of thousands of years for those words to evolve into the names of the colors we use today. In this episode, we’ll answer that age-old question, which came first: orange the fruit or orange the color?

Aired: 09/20/23
Extras
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.
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?
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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.
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?