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The Most Extreme Place Names

The Most Extreme Place Names

Season 3 Episode 10
7:11
How Language Nerds Solve Crimes

How Language Nerds Solve Crimes

Season 4 Episode 1
8:59
Is the Southern Accent Disappearing?

Is the Southern Accent Disappearing?

Season 4 Episode 3
7:33
How Cult Leaders Use Language

How Cult Leaders Use Language

Season 4 Episode 6
10:58
Is Body Language Really A Language?

Is Body Language Really A Language?

Season 4 Episode 7
8:58
A Brief History of the Reading Wars?

A Brief History of the Reading Wars?

Season 4 Episode 9
8:35
Is English a Creole?

Is English a Creole?

Season 4 Episode 10
6:51
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Otherwords

How the Colors Got Their Names

Season 3 Episode 9

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?

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Season
Foreign Words We Need in English
7:00
English has more words than most other languages, but there are still gaps.
A Controversial Theory About Gossip
7:24
Why is gossip an integral part of human social structure?
Pronouns: Little Words That Say a Lot
5:56
Pronouns may be little, but they say a lot, and they're always changing!
The Screwed-Up History of English Spelling
7:50
The English spelling system is a MESS... arguably more than any other language.
How Do Clichés Evolve into Memes?
6:19
Adaptable clichés called "snowclones" are EVERYWHERE but they're older than you think.
Is Swearing Good for Your Brain?
6:08
There's evidence that sweating may be good for your psyche.
Otherwords Season 1
7:11
The word "Death" has a lot of euphemisms in virtually every language.
Popular Words Invented by Authors
7:21
We explore some of the popular words authors have created that are now in our lexicon.
What People Get Wrong About African-American English
11:23
Here are the deep misconceptions about African-American English (AAE).
Can Computers Really Talk? Or Are They Faking It?
11:26
Is it really "language," or just a digital illusion?
What's the Longest Word?
6:59
We'll have to figure out what the word "word" really means...
The Unexpected Origins of the Word ‘Monster’
8:00
What can we learn about our relationship to monsters?
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