Skip to main content
Back to Show
Otherwords

Is the Southern Accent Disappearing?

Season 4 Episode 3

When you hear names like Gladys or Herbert or Doris, you probably automatically think of old people, but why is that? Linguists have been studying the science of first names for a long time, and though what's behind a particular parent's choice is deeply personal and often opaque, there are certain trends in baby naming that can reveal a lot about the values and direction of a society.

Only Available with Passport Starting
Support Provided By
Season
Popular Word Origins That Are Totally Wrong
7:03
What are folk etymologies?
Is Social Media Censorship Unaliving Language?
7:18
Is TikTok ruining language?
The Mysterious Origins of Abracadabra and Other Magic Words
7:21
Are there 'magic' words?
Is Bluey Giving Your Kid Australian Accent
6:21
Children are sponges for language acquisition. Which leads us to ask the question: how much does TV
Is English a Creole?
6:51
We already know that English borrows from everybody, but can it be considered a Creole language?
A Brief History of the Reading Wars?
8:35
How do you teach children to read? This question is at the heart of a decades-long battle.
Why Is English Awash in Sailors Jargon?
8:11
The English language is chock full of sailing jargon but why is that?
Is Body Language Really A Language?
8:58
How do we communicate without words? With our bodies. Body language!
How Cult Leaders Use Language
10:58
What is the best tool for cult leaders to control other people? It’s the power of language.
Why Do Some Names Fall Out of Fashion
7:14
Headlines have sprung up all over declaring that the Southern American dialect is on its way out.
Why Do We Use Cringey Words for Loved Ones?
9:11
Why do we use such unusual words for the people we love?
Why Do These Words Get Mispronounced So Much?
8:32
There are many words you say incorrectly but don’t know you are saying incorrectly.
Active loading indicator