Two makers of modern dictionaries discussed their always challenging task (decisions, decisions, decisions!) and the questions of why in 2003 and how all languages are always  in the process of changing.

The language of the Jews of Europe persists despite the devastating effects of the Holocaust. Here in 1995 we discuss that language and its influence upon American English and popular culture with three masters of the language and its history.

Two linguistic science specialists join us in this conversation from 1996 as we ask and they answer such basic questions as: How did language originate? Do non-human animals ever achieve real language? What are the major families of language? Why and how do languages change and new ones emerge? If the French (actually from Normandy) had not successfully invaded Britain in 1066, would the English language exist? These and many other fascinating issues are discussed by our two guests while the host goes on to recite the middle-English prologue to Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales.

Lots of them have been written though sometimes in rather stiff, academic language. A swinging, delightful (but still philologically accurate) version was done back in 2007. Its author Seth Lerer, a professor of English at Stanford, was an equally swinging and delightful guest. Here is our rather richly illustrated conversation about the Latin, Anglo-Saxon, German and French origins of the language which has now become the most widely used in all the modern world. Listen carefully and you can hear the host’s audacious attempt to recite the Prologue to Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales.

When did language in its “modern” form – that is, with grammar, syntax and extended vocabulary – actually come from, in both space and time? How do languages such as French, Spanish, Portuguese, Romanian and Romansch differentiate from a common source, Latin? Why do children acquire second or third languages much more easily than adults?  Our guests are both leading linguistic scholars: Fred Schwink of the University of Illinois and Jason Merchant of the University of Chicago in this 2005 discussion.  Incidentally, we try out some great tongue-twisters and try to identify some languages offered by callers.