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The History of English Podcast podcast

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The History of English Podcast

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·

  Kevin Stroud  

The Spoken History of a Global Language

The Spoken History of a Global Language

 

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Progress

Duration

Release Date

#187

Episode 175: The English of Romeo and Juliet

Romeo and Juliet is one of William Shakespeare’s most popular plays and one of the most popular plays ever written. In this episode, we examine the language of the play to see how it reflects the English of Elizabethan England, and we identify evidence of emerging pronunciations that would become common over the following centuries. ... Read more

25 Mar 2024

1 HR 32 MINS

1:32:35

25 Mar 2024

#186

Episode 174: Speak and Spell

English spelling largely reflects the state of the language in the late 1500s. In this episode, we look at one of the first English spelling books, and we explore several plays by William Shakespeare to examine the way he rhymed words. We also explore the way modern spellings reflect the pronunciation of words during the Elizabethan period. [TRANSCRIPT: EPISODE 174] (https://historyofenglishpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/HOE-Transcript-Episode174.pdf) ... Read more

08 Feb 2024

1 HR 28 MINS

1:28:54

08 Feb 2024

#185

Episode 173: Fooling Around

In this episode, we look at the development of English comedy in the early modern era. We examine some of William Shakespeare’s early comedies, and we also distinguish Shakespearean comedy from other types of comedic performances which had been popular for centuries. We also look to Italy to see how developments in literature and drama there had an influence on the theater of Elizabethan England. And, as always, we see how those developments shaped the English language. [TRANSCRIPT: EPISODE 173] (https://historyofenglishpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/HOE-Transcript-Episode173.pdf) ... Read more

02 Jan 2024

1 HR 24 MINS

1:24:54

02 Jan 2024

#184

Episode 172: Succession

In this episode, we explore the concept of a successful succession. During the early 1590s, France was divided by a bitter conflict over the succession of Henry of Navarre to the French throne. Meanwhile, William Shakespeare wrote a couple of plays that appear to make reference to the events in France. He also composed other plays that dealt with the theme of succession. And his plays also indicate that the pronunciation of words like “succession” were changing during the 1500s as several consonants experienced sound changes during that period. [TRANSCRIPT: EPISODE 172] (https://historyofenglishpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/HOE-Transcript-Episode172.pdf) ... Read more

20 Nov 2023

1 HR 34 MINS

1:34:37

20 Nov 2023

#183

Episode 171: Shakespeare’s English (featuring Ben Crystal)

In this episode, we turn our attention to the wordcraft of William Shakespeare. Today, many people have mixed opinions about his plays and poems. They know that he is widely regarded as the greatest English writer of all time, but they struggle with his language. This time, we explore what makes Shakespeare’s use of the English language so unique and why it is so challenging for modern speakers. Ben Crystal joins the discussion to provide insight into the Elizabethan theater, Shakespeare’s Original Pronunciation, and the way modern audiences respond to that original form of speech. [TRANSCRIPT: EPISODE 171] (https://historyofenglishpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/HOE-Transcript-Episode171.pdf) ... Read more

09 Oct 2023

1 HR 06 MINS

1:06:55

09 Oct 2023

#182

Episode 170: Printers, Plague and Poets

In this episode, we examine the connection between poetry and plague in the early 1590s. An outbreak of the recurring sickness contributed to Shakespeare’s early career as a poet, and that poetry likely included his many sonnets. We also examine how an old acquaintance from Shakespeare’s hometown emerged as one of the leading printers in London and how his print shop influenced the development of English during the Elizabethan period. [TRANSCRIPT: EPISODE 170] (https://historyofenglishpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/HOE-Transcript-Episode170.pdf) ... Read more

05 Sep 2023

1 HR 17 MINS

1:17:28

05 Sep 2023

#181

Episode 169: Shakespeare Documented

William Shakespeare is widely considered to be the most important writer in the history of the English language, but relatively little is known about his personal life. The desire to know more about the ‘Bard of Avon’ has led to much speculation and conjecture over the centuries. In this episode, we try to separate fact from fiction as we look at the surviving documentation to determine what we actually know about the poet from Stratford-upon-Avon. [TRANSCRIPT: EPISODE 169] (https://historyofenglishpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/HOE-Transcript-Episode169.pdf) ... Read more

25 Jul 2023

1 HR 00 MINS

1:00:30

25 Jul 2023

#180

Episode 168: Witches, Demons and Fairies

In this episode, we explore the Elizabethan fascination with witchcraft and mysterious creatures like fairies and demons. Those subjects feature prominently in the literature of the period, and they reveal a lot about the world view of the people who lived in England in the late 1500s. Among the texts analyzed in this episode are Reginald Scot’s ‘Discoverie of Witchcraft,’ Christopher Marlowe’s ‘Doctor Faustus,’ Edmund Spenser’s ‘The Faerie Queene,’ and William Shakespeare’s three history plays about Henry VI. [TRANSCRIPT: EPISODE 168] (https://historyofenglishpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/HOE-Transcript-Episode168.pdf) ... Read more

31 May 2023

1 HR 56 MINS

1:56:00

31 May 2023

#179

Episode 167: The Rhythm of English

All languages have their own rhythm and cadence, and English is no exception. That rhythm has actually shaped the language over time. It contributed to the structure of English poetry, and during the Elizabethan period, it shaped the way drama was composed. In this episode, we look at the beginning of Modern English drama through the patterns of sound in ordinary speech. Links to Videos in Episode: [The Perfect French with Dylane: Word Stress] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RO6oP8gJBvU) [The Rhythms of Latin Poetry: Hexameter] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoD0vjQidrc) [TRANSCRIPT: EPISODE 167] (https://historyofenglishpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/HOE-Transcript-Episode167.pdf) ... Read more

24 Apr 2023

1 HR 08 MINS

1:08:11

24 Apr 2023

#178

Bonus Episode: Rise and Fall of the Classic Movie Accent

In this episode from the Patreon archives, we examine the accent used by actors and actresses in very old movies. We look at the origin of that accent and examine why it was adopted by the film industry in the first few decades of sound in motion pictures. ... Read more

31 Mar 2023

41 MINS

41:07

31 Mar 2023

#177

Episode 166: The Arte of Warre

In 1588, the Spanish Armada set sail for England in an attempt to depose Elizabeth I and replace her with a Spanish princess. In this episode, we examine how the English victory secured the status of English within the Church … [Continue reading →] (https://historyofenglishpodcast.com/2023/03/07/episode-166-the-arte-of-warre/) ... Read more

07 Mar 2023

1 HR 15 MINS

1:15:39

07 Mar 2023

#176

Episode 165: Glamorous Grammar

William Bullokar composed the first formal grammar of the English language in 1586. Prior to that point, the concept of grammar had been largely restricted to Latin. Bullokar’s work extended the concept to English, but it did so by employing … [Continue reading →] (https://historyofenglishpodcast.com/2023/01/30/episode-165-glamorous-grammar/) ... Read more

30 Jan 2023

1 HR 01 MINS

1:01:34

30 Jan 2023

#175

Episode 164: Somewhere in the Middle

Throughout her long reign, Queen Elizabeth I was faced with many difficult decisions, and she often chose a middle path when she could. In this episode, we explore the middle paths taken during her reign, and the consequences of those … [Continue reading →] (https://historyofenglishpodcast.com/2022/12/20/episode-164-somewhere-in-the-middle/) ... Read more

20 Dec 2022

1 HR 18 MINS

1:18:58

20 Dec 2022

#174

Episode 163: An Elementary Education

By the second half of the Elizabethan period, the perception of English had changed significantly in England. It was increasingly perceived as a sophisticated language capable of matching the refinement of other European languages. One of the language’s most vocal … [Continue reading →] (https://historyofenglishpodcast.com/2022/11/09/episode-163-an-elementary-education/) ... Read more

09 Nov 2022

1 HR 09 MINS

1:09:54

09 Nov 2022

#173

Episode 162: The Pirate Queen

In the 1570s, Francis Drake plundered Spanish ships throughout the New World with the private permission of Elizabeth I. His actions marked the first direct challenge to Spanish naval supremacy in the region, and also marked the beginning the English … [Continue reading →] (https://historyofenglishpodcast.com/2022/10/06/episode-162-the-pirate-queen/) ... Read more

06 Oct 2022

1 HR 07 MINS

1:07:48

06 Oct 2022

#172

Episode 161: Y U and I Have a Problem

In this episode, we explore the complicated history of the letters Y, U and I, and we examine how they gave birth to the letters W, V and J. We also look at the Gothic script of the Middle Ages … [Continue reading →] (https://historyofenglishpodcast.com/2022/08/31/episode-161-y-u-and-i-have-a-problem/) ... Read more

31 Aug 2022

1 HR 14 MINS

1:14:32

31 Aug 2022

#171

Episode 160: Approximant-ly English

In this episode, we explore the sounds represented by the letters L and R. Linguists refer to these sounds as ‘approximants,’ and they are some of the most challenging sounds in the English language. They are consonants with vowel-like qualities. … [Continue reading →] (https://historyofenglishpodcast.com/2022/07/15/episode-160-approximately-english/) ... Read more

15 Jul 2022

1 HR 19 MINS

1:19:44

15 Jul 2022

#170

Episode 159: Elizabethan Voices

In 1569, an English scholar named John Hart published a manuscript called ‘An Orthographie.’ The text argued for a phonetic spelling system, and it provided one of the earliest detailed descriptions of the sounds of English. In this episode, we … [Continue reading →] (https://historyofenglishpodcast.com/2022/05/18/episode-159-elizabethan-voices/) ... Read more

18 May 2022

1 HR 18 MINS

1:18:53

18 May 2022

#169

Episode 158: Planting Seeds

In the mid-1500s, England attempted to expand its influence in Ireland by establishing plantations there. This same process would soon be applied to North America. In this episode, we explore those early attempts at Irish colonization and England’s first encounters … [Continue reading →] (https://historyofenglishpodcast.com/2022/04/06/episode-158-planting-seeds/) ... Read more

06 Apr 2022

1 HR 05 MINS

1:05:42

06 Apr 2022

#168

Episode 157: Highlands, Lowlands and Netherlands

During the first decade of the reign of Elizabeth I, Protestants in Scotland and the Netherlands rebelled against the Catholic authorities who controlled those countries. Those rebellions were supported by England, and eventually Scotland and the Netherlands joined England as … [Continue reading →] (https://historyofenglishpodcast.com/2022/03/04/episode-157-highlands-lowlands-and-netherlands/) ... Read more

04 Mar 2022

1 HR 10 MINS

1:10:06

04 Mar 2022

#167

Episode 156: Beggars, Cheats and Thieves

In the 1500s, England saw a significant rise in the number of beggars and vagabonds. Those who couldn’t survive by begging often turned to thievery, gambling and fraud. By the mid-1500s, books and pamphlets were being published that highlighted the … [Continue reading →] (https://historyofenglishpodcast.com/2022/02/04/episode-156-beggars-cheats-and-thieves/) ... Read more

04 Feb 2022

1 HR 07 MINS

1:07:45

04 Feb 2022

#166

Episode 155: Back to Basics

In the 1553, Mary Tudor became the first queen to rule England as the head of the government. She promptly turned back the clock on the religious reforms that had taken place over the prior few years. Meanwhile, scholars of … [Continue reading →] (https://historyofenglishpodcast.com/2022/01/04/episode-155-back-to-basics/) ... Read more

04 Jan 2022

1 HR 05 MINS

1:05:06

04 Jan 2022

#165

Episode 154: English Equality

By the mid-1500s, scholars were becoming more confident in the ability of English to express sophisticated ideas and concepts associated with classical learning. Writers began to use English beside Latin and Greek in many scholarly works during this period. English … [Continue reading →] (https://historyofenglishpodcast.com/2021/11/30/episode-154-english-equality/) ... Read more

30 Nov 2021

1 HR 01 MINS

1:01:11

30 Nov 2021

#164

Episode 153: Zombie Letters

In early Modern English, writers and printers began to revise the spelling of many English words to reflect their etymological origins. Old letters were revived from the dead to reflect sounds that had disappeared over time in those words. This … [Continue reading →] (https://historyofenglishpodcast.com/2021/10/30/episode-153-zombie-letters/) ... Read more

30 Oct 2021

1 HR 11 MINS

1:11:08

30 Oct 2021

#163

Episode 152: As the Saying Goes

John Heywood was a playwright and poet who made two important contributions to the history of English. He was a key figure in the emergence of modern English drama which led directly to William Shakespeare at the end of the … [Continue reading →] (https://historyofenglishpodcast.com/2021/09/29/episode-152-as-the-saying-goes/) ... Read more

29 Sep 2021

1 HR 03 MINS

1:03:21

29 Sep 2021

#162

Episode 151: Sick to Death

During the reign of Henry VIII, medical books and herbals proved to be some of the most popular publications in England. The people of England wanted medical books that they could read in the own language. The largely unregulated medical … [Continue reading →] (https://historyofenglishpodcast.com/2021/08/29/episode-151-sick-to-death/) ... Read more

30 Aug 2021

1 HR 13 MINS

1:13:54

30 Aug 2021

#161

Episode 150: A Capital Offense

In the 1530s, Henry VIII declared himself to be the ‘Supreme Head’ of the Church of England, and he demanded absolute loyalty from his subjects. Those who crossed him risked the loss of their heads. Meanwhile, the modern punctuation system started … [Continue reading →] (https://historyofenglishpodcast.com/2021/07/29/episode-150-a-capital-offense/) ... Read more

29 Jul 2021

1 HR 14 MINS

1:14:41

29 Jul 2021