The History of English Podcast

Episode 191: A Vision of the Future

As the English Civil War raged in the 1640s, English grammarians wrote about several developments in the language, including a new sound appearing in the word “vision” an

Episode 190: Union, Division and Unusual U

During the decade of the 1640s, England was divided by Civil War. At the same time, the sound of letter of U was also experiencing its own division, ultimately resulting

Episode 189: Stressed Out

As we conclude our look at the 1630s, we explore the events leading to Civil War in England and the expansion of the English colonies along the eastern coast of North Ame

Episode 188: Old England and New England

In this episode, we explore the first large-scale migration of English settlers to North America in the early 1600s. The settlers arrived in the newly established Massach

Episode 187: Islands and Sea

In this episode, we explore the influence of seafaring on the English language in the early 1600s. We also look at events in the latter half of the 1620s, which included

Episode 186: A Dutch Treat

In this episode, we explore two important developments in North America. First, we examine the legendary story of the Pilgrims’ arrival in New England in 1620 and the est

Episode 185: Spelling Says a Lot (Part 2)

In the second part of our look at the sound of English in the early 1600s, we continue to explore the letters of the alphabet and the sounds that each letter represents.

Episode 184: Spelling Says a Lot (Part 1)

Over the course of the 1500s, English spelling started to become standardized, but the pronunciation of the language continued to change. By the early 1600s, English scho

Episode 183: The Fabric of Our Lives

In the early 1600s, cotton fabrics made in India were in high demand throughout Asia and Africa. When the English and Dutch arrived in India and Japan, they realized how

Episode 182: World of Confusion

In the early 1600s, English began to spread around the world as speakers searched for new trading partners and new places to settle. Through that process, English become

Episode 181: Heaven and Earth

The invention of the telescope in the early 1600s laid the foundation for the scientific revolution, but it also disrupted the traditional view of the universe and led to

Episode 180: English on the Move

In the first decade of the 1600s, English speakers were on the move as they established the first permanent English settlement in North America. They also began a steady

Episode 179: Defining Moments

In the early 1600s, several landmark events shaped the history of England and determined how and where the English language would be spoken in the centuries that followed

Episode 178: Much Ado About Hamlet

In the first couple of years of the 1600s, several new Shakespeare plays appeared. Much Ado About Nothing and As You Like It were recorded in the Stationer’s Register, an

Episode 177: Dressed for Success

In this episode, we look at clothing and fashion in the Elizabethan era, and we examine the connection between clothing, custom and language. We also examine Shakespeare’

Episode 176: All the World’s a Playhouse

Theaters were an important part of cultural life in Elizabethan England, and they contributed many words to the English language. Those words joined thousands of other wo

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 t

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

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 Sh

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 Navarr