Who is the history of English podcast?
My name is Kevin Stroud, and I am the writer, producer and host of the History of English Podcast. Since the summer of 2012, I have attempted to tell the story of the English language from its ultimate origins to one of the most widely-spoken languages in the world.
What is the history of English?
A chronological history of the English language examined through the lens of historical events that shaped the development and spread of the language from the Eurasian steppe to the entire world.
What sparked your interest in the history of the English language?
My interest in the history and development of the English language was sparked by an otherwise non-eventful lecture about poetry in high school English class in the 1980s. The lecture featured a videotape of modern scholars reciting the Beowulf poem in its original Old English.
What is the history of English word play?
In the second half of the 1400s, there is written evidence of word play and new word formations within English. These new terms included words for the sounds made by animals and collective nouns for various groups of animals and people. This was also a period when the Plantagenet era came to an end, and the first Tudor monarch seized the throne.
What was the second half of the 1400s?
In the second half of the 1400s, there is written evidence of word play and new word formations within English. These new terms included words for the sounds made by animals and collective nouns for various groups of animals and people. This was also a period when the Plantagenet era came to an end, and the first Tudor monarch seized the throne. In this episode, we examine those linguistic and historical developments.
How many vowels are there in English?
Vowel sounds are a key feature of every language, but the actual vowel sounds vary from one language to another. The English language contains about twenty vowel sounds, some of which are pure vowels and some of which are a combination of vowel sounds called diphthongs. In this episode, we explore the pure vowel sounds used in Modern English, and we examine how slight changes in the vowel sounds contribute to accent differences within Modern English.
What happened to the Protestant Reformation?
The Protestant Reformation led to the break-up of the Western Church. Meanwhile in England, the marriage of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon was also coming to an end. Those two events came together in the 1520s to set ...
What is the bonus episode of Chaucer's Purse?
Bonus Episode: Chaucer’s Purse and the Great Vowel Shift. In this bonus episode of the regular podcast, we explore the effects of the Great Vowel Shift on the pronunciation of English by reading Geoffrey Chaucer’s last known poem in Middle English, early Modern English and contemporary English.
What did Columbus discover?
In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue. The voyage marked the beginning of the European discovery of the Americas. Columbus encountered natives in the Caribbean who spoke a Native American dialect called Arawakan.
How did the European Renaissance contribute to the early modern era?
Posted by Kevin Stroud. 5. The European Renaissance provided a transition to the early modern era by looking back to the culture of classical Greece and Rome. It led to a renewed interest in ancient Greek and Latin and a new world view known as humanism.
What was the result of the marriages between European royal families in the 1500s?
In the early 1500s, a series of marriages between European royal families re-shaped the face of Europe and brought together separate regions under the leadership of a single ruler. This led to creation of modern Spain and the formation of a massive European empire ruled by the Habsburg family.
What is the chronological history of the English language?
A chronological history of the English language examined through the lens of historical events that shaped the development and spread of the language from the Eurasian steppe to the entire world.
What happened in the early 1500s?
In the early 1500s, a series of marriages between European royal families re-shaped the face of Europe and brought together separate regions under the leadership of a single ruler. This led …
When did European exploration begin?
The period of European exploration and discovery began in the 1400s as part of an effort to find new trading routes to Africa and Asia. In this episode, we look at how European sailors and merc…
When did Columbus sail the ocean?
In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue. The voyage marked the beginning of the European discovery of the Americas. Columbus encountered natives in the Caribbean who spoke a Native Ameri…
What is Beowulf Deconstructed about?
Beowulf Deconstructed is also available from the following online retailers: The History of the Alphabet explores the history of the letters which make up the modern English alphabet. The series is presented by Kevin Stroud and explores the evolution of the alphabet from its ancient origins to its modern usage.
What is the Old English of Beowulf?
Beowulf Deconstructed: The Old English of Beowulf explores the language and story of the ancient Anglo-Saxon poem. Kevin Stroud presents the story of Beowulf by deconstructing the poem and examining the original Old English language, as well as the history behind the poem.
Where did the alphabet originate?
The series traces the development of the alphabet from northern Egypt, to the Near East, and eventually to the Mediterranean and throughout Europe.
