Otherwords Season 1

March. 24,2021

Rating：

5.5

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Trailer Synopsis

Digs deep into the quintessential human trait of language to find the fascinating, thought-provoking, and funny stories behind the words and sounds we take for granted. Incorporating the fields of biology, history, cultural studies, literature and more, linguistics has something for everyone and offers a unique perspective into what it means to be human.

Episode 32 : How Cults Use Language to Control

June. 20,2024

If there's one thing cult leaders do, it's talk. A LOT. Language is an integral part of how cults keep their members bonded, isolated and obedient.

Episode 31 : Why Do Baby Names Fall Out of Fashion?

May. 30,2024

How many Mildreds did you go to school with? If you're under 60 years old, probably none! Mildred may have been a top ten baby name 100 years ago, but today its almost extinct... Why is that??

Episode 30 : Why Do We Use Cringey Words for Loved Ones?

April. 26,2024

From "kitty" to "lovebug," people across the world use very similar type of words for the people they love. What's behind this universal linguistic trend?

Episode 29 : Is the Southern Accent Disappearing?

March. 21,2024

Linguists studying the Southern American Dialect reckon that it ain't what it used to be, y'all. I do declayuh!

Episode 28 : Why Do These Words Get Mispronounced So Much?

February. 22,2024

There are actually good reasons why people tend to mispronounce the same words... and why they ofTen end up being the new standard!

Episode 27 : How Language Nerds Solve Crimes

January. 25,2024

Episode 26 : The Most Extreme Place Names

October. 19,2023

Place names, known as "toponyms" do more than just help us know where we're supposed to meet up.| They often provide clues that can tell you a lot about a location: its geography, history and the people who lived there.

Episode 25 : How the Colors Got Their Names

September. 21,2023

The earliest humans didn't have words for colors... and the way they evolved follow a remarkably similar path across cultures.

Episode 24 : Why Does Texting Feel Different from Talking?

August. 24,2023

Your texts might be cool and clever, but you still get tongue-tied when talking to people face-to-face. Why is that? It's all just words, right? Learn the difference between what linguist call synchronous and asynchronous communication.

Episode 23 : What Brain Damage Reveals About Language

July. 27,2023

Some of the first discoveries about the relationship between language and the brain were made by studying patients with brain damage. Of course, before modern technology, the only way you could see the brain was by opening it up.

Episode 22 : How Queer Communities Created Secret Languages

June. 22,2023

Across the globe, queer communities have relied on secret lexicons known as "argots" to communicate safely, which have developed over the years into what some call "verbal jazz."

Episode 21 : The Weird History of Invented Languages

May. 25,2023

Can you really invent a language? These people sure tried! But does anyone actually speak them?

Episode 20 : How English Took Over the World

April. 20,2023

How did English become the most spoken language on the planet, and why are there so many varieties of English?

Episode 19 : Where Alcoholic Drinks Got Their Names

March. 23,2023

Alcohol has been with humanity since the dawn of civilization, and we use still use some of the same terms for it! Come with us on an etymological journey through the history of drinking.

Episode 18 : Is "R" a Vowel?

February. 23,2023

We all know that the vowels are A, E, I, O, U and sometimes Y... But the way linguists define vowels may mean R qualifies as well!

Episode 17 : How Brands Ruin Slang

January. 26,2023

Why do brands use slang in their marketing? And why does it sound so... cringey?

Episode 16 : Why Sign Language Was Banned in America

October. 27,2022

Sign Languages are just as linguistically valid and vibrant as spoken languages, and beneficial to learn for Deaf and hearing people. So why for decades was it illegal to teach them in American schools?

Episode 15 : Literally No One Likes a Grammar Cop

September. 22,2022

Besides being annoying, what if the grammar police are actually... wrong?

Episode 14 : The Stories Behind Food Names

August. 25,2022

It shouldn't matter what a food is called as long as it tastes good, right? Well, maybe not.

Episode 13 : Is Bilingualism a Superpower?

July. 28,2022

There was a time when psychologists thought growing up bilingual was harmful to brain development, but recent studies into bilingual children have turned that idea on its head!

Episode 12 : Foreign Words We Need in English

June. 23,2022

English has more words than most other languages, but there are still so many familiar things and experiences that we don't have a word for... but other languages do! Here are some of our faves!

Episode 11 : Is Gossip... Good?

May. 26,2022

Gossip is an integral part of human social structure... and maybe the reason language evolved in the first place!

Episode 10 : Pronouns: Little Words That Say a Lot

April. 21,2022

Pronouns may be little, but they say a lot, and they're always changing!

Episode 9 : The Screwed-Up History of English Spelling

March. 24,2022

The English spelling system is a MESS... arguably more than any other language. How did it get this way?

Episode 8 : How Do Clichés Evolve into Memes?

February. 24,2022

Adaptable clichés called "snowclones" are EVERYWHERE on the internet. We use them for memes, inside jokes, to show our membership of the group. But they weren't invented online. In fact, they're way older than you think!

Episode 7 : Is Swearing Good for Your Brain?

January. 20,2022

Does swearing get a bad rap? There's evidence that the shouting obscenities has an evolutionary purpose... and may be good for your psyche!

Episode 6 : 60 Euphemisms for Death!

September. 20,2021

No topic is as universally avoided--yet universally unavoidable--as DEATH. So, it's got a lot of euphemisms in virtually every language.

Episode 5 : Popular Words Invented by Authors

July. 28,2021

Authors often create words just for a one-time usage... but a special few will gain traction and become full-fledged parts of our shared lexicon! Otherwords is a new PBS web series on Storied that digs deep into this quintessential human trait of language and fınds the fascinating, thought-provoking, and funny stories behind the words and sounds we take for granted. Incorporating the fıelds of biology, history, cultural studies, literature, and more, linguistics has something for everyone and offers a unique perspective into what it means to be human.

Episode 4 : What People Get Wrong About African-American English

June. 16,2021

It's one of the most studied — and most controversial — varieties of English. But many people still hold deep misconceptions about African-American English (AAE).

Episode 3 : Can Computers Really Talk? Or Are They Faking It?

May. 05,2021

New advancements in technology are making it harder than ever to tell the difference between a computer and a human speaker... but what's going on under the hood? Is it really "language," or just a digital illusion?

Episode 2 : What's the Longest Word?

April. 14,2021

Before we decide from a long list of contenders, we'll have to figure out what the word "word" really means...

Episode 1 : The Unexpected Origins of the Word ‘Monster’

March. 24,2021

Words don't pop up fully formed... they evolve over thousands of years. What can we learn about our relationship to monsters by tracking the word down into the distant past?