Myths, Lies, and Half-Truths of Language Usage

Name: Myths, Lies, and Half-Truths of Language Usage
Released: 2012-03-02T00:00:00.000Z
Cast: John Mcwhorter

TV Show · Special Interest

The modern attitude toward English is filled with misconceptions that obscure the true picture of what a marvelous language it is. Dispel the cloud of confusion that clings to English and become a more informed and more self-aware speaker of our wonderful language in Myths, Lies, and Half-Truths of Language Usage, guided by acclaimed linguist Professor John McWhorter.

2012 · 31m

Starring John Mcwhorter

EPISODE 1

Alarm over the Decay of English

Is English going to the dogs? Embark on an exploration of myths and controversies about our native tongue-where it came from, where it's going, and its unusual place among the world's 6,000 languages. Begin your investigation by looking at the purported epidemic of English abuse.
EPISODE 2

Surprises in the Ancestry of Old English

Trace the evidence that English derives from a language that was incompletely learned by invaders of northern Europe more than 2,000 years ago. Where were these people from? An analysis of sound changes in their language, Proto-Germanic, leads to an intriguing hypothesis.
EPISODE 3

Not Exactly Anglo-Saxon

How did Old English develop from Proto-Germanic? And why did people in Britain end up speaking the language of the Germanic invaders? Discover that the traditional explanation that English was brought to England by the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes in the 5th century AD is vastly oversimplified.
EPISODE 4

Don't Forget the Celtic Connection

English has a more interesting history after the Anglo-Saxon period than was previously thought. See how the evidence is in grammatical constructions you use every day. For example, the reason you say "I'm building a house" rather than "I build house" traces to Celtic influences.
EPISODE 5

From Insider Language to Lingua Franca

Explore the general properties of human language to learn the place of English in the broad spectrum of different tongues. In the process, discover how to distinguish a language spoken by a limited number of people from one used by hundreds of millions around the globe.
EPISODE 6

English as Easy German

Starting with a simple sentence in German, peel away layers of complexity that don't exist in English. Then uncover more evidence that English is unusual in the simplicity of many of its grammatical features, showing that something happened to pare it down.