Have you ever wondered where language actually comes from? Why did humans develop language in a way that other species didn't? And are bow-wow, ding-dong and poo-poo bona fide academic theories? Season 1 will go out with a bang as this episode attempts to answer one of the biggest questions in linguistics! Linguistics HQ will then go into a brief period of hibernation, but it will be back on Wednesday 6th January with a new season all about sociolinguistics, so see you then!

Why do we say 'I’ll think about it' when we’ve already decided? What's the difference between 'thanks' and 'thanks'? Could a misplaced emoji start a war? And are you stuck for ways to celebrate National Linguistics Day? In this episode, we unwrap the hidden messages in everyday talk — where words are just the beginning and context is everything. Tune in to learn about pragmatics and ways to get #NationalLinguisticsDay trending!

Have you been mixing your metaphors recently? Are you reticent or reluctant? How can you reanalyse a crayfish? And which deadly device is lurking in your office? This episode looks at semantics, including what makes up meaning, how meaning changes over time, and how AI handles it (obviously not as well as we do!).

Is it really possible to succeed academically on four hours sleep a night (and still be good-looking)? What’s the key to getting people to use your new alphabet? And is it ever wise to act on an idea you’ve had in a dream? Tune in to find out about the work of some influential black linguists and language advocates and how they’ve made a difference!

Do you know your equative from your versative? Why do some languages play fast and loose with word order? And what did Plato have to say about parts of speech? This episode looks at syntax, including what makes a sentence make sense, different word orders around the world, and how to draw a very simple constituent structure diagram. Pens at the ready!

Have you ever wondered how new words are made? Or how to avoid getting delayed by a chatty Aztec? Is talk of acronyms giving you FOMO? This episode looks at derivational morphology and all the different ways in which languages create their own words, from compounding to back formation to blending. And for a cross-disciplinary twist, we've also got maths with dogs! Don't miss it!

www.linguisticshq.co.uk

What’s the difference between a pharyngeal and an alveolar? How many types of 'd' do we really need? What are people really doing when they tut-tut disapprovingly? And is Mark a suitable name for a hamster? In this episode we make the big ideas of phonology bite-sized and fun. From tone to whistling languages, discover the sounds that shape how we communicate!

www.linguisticshq.co.uk

In this introductory episode I'm going to tell you what linguistics is and why we need to know about it! I’m also going to talk about why I decided to launch a podcast on linguistics and why I created National Linguistics Day, and I'll give you an idea of some of the fascinating things I’m going to share with you throughout the series.

www.linguisticshq.co.uk