Slate Debates
A feed from the Slate podcast network featuring episodes with enlightening conversations, opposing views, and plenty of healthy disputes. You'll get a curated selection of episodes from programs like What Next, The Waves, and the Political Gabfest, with deep discussions that go beyond point-counterpoint and shed light on the issues that matter most.
201
Why Is "Ph" Pronounced That Way?
The answer is positively phantastic.
43 min
202
Does Language Affect Thought?
We revisit the popular notion that our language helps shapes our worldview.
44 min
203
A Fleeting Glance
The word "transient" reveals some enduring patterns in English pronunciation and etymology.
36 min
204
The Romance Languages
What an ancient, undecipherable manuscript says—and doesn't say—about Latin and its spawn.
41 min
205
Why Do Some Americans Say Warshed?
The letter R has a habit of intruding on spoken English. How come?
45 min
206
Flores Man vs. Sulawesi
A linguistic mystery in the Lesser Sunda Islands.
43 min
207
The Lingua Francas
A conversation with Gaston Dorren, author of Babel: Around the World in Twenty Languages.
33 min
208
Can Climate Influence Language?
Tonal languages evolved mostly in hot and humid places. What would explain that?
42 min
209
When Ain't Was Alright
What we can learn about English from am, the seemingly simplest verb.
35 min
210
The Semitic Tongues
Where did Arabic, Hebrew and Amharic originate? And what is a triconsonantal root?
41 min
211
Precious Little
How an old word for child morphed into a versatile, and very modern, suffix.
39 min
212
When Words Collide
Some more of the many ways that neologisms form.
40 min
213
Truth Be Told
An actually very literal discussion of true words. Really!
36 min
214
A Penetrating History of F*%k
English speakers have been getting it on with the F-word for centuries.
42 min
215
When Did English Get Happy?
A New Year's meditation on a joyful word.
34 min
216
Sponsored: Adjusting the Lens on Chronic Disease
More than half of Americans are currently living with one or more serious, preventable, chronic diseases. These rates are expected to increase significantly over the next two decades.
28 min
217
Why Language Can't Be Tamed
A conversation with Lane Greene, author of Talk on the Wild Side, about the "vague and anarchic" nature of language.
35 min
218
Is Social Media Changing English?
Our speech is becoming more childlike, but not for the reasons you think.
37 min
219
What Was the First Language?
How far back can we trace, with any accuracy, the spoken word?
43 min
220
So ... Let's Talk About So
How long have we been starting our sentences with "so"?
35 min
221
Like-Minded
A meditation on the evolution of the word like.
28 min
222
Why Do Southerners Talk Like That?
John McWhorter dissects the many distinct features that make up Southern speech.
36 min
223
The Habitual Past
Did you "used to" do something but don't any longer? Where does that expression come from?!
31 min
224
A Riot of Color
Our word for "red" predates our word for "blue"—and that's true for almost every language!
37 min
225
The Rise of They
English pronouns are evolving and it's time to embrace it.
39 min