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Words on the Move
Words on the Move: Why English Won't - and Can't - Sit Still (Like, Literally) | John McWhorter
A bestselling linguist takes us on a lively tour of how the English language is evolving before our eyes -- and why we should embrace this transformation and not fight it Language is always changing -- but we tend not to like it. We understand that new words must be created for new things, but the way English is spoken today rubs many of us the wrong way. Whether its the use of literally to mean figuratively rather than by the letter, or the way young people use LOL and like, or business jargon like Whats the ask? -- it often seems as if the language is deteriorating before our eyes. But the truth is different and a lot less scary, as John McWhorter shows in this delightful and eye-opening exploration of how English has always been in motion and continues to evolve today. Drawing examples from everyday life and employing a generous helping of humor, he shows that these shifts are a natural process common to all languages, and that we should embrace and appreciate these changes, not condemn them. Words on the Move opens our eyes to the surprising backstories to the words and expressions we use every day. Did you know that silly once meant blessed? Or that ought was the original past tense of owe? Or that the suffix -ly in adverbs is actually a remnant of the word like? And have you ever wondered why some people from New Orleans sound as if they come from Brooklyn? McWhorter encourages us to marvel at the dynamism and resilience of the English language, and his book offers a lively journey through which we discover that words are ever on the move and our lives are all the richer for it.
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SpiderGoddess
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I am quite sure I'll not complete anymore books over the next few days.... so here's the tally on my #bookspinbingo for March. Gonna post my next list soon!

@TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! Great month!!! 4y
10 likes2 comments
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SpiderGoddess
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Pickpick

I actually get disappointed when I come to the end of his books. Such a brilliant writer, and I love the way he views the living aspect of English.

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SpiderGoddess
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"For all their artifactual splendor, dictionaries are misleading portraits of something as endlessly transforming as language."

???

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ErinSBecker
Pickpick

McWhorter is the one who first got me hooked on linguistics a decade ago. I'd since read others of his works and been underwhelmed. This one did not disappoint. Lots of interesting material, and new food for thought even for those who have read broadly in linguistics. Beware though, McWhorter uses A LOT of analogies. #triplespin

@TheAromaofBooks

runswithscissors007 If I have read Steven pinker, is that enough to be able to read this one? 5y
TheAromaofBooks Great review!! 5y
ErinSBecker @runswithscissors007 definitely! I dont think this book has any prereqs. I meant to say that it's enjoyable even if you HAVE already read a bunch of linguistics, but it's probably even more enjoyable of you haven't, because more of what he says will be new. 5y
ErinSBecker @TheAromaofBooks thanks! I finished my #bookspin, #doublespin, and #triplespin so now I'm starting the books that would have been my spins if I removed those three. (So numbers 8, 9, and 19). 5y
TheAromaofBooks I like it! 5y
20 likes5 comments
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CKBrooke
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Any other linguistics geeks & John McWhorter fans in the house?? (I wish Litsy counted “The Great Courses” audio books as books, LOL.) I have listened to all of Prof. McWhorter‘s podcasts, courses, and audio books to date, and own both his friend Gaston Dorren‘s books (Babel & Lingo). I‘ve got 1 Audible credit left to spend & I already have most of Steven Pinker‘s...anyone have a good #linguistics #audiobook to recommend?? #recommendations #nonfic

rretzler I‘ll have to give these a try. I have a sub to Great Courses Plus 6y
CKBrooke @rretzler All of John McWhorter‘s are fantastic if you like linguistics! If you aren‘t familiar with him, I highly recommend his TED Talk on YouTube, entitled “Txting is killing language - JK!!”, and his podcast, Slate‘s Lexicon Valley. 😀 6y
rretzler Thanks! I think just about everything is killing language! 6y
CKBrooke @rretzler Ooh...I used to think that too. Then Professor McWhorter changed my mind! ;-) Linguistics is the study of how people actually speak (descriptivism), versus, say, a grammarian (prescriptivism) who studies how we write, or ‘ought to‘ speak. But language is constantly shifting, evolving, changing. Definitely give his TED Talk a listen! I found it most enlightening. ☺️ 6y
15 likes4 comments
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DyAnne
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I get paid to be a language prescriptivist in the classroom; however, in real life, I am a descriptivist all the way. Language is alive. It evolves. It‘s glorious. Bend it to your will!

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RiaWritten
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A sad sight as I start to pack up my books.

Cinfhen You have a lot of nail polish too💅🏼😉 (edited) 7y
Sarah83 Do you have to move? 7y
RiaWritten @Sarah83 Sadly yes. It‘s ultimately going to be for the best, but I‘ll miss the east coast! 7y
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Sarah83 Where will you live now? 7y
RiaWritten @Sarah83 Colorado! 7y
Sarah83 And why? 7y
Zelma But just think how fun it is to unpack them all! 7y
2BR02B I packed up most of mine last weekend. Thirty boxes! I need a new hobby. 😆 7y
27 likes8 comments
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Peddler410
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Starting this one today. Sometimes I think I should have been a linguist.

MrBook Anything by McWhorter is stellar. 7y
DrexEdit Looks like a terrific read! 7y
Daisey This book was fascinating! I need to pick up another of his books sometime. 7y
ErinSBecker Mcwhorter's The Power of Babel ignited a love of linguistics and languages in me that's going strong 8 years later! Currently reading words on the move and loving it. 5y
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kendrastephaniekaryn
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Pickpick

Once upon a time, in my third year of University during the spring of 2014, I took an introductory linguistic course. I nearly flunked out of that class, but would have passed with flying colours if John McWhorter had been teaching. This was one of my best reads of the year! I'm a milennial, and this book was really interesting to me as it discusses how we got to "here" (i.e., is millenial-speak really as awful as everyone else makes it seem?).

kendrastephaniekaryn Read this one out of my Audible backlog. #TBRcleanup 7y
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kendrastephaniekaryn
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Moving right along! This one feels pretty academic, but seems interesting already. I'm really feeling audiobooks today! #TBRcleanup

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Daisey
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Pickpick

I finished listening to this book while sitting on the front porch with a salad for supper and a kitten for company. I love books like this about language, how it came to be the way that it is and how it is still changing. Although this one did not wow me like The Adventure of English, it was very informative and often entertaining.

#audiobook #nonfiction #catsoflitsy

Megabooks Glad you liked it! 7y
Daisey @Booksandcooks It was such an interesting listen! This is another one I especially appreciated on audio for the pronunciation, and his narration with different voices for examples was fantastic. 7y
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Megabooks @Daisey I loved that part too! I don't think it would've been as good as text. 7y
Zelma Super cute kitten! 😻 7y
Kangaj1 Such a cute pic, but I have to say I am worried water will dump on your phone thanks to a curious cat... 7y
Daisey @Zelma Thanks! @Kangaj1 Yeah, I moved things as soon as I got the photo. Plus the kitten kept trying to drink my water and stick her head in my salad. 😂 7y
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Daisey
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Changing it up and listening to nonfiction while I field cultivate today. If you look really closely, you can see the planter along the edge of the field just above the book screenshot.

This is fascinating book about our constantly changing language.

Thanks @Booksandcooks for the recommendation!

#audiobook #nonfiction #BooksontheFarm

Zelma Loving your photos. My family all lives in corn country Michigan. I don't remember seeing it, but what are you all growing? 7y
Daisey @Zelma Thank you! 😊 We raise mostly corn, soybeans, and wheat and are planting soybeans in this field that was too wet to plant earlier. It's actually the same field where I was pumping water the end of last week. 7y
Megabooks I'm glad you're enjoying it!! 7y
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kendrastephaniekaryn
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Looking forward to diving into today's #audible daily deal! 🤓

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Megabooks
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This was my pick for best nonfiction #audiobook of the year when I judged the 2017 #armchairaudies. I paid full price for, and it was so worth every penny, but you can get it for $2.95! #audible #dailydeal

Ashley_Nicoletto Good to know! Definitely getting! Thanks for sharing 7y
saguarosally How do you find Audible deals? This looks interesting. 7y
Sue Thanks for the hot tip! I love books about language, and his Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue' was awesome! 7y
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Daisey Thanks for sharing; I've been wanting to listen to this book since you mentioned it before!! (edited) 7y
Caterina You've convinced me! I've purchased it! 7y
EllieDottie This looks good! 7y
Megabooks @saguarosally You can sign up to be notified of them on the audible website. 7y
Megabooks @Sue I'm listening to what the F right now. It's good as well! 7y
Megabooks @Ashley_Nicoletto @Daisey @Caterina @EllieDottie I hope you enjoy it!! 👍🏻👍🏻 7y
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Megabooks
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Pickpick

Y'all this book is like awesome. I'm all you should check it out and listen to it. He's like talking about how language changes over time. No really.

All of the above are changes he noted in the way we talk. That's just the last chapter. And based off (another change) my recommendation, you should head to #audible and buy it.

Last of the #ArmchairAudies in #nonfiction. I hope to have all my blog posts up by the 1st. #nonfictionchallenge17

LitHousewife I'm adding this to my list! 8y
Louise John McWhorter is such a wonderful teacher! I have a couple of his Great Courses from Audible. 8y
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Megabooks @LitHousewife It's so good! This is good for happy reasons, Evicted for sad ones. It's going to be a tough call. (edited) 8y
Megabooks @Louise I'm considering getting some of those! 8y
Louise You can't go wrong! Also check out Arnold Weinstein's Great Courses on literature. They are great! 8y
CatchMyBookBreath I love John McWhorter and bought everything he's recorded that's on audible. Have you read Word by Word yet? BTW, i just saw the nonfiction challenge tag - I'm in! 7y
Megabooks @CatchMyBookBreath No I haven't, but I'd love to! Great to have you in the challenge! 7y
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Megabooks
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Spent my shower listening to the last book in my #nonfiction #ArmchairAudies category. I'm really enjoying this one. I'm going to have to listen to a chapter of Evicted to compare the two. Both are very different and have EXCELLENT narration! 🤔🤔😃 #springcleaningreadathon

Sace Does the author narrate this one? Because I've listened to one of John McWhorter's Great Courses and he's so entertaining. I'm not embarrassed to admit that I am a McWhorter groupie. Absolutely love him. 8y
Megabooks @Sace Yes he does, and it's fantastic! The only chapter I haven't liked was the one on vowels. All the accents gave me a headache! But otherwise so far it's amazing! Definitely check it out!!!!! 8y
Sace I've got the print copy. Now I'm kind of sad I didn't go audible. 8y
Megabooks @Sace I'm sure it will still be good but 😢😢 8y
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tjwill
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Pickpick

I listen to the Lexicon Valley podcast, which John McWhorter hosts, so I've been interested in reading his book for a while. It's about how English is always changing, and there were some fascinating anecdotes about language change and spelling explanations. I'm aware that being fascinated by spelling makes me a nerd, but I'm ok with that. Some of the things in the book were also explained in episodes of the podcast, but I personally didn't mind.

Daisey I also find these things about spelling changes and changes to language over time fascinating. I'll have to look these up! 8y
Clare-Dragonfly Why have I never heard of this podcast?! It sounds right up my alley! 8y
tjwill @Daisey Some fun things are how the past tense -ed suffix and -ly adverb suffix started and changed, and backshift pronunciation of compound nouns. 8y
tjwill @Clare-Dragonfly I love it. A coworker turned me onto it. John McWhorter started as sole host last year, but I've listened to all the episodes! Sometimes they discuss individual words, and sometimes trends or changes in language. 8y
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KikiLovesBooks
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Pickpick

Great little read--it took me a while because I put it down and forgot about it, but in this case, I was happy to dive back in! McWhorter, a linguistics professor at Columbia University has a fun and clever take on the whole issue of "new" words and how grammar and parts of speech can morph over time. Hmmm, I bet morph might be one of those words! Fascinating and fun. I wanted to read allowed often for my family to hear all the clever things!

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Faibka
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On the go kit: favorite tote bag, a bunch of books, literary magazines, notebooks, colorful pens/pencils, bookmarks, headphones. Just in case... 😎 What does your literary bag look like? 😊
#onthego

[DELETED] 3323341091 the contents of our bags is similar 😬 8y
Faibka @fern 😆 it's a heavier bag but all the essentials are at hand! 8y
24 likes2 comments
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JessReads
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This morning I'm running errands, so I'm all about #nonfictionnovember! I love listening to nonfiction on audio (it's basically the only way I take it in anymore). McWhorter is ridiculously smart and has an amazing writing (and narrating) voice. Audio is definitely the way to read this one!

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KikiLovesBooks
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YES!

SusanInTiburon Oh, what a great analogy! I have read quite a bit about language development, but haven't heard it put this way before. Bravo! Thanks for sharing. 8y
KikiLovesBooks @SusanInTiburon He's a professor at Columbia (one of my dream schools as a teen) and I imagine he is a delight! His writing is funny and informative. Very readable. 8y
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KikiLovesBooks
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The words "tree" and "true" are from the same root (pun intended). https://youtu.be/VYFE3tYUdJU