Episode 182: World of Confusion
About this episode
This episode explores the spread of English in the early 1600s and the confusion that arose as it encountered new languages and cultures.
In the early 1600s, English began to spread around the world as speakers searched for new trading partners and new places to settle. Through that process, English become an international language, but as English speakers encountered people and languages in distant places, they sometimes became confused. That confusion and uncertainty shaped the English language during this period. In this episode, we explore early English loanwords from North America, Shakespeare’s The Tempest, and the first English trading post in India. TRANSCRIPT: EPISODE 182
People in this episode
Host: Kevin Stroud
Topics covered
- English language
- loanwords
- trading
- colonialism
- Shakespeare
- cultural exchange
Mentioned in this episode
Books & works: The Tempest
Places: North America, India
More episodes of The History of English Podcast
- Episode 188: Old England and New England
- Episode 187: Islands and Sea
- Episode 186: A Dutch Treat
- Episode 185: Spelling Says a Lot (Part 2)
- Episode 184: Spelling Says a Lot (Part 1)
- Episode 183: The Fabric of Our Lives
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The History of English Podcast podcast page.