WQED

Latest Episode

How Queer Communities Created Secret Languages - Across the globe, queer communities have relied on secret lexicons known as "argots" to communicate safely, which have developed over the years into what some call "verbal jazz."

All Episodes

How Queer Communities Created Secret Languages

What are "argots" or what some call "verbal jazz", and how is it used across the globe?

The Weird History of Invented Languages

Can you really invent a language? So how does one...do it?

How English Took Over the World

How did English become the most widely spoken language in the world?

Where Alcoholic Drinks Got Their Names

Let’s take a deep dive into the etymology of alcohol.

Is "R" a Vowel?

R is an incredibly weird letter; it's a wonder that we use one symbol to represent them.

How Brands Ruin Slang

What makes a word slang, and why does it sound so weird when companies use it?

About Otherwords

Otherwords digs deep into this quintessential human trait of language and finds the fascinating, thought-provoking, and funny stories behind the words and sounds we take for granted. Incorporating the fields of biology, history, cultural studies, literature and more, linguistics has something for everyone and offers a unique perspective into what it means to be human.