Is language power? With American linguist John McWhorter - podcast episode cover

Is language power? With American linguist John McWhorter

Big Ideas
Jul 01, 2025•54 min
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Episode description

Language is always evolving, and reflecting back to us our society, politics and identity. From profanity, to personal pronouns, to the politics of translation and cultural appropriation, why do we use the words we do?

This event was recorded at the University of Sydney.

Speakers

John McWhorterAssociate Professor of English and Comparative Literature, Colombia UniversityAuthor, Pronoun Trouble: The Story of Us in Seven Little Words, Nine Nasty Words: English in the Gutter, Woke Racism: How a New Religion Has Betrayed Black America and moreColumnist, New York TimesHost, Lexicon Valley podcast

Nick EnfieldProfessor of Linguistics, University of Sydney

Further information:

How a Plane to Australia Took Me to '90s Oakland - New York Times, 20 March, 2025

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Is language power? With American linguist John McWhorter | Big Ideas podcast - Listen or read transcript on Metacast