The History of English in Ten Minutes - for iPod/iPhone
By The Open University
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Description
Where did the phrase ‘a wolf in sheep’s clothing’ come from? And when did scientists finally get round to naming sexual body parts? Voiced by Clive Anderson, this entertaining romp through 'The History of English' squeezes 1600 years of history into 10 one-minute bites, uncovering the sources of English words and phrases from Shakespeare and the King James Bible to America and the Internet. Bursting with fascinating facts, the series looks at how English grew from a small tongue into a major global language before reflecting on the future of English in the 21st century.
| Name | Description | Released | Price | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | VideoAnglo-Saxon | A look at what words the Anglo-Saxons and Vikings bought to the English language. | 21 6 2011 | Free | View in iTunes |
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2 |
Transcript -- Anglo-Saxon | Transcript -- A look at what words the Anglo-Saxons and Vikings bought to the English language. | 21 6 2011 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 3 | VideoThe Norman Conquest | In 1066, William the Conqueror invaded Britain and bought with him fancy French words to add to the English language. | 21 6 2011 | Free | View in iTunes |
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4 |
Transcript -- The Norman Conquest | Transcript -- In 1066, William the Conqueror invaded Britain and bought with him fancy French words to add to the English language. | 21 6 2011 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 5 | VideoShakespeare | This video tells us that Shakespeare invented over 2000 new words and phrases like eyeball, anchovy and puppy. | 21 6 2011 | Free | View in iTunes |
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6 |
Transcript -- Shakespeare | Transcript -- This video tells us that Shakespeare invented over 2000 new words and phrases like eyeball, anchovy and puppy. | 21 6 2011 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 7 | VideoThe King James Bible | Illustrating that in 1611, the new King James Bible was created and gave us many famous phrases. | 21 6 2011 | Free | View in iTunes |
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8 |
Transcript -- The King James Bible | Transcript -- Illustrating that in 1611, the new King James Bible was created and gave us many famous phrases. | 21 6 2011 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 9 | VideoThe English of Science | In the 17th Century, new science words were being created like acid, ovary and tonsil. | 21 6 2011 | Free | View in iTunes |
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10 |
Transcript -- The English of Science | Transcript -- In the 17th Century, new science words were being created like acid, ovary and tonsil. | 21 6 2011 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 11 | VideoEnglish and Empire | Exploring how the British Empire spread across the world bringing back many new words and phrases. | 21 6 2011 | Free | View in iTunes |
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12 |
Transcript -- English and Empire | Transcript -- Exploring how the British Empire spread across the world bringing back many new words and phrases. | 21 6 2011 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 13 | VideoThe Age of the Dictionary | A look at how lexicographers started creating the Dictionary of the English Language to ensure that everyone spelt words correctly and knew their correct definition. | 21 6 2011 | Free | View in iTunes |
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14 |
Transcript -- The Age of the Dictionary | Transcript -- A look at how lexicographers started creating the Dictionary of the English Language to ensure that everyone spelt words correctly and knew their correct definition. | 21 6 2011 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 15 | VideoAmerican English | Learn about American-English and how some American words were actually English to start with. | 21 6 2011 | Free | View in iTunes |
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16 |
Transcript -- American English | Transcript -- Learn about American-English and how some American words were actually English to start with. | 21 6 2011 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 17 | VideoInternet English | Exploring the expansion of internet language, with abbreviations like lol and btw. | 21 6 2011 | Free | View in iTunes |
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18 |
Transcript -- Internet English | Transcript -- Exploring the expansion of internet language, with abbreviations like lol and btw. | 21 6 2011 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 19 | VideoGlobal English | The future of English and the many hybrids that have been created. Should we still call it English? | 21 6 2011 | Free | View in iTunes |
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20 |
Transcript -- Global English | Transcript -- The future of English and the many hybrids that have been created. Should we still call it English? | 21 6 2011 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 20 Items |
Customer Reviews
What next? The evolution of man in ten seconds?
A joyful achievement wonderfully executed and a pleasure to listen to repeatedly.
Addictive
Too bad there are only 10 episodes, the fact that they're entertaining and in small, very digestible chunks makes this series very addictive.
While it might not teach much...
...it certainly provokes an interest!
I've long been interested in the roots of words and so most of this was already obvious to me, but it took me a while to get that interest going. With these bite-size clips I'm sure I'd have started even sooner, because they're quirky and funny and very watchable, not to mention that they're a good enough laugh to come back to time after time.
