John McWhorter

It's actually technically 102 years of people recorded speaking and moving at the same time. And so there's some sound films starting in 1923. And that, to me, is history, especially now that we've got the internet. And so you can just see these things happening, and you can listen to the way people talk. And so that's something I do. Not all linguists would be inclined to do that.

They would do other interesting things. But it's a little obsession of mine, especially lately, how has American English changed over about the past 125 years when you can actually hear it? You can listen to, this won't go on for too much longer, but you can listen to the black musical theater artist, Burt Williams, who has a certain name, But he first became famous working with George Walker.

They would do other interesting things. But it's a little obsession of mine, especially lately, how has American English changed over about the past 125 years when you can actually hear it? You can listen to, this won't go on for too much longer, but you can listen to the black musical theater artist, Burt Williams, who has a certain name, But he first became famous working with George Walker.

They're two black men. You can see them in pictures. And, you know, they've got the minstrel makeup, and they're in these forced poses. And you kind of think, what were they like? And it's hard to tell. There's some recordings of them. There are a few. And they're like, like that. And you can listen to the way they spoke and sang.

They're two black men. You can see them in pictures. And, you know, they've got the minstrel makeup, and they're in these forced poses. And you kind of think, what were they like? And it's hard to tell. There's some recordings of them. There are a few. And they're like, like that. And you can listen to the way they spoke and sang.

They both sound Caribbean, including George Walker, who grew up in Kansas, because black English vowels were different back then. If you listen to black people on cylinders from the 1890s, And then them, they don't say coat. They say coat like that. Somebody's going to marry me. Somebody's going to marry me. That's how they sounded. And so these are the obsessions that one starts to have.

They both sound Caribbean, including George Walker, who grew up in Kansas, because black English vowels were different back then. If you listen to black people on cylinders from the 1890s, And then them, they don't say coat. They say coat like that. Somebody's going to marry me. Somebody's going to marry me. That's how they sounded. And so these are the obsessions that one starts to have.

Both of those. Yeah. And it's not only black people. It's just people in general. Listen to that vowel. Why did the person use the word fantastical in that particular way? There are all sorts of things. And then, like, do I go looking for it?

Both of those. Yeah. And it's not only black people. It's just people in general. Listen to that vowel. Why did the person use the word fantastical in that particular way? There are all sorts of things. And then, like, do I go looking for it?

Not necessarily, but if I find out that there is some four-CD player set called Sounds of the Deep Past, the first thing I'm thinking is how interesting could most of that be? But there'll be two things where somebody is black or somebody is using something colloquial, and so I'll listen to all four of those damn CDs once because you never know what you're going to get.

Not necessarily, but if I find out that there is some four-CD player set called Sounds of the Deep Past, the first thing I'm thinking is how interesting could most of that be? But there'll be two things where somebody is black or somebody is using something colloquial, and so I'll listen to all four of those damn CDs once because you never know what you're going to get.

And you get just enough to put into books and to mention to you and things like that.

And you get just enough to put into books and to mention to you and things like that.

You mean linguistics in general? No, no, this thing you're just talking about. Oh, that. It's a summer day in 1975. And my father's got his beer, and he's watching this bad old movie. And it was a movie biography, old one, of Stephen Foster. And the people keep walking through, and the vowels are different. I'm going to write Swanee River. And I asked Ed, why do they talk that way?

You mean linguistics in general? No, no, this thing you're just talking about. Oh, that. It's a summer day in 1975. And my father's got his beer, and he's watching this bad old movie. And it was a movie biography, old one, of Stephen Foster. And the people keep walking through, and the vowels are different. I'm going to write Swanee River. And I asked Ed, why do they talk that way?

And he said, well, you know... Things change, and that's about all he had. But I remember thinking, those were real people, and yet they don't talk like us. Why? And then a seed was gradually planted. There's an episode of, I've never spoken about this, there's an episode of The Lucy Show. Not I Love Lucy, but her second show that got bad.

And he said, well, you know... Things change, and that's about all he had. But I remember thinking, those were real people, and yet they don't talk like us. Why? And then a seed was gradually planted. There's an episode of, I've never spoken about this, there's an episode of The Lucy Show. Not I Love Lucy, but her second show that got bad.

And in one of the early episodes, Lucy gets a maid, and the maid is snobbish, and so Lucy starts buying the maid lunch. And at one point she says, oh, it's a roast chicken. It's broasted. And she says, it's broasted. And I was listening to that when I was about 13 and thinking, that's not a word anymore, is it? That sort of thing, for some reason, interests me.

And in one of the early episodes, Lucy gets a maid, and the maid is snobbish, and so Lucy starts buying the maid lunch. And at one point she says, oh, it's a roast chicken. It's broasted. And she says, it's broasted. And I was listening to that when I was about 13 and thinking, that's not a word anymore, is it? That sort of thing, for some reason, interests me.

And next thing you know, you've got so much of it stuck crowding out more important things in your head. But you can write books about it.