Episodes from Deadlanguagesociety

Why Doesn't English Use Accents? Exploring Linguistics

In this episode of the Dead Language Society, host dives into the intriguing question of why English lacks accent marks while languages like French are rich with them. Linguist Colin Gorrie joins the discussion, tracing the historical roots of this phenomenon back to the Norman Conquest of 1066. Discover how English evolved, adapting to influences from French, leading to a simplified spelling system devoid of accents. Colin shares compelling examples, such as the word 'lead,' which highlights the complexities of English pronunciation without accents. The episode also explores how accents in French serve critical roles in meaning and pronunciation, and what the linguistic landscape might look like if English had retained accent marks. Tune in for an enlightening journey through language evolution and historical linguistics.