History
Station:
PBS (US)
Status:
Running
Start:
2021-03-24
Rating:
0/10 from 0 users
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 on what it means to be human
There is no Next Episode of Otherwords planned.
S5E9 - Punctuation's Weird Backstory
There was a time when written words were all scrunched together without any spaces or symbols to help the reader make sense of it. How did we get from that to this‽
Air Date: 30 Sep 2025 11:00 (CDT)
S5E10 - The Subliminal Messages in Brand Names
Explains how linguists use sounds and patterns (phonetic symbolism) in names like Coca-Cola (CV-CV rhythm) or Febreze (soft sounds) to influence perception, revealing how marketing taps into deep-seated linguistic tricks to make brands memorable and convey qualities like luxury or lightness, drawing on ideas from ancient philosophers like Plato.
Air Date: 28 Oct 2025 11:00 (CDT)
S2025E10 - The Subliminal Messages in Brand Names
Air Date: 28 Oct 2025 11:00 (CDT)