In this episode, we explore the complicated history of the letters Y, U and I, and we examine how they gave birth to the letters W, V and J. We also look at the Gothic script of the Middle Ages Cont

In this episode, we explore the sounds represented by the letters L and R. Linguists refer to these sounds as approximants, and they are some of the most challenging sounds in the English language.

In 1569, an English scholar named John Hart published a manuscript called An Orthographie. The text argued for a phonetic spelling system, and it provided one of the earliest detailed descriptions o

In the mid-1500s, England attempted to expand its influence in Ireland by establishing plantations there. This same process would soon be applied to North America. In this episode, we explore those ea

During the first decade of the reign of Elizabeth I, Protestants in Scotland and the Netherlands rebelled against the Catholic authorities who controlled those countries. Those rebellions were support

In the 1500s, England saw a significant rise in the number of beggars and vagabonds. Those who couldnt survive by begging often turned to thievery, gambling and fraud. By the mid-1500s, books and pam

In the 1553, Mary Tudor became the first queen to rule England as the head of the government. She promptly turned back the clock on the religious reforms that had taken place over the prior few years.

By the mid-1500s, scholars were becoming more confident in the ability of English to express sophisticated ideas and concepts associated with classical learning. Writers began to use English beside La

In early Modern English, writers and printers began to revise the spelling of many English words to reflect their etymological origins. Old letters were revived from the dead to reflect sounds that ha

John Heywood was a playwright and poet who made two important contributions to the history of English. He was a key figure in the emergence of modern English drama which led directly to William Shakes