English is a uniquely weird language largely because its evolution has been a long, twisting road through history, happenstance and – as Shakespeare might say – strange bedfellows. This briskly paced jaunt through the history of the English language from The Open University condenses nearly 1500 years of its evolution, from the Anglo-Saxons to the internet, into eleven lively, animated minutes.
‘Whose language is it anyway?’ The evolution of English, from ‘loaf’ to ‘LOL’
Video by The Open University
16 August 2016
videoLanguage and linguistics
To all intensive purposes, you might have another think coming about how idioms work
4 minutes
videoComputing and artificial intelligence
Why large language models are mysterious – even to their creators
8 minutes
videoHistory
The etymological odyssey of ‘clue’, from the Minotaur’s maze to detective novels
2 minutes
videoEvolution
How – and how not – to think about the role randomness plays in evolution
60 minutes
videoHistory
War, conflict, bloodshed, upheaval or: how we got to Great Britain
7 minutes
videoHistory of technology
Replicating Shakespearean-era printing brings its own dramas and comedy
19 minutes
videoHuman evolution
Human to fish, and back again: a brisk walk through our evolutionary history
1 minute
videoThe ancient world
How writing began, and other unexpectedly funny stories about cuneiform
39 minutes
videoArchaeology
The meanings and mysteries of the iconic Sutton Hoo helmet brought vividly to life
19 minutes