Introducing: ‘A Language I Love Is…’

There’s a new linguistic podcast out there!

Friends, linguists, podcast pros, lend me your ears! Being committed to bringing the joys of linguistics to a wide audience, and motivated by the continuing decline of Twitter, I am thrilled to announce that I now have a podcast!

It’s called A Language I Love Is… and it’s my audio avenue to broadcast linguists’ love for languages through entertaining and educational episodes. I am its host and the format of each episode is to offer one guest the space to introduce and discuss thoroughly one language of their choosing. Together host and guest discuss and delight in that particular language through three open-ended questions:

• What is your story and connection to this language?
• What do you love about this language?
• What is something you want the audience to know about this language?

It’s still very early days, but I am over the moon with the positive response and support for ALILI so far. It’s currently available on Acast, Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and you can listen here:

Chitimacha and Daniel W. Hieber – A Language I Love Is…

The final episode of Series 3 is here, and we're ending with a good'un. Daniel W. Hieber, the linguist behind the popular ⁠Linguistic Discovery⁠ platform, joins me to discuss an indigenous language of North America: Chitimacha. In cooperation with the Chitimacha Tribe of Louisiana, Daniel is contributing to the revitalising of this dormant language – which is gifting him so much in return. We discuss the history and prehistory of Chitimacha and its speakers, as well as intriguing parts of its grammar and the leading role it has played in the development of modern linguistics.Support the language-loving mission by joining the ALILI Patreon here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/ALanguageILoveIs⁠⁠⁠⁠Check out and sign up to Linguistic Discovery: ⁠https://linguisticdiscovery.com/⁠ (also on Substack, Instagram, YouTube)Sample of Chitimacha, by speaker Chief Benjamin Paul, provided by Daniel.Continue learning with the Chitimacha Wikipedia page: ⁠https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chitimacha⁠Daniel's personal website: ⁠https://www.danielhieber.info/⁠Host: Dr. Danny BateGuest: Dr. Daniel W. HieberAudio Mixing and Mastering: Jeremiah McPaddenMusic: Acoustic Guitar by William KingArtwork: Willow Marler Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1. Chitimacha and Daniel W. Hieber 47:37
2. Modern Irish and Liam Ó Duibhiolla 01:00:35
3. Italian and Sophia Smith Galer 38:02
4. Old Norse and Jackson Crawford 34:09
5. SPECIAL: Exclusive clip from my new book 'Why Q Needs U'! 34:06

I’m hoping to have a schedule of one episode per week, and to date I have managed four episodes and four beloved languages:

• Scots
• Akkadian
• Old Saxon
• Sanskrit

It’s looking all a bit historical at the moment, which isn’t a surprise considering my friends and my own academic interests, but episodes about living languages are absolutely welcome and currently in the planning. I should also say that this is very much not a show about me. It’s a means to let people share their love for language, and as such it is is dependent on its guests. So, if I get in touch with an invite, or if you want to volunteer yourself, please do consider it!

I’m hoping to share links on this site as each new episode comes out, so watch this space. I hope you will give it a go and help ALILI to grow. All listens, recommendations and subscriptions are very much appreciated.

Danny x