Kyle and Emily sit down this week with the founder of the Online Etymology Dictionary (https://www.etymonline.com) and hesitant word wizard himself Doug Harper.

Harper takes our hosts through the intricacies and idiosyncrasies of compiling one of the most exhaustive etymology resources on the internet, one which got its sea legs during the genesis of the virtual public square. While expounding on the practical wisdom that must accompany any approach to etymology, Harper reminds the hosts of the differences between etymology and lexicography, just how far one should go when deep diving, and the role history plays in understanding a word’s roots.

There’s a lot to learn in this episode, and in Harper’s purview, there’s a lot to learn from the intrinsically multidisciplinary field of etymology. How do you put the past in its own terms? Which sources are worth pursuing? What role is AI playing in the degradation of learning? Believe it or not, Harper covers it all… and more!

Be sure to support Harper’s efforts to make the world wordier on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/etymonline.

Join us every week as we explore the fascinating origins and meanings of words, uncovering the hidden stories behind language and how it evolves over time, for language enthusiasts and etymology buffs alike.

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Produced by⁠ ⁠Seth Gliksman⁠⁠, Kyle Imperatore, and Emily Moyers

Main theme and accompanying themes by Kyle Imperatore