Why Q needs U and how hieroglyphics created our alphabet, with Danny Bate

Why Q needs U and how hieroglyphics created our alphabet, with Danny Bate

1125. This week, we talk with linguist and author Danny Bate about his book, "Why Q Needs U." We look at the ancient origins of our alphabet, tracing its conceptual leap from Egyptian hieroglyphs to symbols that represent sounds. Danny explains the "acrophonic principle" (one sound from a picture) and why the letter A was originally a consonant, not a vowel.

Find Danny Bate on his website, Bluesky or on X.

Get the book, "Why Q Needs U."

Listen to Danny's podcast, "A Language I Love Is..."

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Episoder(970)

222 Dashes, Parentheses, and Commas

222 Dashes, Parentheses, and Commas

Dashes, Parentheses, and Commas Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

21 Mai 20108min

219 "Bad" Versus "Badly"

219 "Bad" Versus "Badly"

"Bad" Versus "Badly" Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

30 Apr 20106min

220 How to Eliminate Adverbs

220 How to Eliminate Adverbs

How to Eliminate Adverbs Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

29 Apr 20105min

217 What Is Poetic License?

217 What Is Poetic License?

What Is Poetic License? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

15 Apr 20104min

215 Hey, That's Not Grammar Girl!

215 Hey, That's Not Grammar Girl!

Hey, That's Not Grammar Girl! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

1 Apr 20104min

213 Stacked Modifiers

213 Stacked Modifiers

Stacked Modifiers Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

18 Mar 20105min

209 Does the Olympic Theme Song “I Believe” Have a Grammar Error?

209 Does the Olympic Theme Song “I Believe” Have a Grammar Error?

Does the Olympic Theme Song “I Believe” Have a Grammar Error? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

19 Feb 20105min

206 Is "I'm Loving It" Proper Grammar?

206 Is "I'm Loving It" Proper Grammar?

Is "I'm Loving It" Proper Grammar? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

29 Jan 20107min

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