The History of English Podcast

In the first decade of the 1600s, English speakers were on the move as they established the first permanent English settlement in North America. They also began a steady a migration to northern Ireland after an event known to history … Continue reading →

In the early 1600s, several landmark events shaped the history of England and determined how and where the English language would be spoken in the centuries that followed. The period from 1602-1605 saw the end of the Elizabethan era,

In the first couple of years of the 1600s, several new Shakespeare plays appeared. ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ and ‘As You Like It’ were recorded in the Stationer’s Register, and a third play called ‘The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of … Continue reading →

In this episode, we look at clothing and fashion in the Elizabethan era, and we examine the connection between clothing, custom and language. We also examine Shakespeare’s plays about the lives of Julius Caesar and Henry V of England.

Theaters were an important part of cultural life in Elizabethan England, and they contributed many words to the English language. Those words joined thousands of other words that were pouring into English from around the world. In this episode,