Episode Details
Back to Episodes
The Letter U Splits in Two: Tracing English’s Foot‑Strut Vowel Divide
Episode 224
Published 5 days, 3 hours ago
Description
In this episode we track how the single vowel /u:/ split into the distinct sounds heard in ‘foot’ and ‘strut’, exploring its roots in the Great Vowel Shift, printing practices, and regional dialects. We also follow the word ‘peculiar’ from Latin property to modern oddness, illustrating how legal, cultural, and technological forces reshape meaning.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices