How did a language shaped by invasions become a language carried around the world by empire? And how far back could you travel before the English you know stopped making sense? Join Adam, a politics and history expert, for a fascinating discussion about the evolution and colonial history of English. We’ll explore how Old English was transformed through contact with Norman French and other languages, before spreading through colonisation, migration and power to America, Australia and beyond. Along the way, we’ll encounter stories that are proud, shameful and sometimes ridiculous, and ask what they reveal about the societies behind the words.

Together, we’ll examine older texts and test how much we can understand as we travel backwards through the language. We’ll discuss how conquest, class and cultural exchange shaped vocabulary, how communities made English their own, and why a language’s global success is about much more than its usefulness. We’ll also discover how English’s many borrowed words can offer clues to other languages, giving us a springboard for learning something new. No knowledge of linguistics or history is necessary: Adam will introduce the background, and everyone can compare interpretations and share questions. Expect a rich conversation that makes familiar words feel unfamiliar—and the language we use together far more interesting.

一门被入侵塑造出来的语言，是怎么变成一门被帝国带到全世界的语言的？你要往回走多远，你熟悉的英语就开始听不懂了？跟着 Adam 来聊一场有意思的讨论吧。他是政治和历史专家。这次聊英语的演变和殖民历史。我们会看看古英语是怎么通过跟诺曼法语和其他语言的接触被改变的，然后又是怎么通过殖民、移民和权力传到美国、澳大利亚和其他地方的。一路上，我们会碰到一些让人骄傲、让人羞耻，有时候还挺离谱的故事，也会问它们揭示了文字背后那些社会的什么。

我们会一起看一些更早的文本，测试一下我们在语言里往回走的时候还能看懂多少。我们会聊征服、阶级和文化交流是怎么塑造词汇的，不同社群是怎么把英语变成自己的，还有为什么一门语言的全球成功，远不只是因为它有用。我们也会发现，英语里那么多借来的词，其实能给其他语言提供线索，变成我们学新东西的一个跳板。不需要任何语言学或历史知识：Adam 会介绍背景，每个人都可以比较不同解读、分享问题。这会是一场很丰富的聊天，让熟悉的词变得不熟悉——也让我们每天一起用的这门语言变得有意思得多。