Fireside Chats: Histories and Mysteries of Language

Ligonier Valley Historical Society preserves the heritage and history of the Ligonier Valley for present and future generations.

Ligonier Valley Historical Society

Compass Inn Museum

Have you ever wondered who's the "Nick" in nickname, or why it's a "cow" in the pasture but "beef" on the plate? Or who to blame for the headaches of English spelling? Come sit down for a cup of tea and take part in a casual conversation about the fascinating quirks of language history with linguist Dr. Emily Barth.Serious Wordplay- February 24, 2022<ul><li>Is a crayfish a fish?</li><li>Who’s the Nick in nickname?</li><li>If ‘avon’ means river, isn’t ‘River Avon’ redundant?</li><li>Where’s the ham in a hamburger?</li><li>Are you feeling whelmed today? </li></ul>The History of English- March 10, 2022<ul><li>What did English sound like 1200 years ago?</li><li>How does a shirt become a skirt?</li><li>Why ‘cow’ in the pasture but ‘beef’ on the plate?</li><li>Aren’t C and K redundant?</li><li>Why are ‘short’ and ‘long’ vowels neither short nor long?</li></ul>Language Evolution- March 24, 2022 <ul><li>What does it mean to say two languages are related?</li><li>How does language change?</li><li>When is a T not a T?</li><li>Which is correct: ‘sneaked’ or ‘snuck’?</li><li>How can we know how a dead language was pronounced?</li></ul>Frankenstein’s English- April 7, 2022 <ul><li>Where do new words come from?</li><li>What would English look like without Latin?</li><li>What’s the plural of octopus?</li><li>How do you pronounce ‘victuals’?</li><li>What’s the deal with Ye Olde Shoppe?</li></ul> Fireside Chats will be a continuing series at Compass Inn where experts on exciting topics will sit down with our guests to talk about their field of study. Histories and Mysteries of Language will take place on February 24, March 10 &amp; 24, and April 7 from 2 pm to 4 pm.General Admission is $5 for adults and free to children. We look forward to seeing you soon and learning from our distinguished guest speaker.