Rephonic
Artwork for History and Philosophy of the Language Sciences

History and Philosophy of the Language Sciences

James McElvenny
Linguistics
Generative Grammar
Cold War
Semiotics
Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm
Noam Chomsky
Charles Sanders Peirce
A History Of Modern Linguistics
Language Universals
Structuralism
Language Learning
Conversation Analysis
Ethno-Methodology
Semantics
Politics
Piraha
Pragmatism
Neo-Grammarians
Artificial Intelligence
History Of Linguistics

History and Philosophy of the Language Sciences explores the history of the study of language in its varied social and cultural contexts.

PublishesTwice monthlyEpisodes65Founded7 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
HistoryPhilosophySociety & Culture

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for History and Philosophy of the Language Sciences

Latest Episodes

In this interview, we talk to Micaela Verlato about how the work of Wilhelm and Alexander von Humboldt on Native American languages contributed to the development of comparative linguistics.

Schiller, Wilhelm and Alexander von Humboldt, and Goethe i... more

In this interview, we talk to Martin Konvička about the Dutch Signific Movement, which adapted the ideas of Lady Welby in the early 20th century.

Spreker en hoorder (van Ginneken 1936, 100)

Download | Spotify | Apple Podcasts | YouTube

References ... more

In this interview, we talk to Kristine Palmieri about comparativism in Germany of the early 19th century.

Download | Spotify | Apple Podcasts | YouTube

Image credit: Museum für Asiatische Kunst, Berlin

References for Episode 63

Primary Sources (s... more

In this interview, we talk to Peter Austin about his career in field linguistics and the history of language documentation in Australia, in particular how the role of Indigenous community members has changed over the past 50 years.

Preparing Diyari ... more

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

Recent Guests

Martin Konvička
Specialist in Dutch language and linguistics, Free University of Berlin
Free University of Berlin
Episode: Podcast episode 64: Martin Konvička on the Dutch Signific Movement
Kristine Palmieri
Researcher in history of science
LMU Munich
Episode: Podcast episode 63: Kristine Palmieri on comparativism
Peter Austin
Emeritus Professor of Field Linguistics
SOAS, University of London
Episode: Podcast episode 62: Peter Austin
Adam Schembri
Professor of Linguistics at the University of Birmingham
University of Birmingham
Episode: Podcast episode 61: Adam Schembri on sign language linguistics
Penny Lee
Linguist, former lecturer at University of Western Australia in educational linguistics
University of Western Australia
Episode: Podcast episode 60: Penny Lee
Anna Wierzbicka
Linguist and semanticist known for NSM and cross-linguistic semantics
Australian National University
Episode: Podcast episode 59: Anna Wierzbicka
Ryan Nefdt
Professor of philosophy at the University of Cape Town
University of Cape Town
Episode: Podcast episode 58: Ryan Nefdt on linguistic relativity and AI
Brigitte Nerlich
Scholar in the history of semantics and pragmatics; interdisciplinary researcher
Episode: Podcast episode 57: Brigitte Nerlich
Nick Enfield
Professor of Linguistics at the University of Sydney
University of Sydney
Episode: Podcast episode 56: Nick Enfield on linguistic signs and concepts

Hosts

James McElvenny
Host with focus on history and philosophy of language sciences; affiliated with History and Philosophy of the Language Sciences.
James McIlvanny
Host involved in historical linguistics discussions and language science history.

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars from 79 ratings
  • Great podcast on the history of the language sciences

    Superb podcast covering mostly academic linguistics and connections to philosophy.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    JJRev
    Australia4 years ago
  • Great linguistic podcast

    Tells the modern, mainly academic, history of linguistics from a theoretical viewpoint, precisely articulated and clear, hope it continues.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Pmv10001
    United States6 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Great depth and rigor in exploring linguistic history and philosophy.
Strong emphasis on archival and historical context.
Academic-focused, with clear, thoughtful discussions.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#228
Saudi Arabia/History

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Podcast episode 64: Martin Konvička on the Dutch Signific Movement
Q: Is it true that the Netherlands became the only place where Significs developed into something more, and why was that the case?
It seems to be the case that Frederik van Aden's prominence in Dutch society, his leadership in the Dachtigers circle, and the early adoption of Welby's ideas in a broader cultural context allowed Significs to spread and be institutionalized in the Netherlands, although the exact reasons are multifaceted and include personal networks, wartime neutrality, and a conducive social milieu.
Podcast episode 64: Martin Konvička on the Dutch Signific Movement
Q: Could you tell us who Lady Welby was, what her Significs was about, and how the Dutch Significs Movement came into being?
Lady Welby was a British philosopher of language and semiotician who developed Significs around sense, meaning, and significance; her ideas inspired Dutch followers like Frederik van Aden, who adapted and promoted these concepts in the Netherlands, leading to the emergence of a distinct Signific Movement in the 1910s and its institutional growth.
Podcast episode 61: Adam Schembri on sign language linguistics
Q: So can we just talk about the morphology? How does that work?
Morphology in sign languages involves modifying signs to indicate subject and object arguments, with certain signs acting as indicating verbs that convey argument structure and agreement, similar in function to verbal agreement in spoken languages.
Podcast episode 54: Neil Cohn on Speaking in Pictures
Q: So, Neil, could you outline your theory for us? What are the links between visual art and language?
Cohn explains that humans express concepts through three primary modalities—speech, gesture, and graphics—and that these share cognitive building blocks. He argues for a multimodal language faculty where graphics are not simply a metaphorical mapping to language but a legitimate, structurally similar system with its own grammar and semantics. He introduces the ideas of omnia, semia, and sequentia to classify modalities based on expression, grammar, and meaning, concluding that all three modalities are part of one overarching cognitive architecture.
Podcast episode 51: Martin Haspelmath
Q: Okay. So what exactly is the tension between description and comparison?
The tension arises because descriptive categories used by field linguists to describe a language can differ from the comparative categories used in cross-language analysis, leading to debates on how to bridge these approaches.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About This Podcast

What is This Podcast about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Listeners are likely people who enjoy the history and theory of language sciences, with a strong emphasis on linguistics, philosophy of language, and the social/historical contexts of scholarly work. Episodes feature long-form conversations with leading scholars about careers, historical debates, methodological shifts, and the intersection of linguistics with culture, science communication, and education. The show often highlights archival research, typology, semantics, and the evolution of linguistic ideas, making it useful for researchers, educators, and policy-minded listeners who appreciate deep intellectual discussions and historical perspective. A standout trait is the collection of high-profile guests from academia who offer rigorous... more

Where can I find podcast stats for this podcast?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to this podcast and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does this podcast get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for four million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for this podcast, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for this podcast?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for this podcast, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does this podcast have?

To see how many followers or subscribers this podcast has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to this podcast?

These podcasts share a similar audience with this podcast:

1. History of Philosophy Without Any Gaps
2. Lingthusiasm - A podcast that's enthusiastic about linguistics
3. History of Philosophy: India, Africana, China

How many episodes of this podcast are there?

this podcast launched 7 years ago and published 65 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact this podcast?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for this podcast?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for this podcast from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for this podcast?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of this podcast. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on this podcast?

Recent guests on this podcast include:

1. Martin Konvička
2. Kristine Palmieri
3. Peter Austin
4. Adam Schembri
5. Penny Lee
6. Anna Wierzbicka
7. Ryan Nefdt
8. Brigitte Nerlich

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.
Try it free for 7 days