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Geoffrey Nunberg

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05:35

Dwarfing Pluto

Our linguist Geoff Nunberg doesn’t profess to know much about astronomy. But when astronomers changed the definition of the word planet, they entered his territory — language.

Commentary
06:30

The Evolution of 'Lifestyle'

The word lifestyle has moved around in our culture since it first appeared more than 35 years ago. Our linguist says the word has gone from being a way to differentiate the '60s counterculture to a marketing tool and now to a political catchphrase.

Commentary
32:42

'Talking Right': Why the Left Is Losing, Linguistically

In his new book, Talking Right, linguist Geoff Nunberg examines the parlance of the American political right. Conservatives, Nunberg notes, have been remarkably effective at creating a language through which to convey their agenda.

Interview
05:57

Political Discourse

Linguist Geoff Nunberg comments on the outrageous nature of political talk shows. He uses Ann Coulter's remarks describing Sept. 11 widows as witches to illustrate his point.

Commentary
05:54

The Spanish-Language Anthem

Linguist Geoff Nunberg comments on the recent controversy surrounding the Spanish-language version of "The Star-Spangled Banner."

Commentary
04:54

Enumerating English

How many words are in the English language? 500,000? 1 million? Our linguist says there is no way to really count all the words. What's more, he wonders why people even care.

Commentary
06:03

Talking about law

It's been a busy couple of years for the law, from the controversy over gay marriage to nominations to the Supreme Court. From a linguist's point of view, dictionaries are crucial in the world of jurisprudence.

Commentary
05:49

Choosing Your Terms: The Language of Katrina

Linguist Geoff Nunberg considers the language that's been used the describe the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. What words do we use, "looting," "finding" or "foraging"? "Refugees," "evacuees" or "the displaced"?

Commentary
06:16

Selling Policy with Catchy Language

Increasingly catchy terminology is used to package government missions and policies. Consider "war on terror" and "no child left behind," for instance. Linguist Geoff Nunberg offers his thoughts on the subject.

Commentary

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