Geoffrey Nunberg

Language commentator Geoffrey Nunberg reflects on the year 2000, what it used to mean and how it resonates today.

On the occasion of end of the Superman comic, language commentator Geoffrey Nunberg considers the origin of the word "Superman," and how "super" began to be used in other ways.

Some reactions to the inauguration and thoughts about the new administration from satirist and voice actor Harry Shearer, language commentator Geoffrey Nunbert, and Senior Associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and Middle East expert Geoffrey Kemp.

Linguist Geoffrey Nunberg thinks about the many different ways to say "you're fired." (Rerun)

Linguist Geoffrey Nunberg considers the difference between the words "force" and "violence."

Linguist Geoff Nunberg considers an alternative to the question, "Can computers think?"

Linguist Geoffrey Nunberg looks at the contributions made by two men of language: former Senator S.I. Hayakawa, an English professor and former president of San Francisco State University; and Professor Dwight Bolinger, who he calls "one of the most distinguished semanticists of the age." Both men died last week.

Linguist Geoffrey Nunberg reviews "Fifty Years Among the New Words," a new collection of columns from the journal "American Speech."

In the final few hours before the Super Bowl, linguist Geoffrey Nunberg compares the literary language of football and baseball.

Linguist Geoffrey Nunberg examines the curious speech rules that Hollywood uses when it casts biblical era epics. (Rebroadcast. Original date 4/29/87).