Episode 189: Stressed Out
Summary
This episode explores the 1630s, covering England’s pre-civil war tensions and the founding of Maryland, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. It examines how English syllable stress evolved, leading to the schwa sound in unstressed syllables, illustrated by the pronunciation shift of "Maryland." The host also discusses Charles Butler’s spelling reforms and the origin of the idiom "pull up stakes."
Topics discussed
Introduction: Spelling reform and phonetic clues in the 1630s
The evolution of English stress patterns from Old English to Early Modern
Political tensions in England and the founding of Maryland
Syllable stress, the schwa sound, and English rhythm
Founding of Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New Sweden
Literacy, Harvard College, and the first printing press in America
The Scottish Prayer Book riots and the road to Civil War
Ben Jonson's work and noun-verb stress distinctions
Long-term trends in stress shifts and regional pronunciation differences
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