Episode 90: Healers, Hospitals and Holy Wars

02/15/17 • 59 min

1 Listener

In this episode, we turn our attention to the Near East to explore the spread of Islam and the rise of Muslim science in the Middle Ages. This scientific and literary revolution in the Near East contributed to the English language in some surprising ways. We also explore the connections between healers and holy warriors, and we see how the modern hospital was a product of those two contradictory forces.

TRANSCRIPT: EPISODE 90

Map Prepared by Louis Henwood (Click Map for Larger Image)

TRANSCRIPT: EPISODE 90

Map Prepared by Louis Henwood (Click Map for Larger Image)

Previous Episode

Episode 89: ‘I Before E’ and All That

During the Middle English period, scribes developed a variety of spelling innovations to distinguish the sound of the various vowels. Some of those innovations were borrowed from French, and some were native to English. In this episode, we explore those spelling techniques, many of which still survive in Modern English.

TRANSCRIPT: EPISODE 89

Next Episode

Episode 91: Traders and Traitors

During the Crusades, Christian forces and Muslim forces traded blows in the Holy Land. At the same time, Europeans and Arabs traded goods through an extensive trading network that passed through the Near East and the Mediterranean. In this episode, we look at traders and Crusaders, and we explore the impact of these developments on the English language.

TRANSCRIPT: EPISODE 91