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'Friends with Words' explores the origin of everyday language

10:52
The cover of "Friends with Words" and author Martha Barnette. (Courtesy of Abrams Press and Esther Leeflang)
The cover of "Friends with Words" and author Martha Barnette. (Courtesy of Abrams Press and Esther Leeflang)

Here & Now's Peter O'Dowd speaks with radio show co-host and podcaster Martha Barnette. In her show "A Way with Words" and her new book "Friends with Words: Adventures in Languageland," Barnette explores the origins of words like "boycott" and "mellifluous" as well as her own love of language.

Book excerpt: 'Friends with Words'

By Martha Barnette

Excerpted from "Friends With Words: Adventures in Languageland" by Martha Barnette. Copyright © 2025 by Martha Barnette. Published and reprinted by permission of Abrams Press. All rights reserved.

This segment aired on August 5, 2025.

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