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Become 'Friends with Words' in Martha Barnette's book exploring the origins of language

WBUR | By Here & Now Newsroom
Published January 14, 2026 at 8:56 AM PST

Click here for the original audio and to read a book excerpt.

We revisit host Peter O’Dowd’s August 2025 conversation with radio show co-host and podcaster Martha Barnette. In her show “A Way with Words” and her 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.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

Copyright 2026 WBUR
Here & Now Newsroom