The Writer's Almanac

I came across The Writer's Almanac recently and have been pleasantly surprised with Mr. Keillor's daily posts of poems, prose and literary history. The political commentary on the site is rather juvenile but the writing work presented is enjoyable. This week Mr. Keillor has focused on the impact the Norman invasion and conquest of the English speaking Saxons has had on the development of the English language. English went from being a strictly Germanic language to one infused with a large Latinate vocabulary, which came via French. He gives examples of words and discusses their French and Latin roots and how they have evolved. These examples are almost as pleasant as listening to him read. Mr. Keillor has a voice which seems to be gift specifically designed for radio. Orson Welles was another. You may listen to The Writer's Almanac at http://writersalmanac.publicradio.org/