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

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.

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