Fry's planet word. Episode two, Identity / written and presented by Stephen Fry ; series producer and director, John Paul Davidson ; Sprout Pictures production for BBC.

London, England : BBC Worldwide, 2011.

1 online resource (60 minutes)

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In Planet Word, Stephen Fry dissects language in all its guises with his inimitable mixture of learning, love of lexicon and humour. He analyses how we use and abuse language and asks whether we are near to beginning to understand the complexities of its DNA. From the time when man first mastered speech to the cyber world of modern times with its html codes and texting, Planet Word takes viewers on a journey across the globe to discover just how far humans have come when it comes to the written and spoken word. From markets in Kenya to call centres in Newcastle, Stephen charts the shifting patterns of lingua franca and the inexorable spread of Globish (Global English). In Ireland he learns how TV soaps are keeping Irish alive; whilst in Southern France, Provencal and other Oc languages are struggling to survive after 200 years of suppression by Parisian orthodoxy and the heavy hand of the Academie Francaise. But even amidst the imminent death of some, other languages like Basque survive, whilst Hebrew in Israel is reborn.

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English

August 01, 2022

Presented by Stephen Fry.

Documentary television programs.