English Professor Explores "Wholesome" - Its Changing Meaning and Gen Z's Struggle Over Values
This video lecture/essay explores the linguistic evolution of the word "wholesome" in the last ten years and discusses how it reflects the developing values of Gen Z . Using tools of analysis from historical linguistics to literary theory and cultural studies, I trace the word "wholesome" from its early medieval roots to its meme-friendly present.
Table of Contents:
00:00 - Introduction
00:03 - Imagining "wholesome"
01:08 - Meanings shift with values
02:28 - Semantic change
03:51 - Old English roots of "wholesome"
07:23 - Essentially Contested Concepts
08:23 - "Health" as contested concept
09:00 - A thesis statement!!!
09:39 - About me and my approach
10:51 - History of the English Language
11:01 - What is historical linguistics?
12:20 - Innovation and propagation
15:37 - "Wholesome" in recent years
20:06 - Semiotic analysis time!
23:43 - Toxic: wholesome's opposite
24:11 - Meaning and structure
25:03 - Conclusion: why "wholesome" shifted
27:15 - The future of "wholesome"
28:09 - Acknowledgements