John McWhorter

American academic and linguist · United States · On the map · Academics · Born 1965 · age 61

John Hamilton McWhorter V is an American linguist. He is an associate professor of linguistics at Columbia University, where he also teaches American studies and music history.

John McWhorter is read about 191 times a day, in 12 languages.

A typical day, 30 days to 6 November 2026

The middle day of the days counted, so one week of news cannot move it. The line under it is the last 104 days, one point a day.

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A life in dates

2026“There is a certain mercy in the impression that he won’t perceive how those who elevated him saw him as a performing monkey.”In their words10 August 2026Jason Arday and Academia’s Self-Seeking Pursuit of Virtue, City JournalRead the whole statement

2024“There comes a point when a usage is so common that we must consider it not slovenliness but change.”In their words4 April 2024"Little Women" and the Art of Breaking Grammatical Rules, New York TimesRead the whole statement

2023“If your opinions never evolve, you’re either not paying attention or not genuinely interested.”In their words22 June 2023Reparations Should Be an End, Not a Beginning, New York TimesRead the whole statement

2008“We clap when our infants don't spill their food.”In their wordsJohn McWhorter, Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue: The Untold History of English (Gotham Books, New York, 2008) p. 162Read the whole statement

1965Born6 October 1965

Also in Deutsch

Media & music

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In their own words 4

John McWhorter

4 statements, newest first

Compared with some other examples of the genre, Arday’s mendacity and incompetence are especially stupefying.
, Own words
Within this mental universe, Arday’s academic focus was not on learning new things and fashioning new ways of processing existence but on criticizing others’ morals.
, Own words
For real academics, having papers rejected is a virtual rite of passage and only makes their subsequent work better.
, Own words

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About this person

He has authored a number of books on race relations and African-American culture, and is a political commentator especially in his New York Times newsletter.

Country

United States