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PODCAST

Etymoleon - Word History, the etymology podcast.

Leon Bailey-Green

Word History is a podcast for people who enjoy words and history.Each episode takes a small set of words linked to a theme. You"ll hear what they mean, where they come from and which familiar words share the same linguistic roots, along with stories from the past related to their use.Listen for words that sharpen expression, and brief histories that show how ideas and practices, as well as language, took shape. Across an archive of more than a hundred episodes, you"ll find explanations of word, name

history

All Episodes

14:26

56. Shoes

Etymoleon - Word History, the etymology podcast. ·

2024/09/22

This episode unlaces the origins of terms for different types of footwear. Plimsolls owe their name to a British politician, while sneakers got theirs from the idea of wearers sneaking around unnoticed. Persian soldiers inspired European nobles to adopt high heels, which were practical for standing in stirrups; the term stiletto, referring to a long heel, traces back to an Italian word for a dagger. Find out why sandals have nothing to do with sand, and uncover the roots of the phrase 'shoe o...

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13:45

55. Names: D

Etymoleon - Word History, the etymology podcast. ·

2024/09/15

This episode explores the origins and meanings of names beginning with D. Dorothy shares its etymology with Theodore, both names implying their bearers are 'God's gift'. The surname Dior as seen in the brand Christian Dior, traces back to a French word that also gives us the 'D'Or' in the British ice cream brand Carte D'Or. Find out how names synonymous with pop culture - Drake, Dua, Dakota, and Demi - came to be.

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14:55

54. Ageing

Etymoleon - Word History, the etymology podcast. ·

2024/09/08

In this episode, we get into the language of ageing, uncovering the surprising origins and histories behind words like geriatric, sage, pensioner and senior - a term originally used to distinguish fathers from their sons before taking on additional meanings. We also explore the darker side of language, revealing the connection between the word 'crone' and decaying flesh. Discover the equine roots of the phrase "long in the tooth" and trace the evolution of "silver fox" from the baseball field.

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14:15

53. Recap III

Etymoleon - Word History, the etymology podcast. ·

2024/08/25

This podcast returns in September. In the meantime, take a listen to this recap featuring a mix of clips from past episodes. Remember to leave a rating or review.

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15:06

52. Recap II

Etymoleon - Word History, the etymology podcast. ·

2024/08/18

This podcast returns in September. In the meantime, take a listen to this recap featuring a mix of clips from past episodes. Remember to leave a rating or review.

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14:28

51. Recap I

Etymoleon - Word History, the etymology podcast. ·

2024/08/11

This podcast returns in September. In the meantime, take a listen to this recap featuring a mix of clips from past episodes. Remember to leave a rating or review.

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15:11

50. Thank You

Etymoleon - Word History, the etymology podcast. ·

2024/08/04

This podcast is celebrating its first anniversary, thank you for listening and subscribing. In this episode, we explore the etymology of expressions of gratitude, tracing the origins of words like thanks, grateful, blessed and applaud. Clapping is a common gesture of appreciation, but the word clap also has a secondary meaning related to infection. Find out the surprising connection to rabbits in that slang term's history. We also get into the history of greeting cards and the name meanings o...

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13:28

49. Musical Instruments

Etymoleon - Word History, the etymology podcast. ·

2024/07/28

This episode gets into the origins of musical instrument names, from the guitar and ukulele to the harmonica, saxophone, drum and more. Learn how the saxophone got its name from its inventor, whose surname, Sax, is locational, tracing to Saxony. The Theremin is another instrument named after its creator. Discover Benjamin Franklin's surprising connection to the word 'harmonica', the etymological link between the oboe and the word bouquet, and the royal connection behind the phrase "blowing yo...

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15:46

48. Pharmaceuticals

Etymoleon - Word History, the etymology podcast. ·

2024/07/21

This episode uncovers etymology related to the pharmaceutical industry. Learn how Ozempic and Tylenol got their names, as well as pharmaceutical giants like Roche and Pfizer. Pfizer, for instance, is an occupational surname rooted in a Latin word meaning "baker". Find out how a male enhancement drug might be named after a Sanskrit word meaning "tiger" or designed to evoke the word "vigour". Additionally, we trace the word "placebo" back to a Latin word meaning "to please" and look at the orig...

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15:37

47. Summer

Etymoleon - Word History, the etymology podcast. ·

2024/07/14

In this episode, we uncover the origins of words related to the summer season, such as sweltering, holiday, barbecue and scorching. Learn about the dahlia, a flower of the British summer season, named after Swedish botanist Anders Dahl, who shares a surname with the famous author Roald Dahl. The name means "valley" with the English variant being "dale". Discover why the sunscreen brand Piz Buin is named after a mountain and how "al fresco" has a very different meaning in Italian slang compare...

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15:34

46. Names: Royalty

Etymoleon - Word History, the etymology podcast. ·

2024/07/07

This episode explores the origins and meanings of names popular with royalty. Discover why the nickname of a 10th century Nordic king lives on in the 20th century technology term Bluetooth. Learn how the name Harry, a pet form of Henry, traces back to the French pronunciation during the Middle English period. We also look into the ancient Greek roots of many female royal names such as Catherine, Sophia, Eugenie and Alexandra, and explore the connection between the mythological King Arthur and...

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15:56

45. Sleep

Etymoleon - Word History, the etymology podcast. ·

2024/06/30

This episode gets into the origins of sleep-related terminology. Starting with how synonyms for sleep such as rest, nap, slumber and ZZZs entered the English language, we explain a theory as to why it's "forty winks" instead of twenty, thirty or fifty. Learn why the Old English word for snore is connected to rooting for someone to win, and why Australians might refer to a duvet as a doona.

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15:31

44. Landmarks

Etymoleon - Word History, the etymology podcast. ·

2024/06/23

In this episode, we explore the stories behind the names of some of the world's most iconic landmarks and the etymology of the words used. We examine Big Ben, the Statue of Liberty, the Eiffel Tower, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Gherkin, Burj Khalifa and more. Also uncovered are the origins and meanings of the names of architects associated with these structures. Discover how a planning permission complaint led to the naming of The Shard and the etymologies of words like mausoleum, monument...

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15:58

43. Corporate Giants

Etymoleon - Word History, the etymology podcast. ·

2024/06/16

This time we're looking into the origins of global corporations, exploring the etymology of their brand names and uncovering snippets of their histories. Some corporate names are derived from everyday words (Microsoft, Apple, Shell) and others from their founders' names (Audi, JP Morgan, Toyota). Learn why a payment provider's name also means travel documentation, and the reason behind Microsoft's rebranding of its search engine to Bing.

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15:23

42. Hair

Etymoleon - Word History, the etymology podcast. ·

2024/06/09

In this episode we're taking a look at hair terminology, including the etymology behind diverse synonyms for hair, including dreads, mane and tresses. Learn about intriguing connections such as the association between the term "alopecia" and foxes, and the link between pomades and apples. Ever wondered about the origins of the word "shampoo" or the emergence of hair conditioners in the mid-century era? Listen to uncover the history. Also explored in this episode is the visionary behind the ic...

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14:02

41. Gestures

Etymoleon - Word History, the etymology podcast. ·

2024/06/02

This episode uncovers various theories behind why and how we use certain non-verbal gestures to communicate, along with the origins of the terms that describe them. Discover the surprising history behind gestures like the high-five, said to be popularised by American baseball, and elbow touching, first suggested by the World Health Organization in 2006. The word smirk, once meant "to smile," before the emergence of the word smile itself. We also look into gestures like kissing the teeth, shak...

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14:12

40. Furniture

Etymoleon - Word History, the etymology podcast. ·

2024/05/19

This time we're looking into furniture terminology, from the interchangeably used couch, sofa and settee to futon and hammock, which derive from the languages of their origin. Learn why the history of the dining room sideboard, known as the credenza, is rooted in the fear of food poisoning, and trace the origins of the word chair back to its Ancient Greek roots.

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15:30

39. Names: C

Etymoleon - Word History, the etymology podcast. ·

2024/05/12

This episode explores the origins and meanings of names beginning with the letter C. Discover surprising connections between the name Charles and the term churlish, both rooted in a Germanic language word. Uncover how a Latin word meaning "hairless" influenced terms like Calvinism and chauvinist, named after historical figures. Explore the origin of the word curt, leading to the name Courtney, which means "short," and get into Gaelic roots with names like Colin and Callum.

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14:28

38. English Breakfast

Etymoleon - Word History, the etymology podcast. ·

2024/04/28

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14:46

37. Phobias

Etymoleon - Word History, the etymology podcast. ·

2024/04/21

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