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PODCAST

Etymoleon - Word History, the etymology podcast.

Leon Bailey-Green

Word History is a weekly 15 minute etymology podcast by Etymoleon, dedicated to uncovering the history behind words and names. Each episode unveils the journey of words and their connections to various languages such as Old English, Ancient Greek, Latin, Old French, Proto-Germanic and many more. Episodes also highlight historical events related to the topic and terms explored.Earlier episodes were just the beginning, start with later episodes for the best takes on word, name and historical

history

All Episodes

16:15

103. Names: Cross Cultural

Etymoleon - Word History, the etymology podcast. ·

2025/11/23

This episode looks at names that work across cultures, names that sound alike but emerge from entirely different linguistic roots. It opens with demographic data from the USA and from England and Wales that helps explain why many parents now seek names that fit multiple cultural contexts. In England and Wales, 37% of newborns have a parent born abroad, and in the USA approval of mixed marriage has risen from 4% in 1958 to 94% today. The name Maya or Maia can mean beloved, magic, brave, prince...

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14:33

102. Manifesting

Etymoleon - Word History, the etymology podcast. ·

2025/11/16

This time we're looking at words connected to the art of manifesting, tracing the origins of terms like abundance, affirmation and visualise. To describe what we sense from a person but can't see, we turn to words such as vibe, aura and energy, the last of which comes from the ancient Greek ergon, meaning work, a root shared with ergonomic and synergy. Some words run counter to the idea of manifesting, like doubt, which may stem from the Latin word for two, suggesting a mind pulled in two dir...

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16:05

101. Veganism

Etymoleon - Word History, the etymology podcast. ·

2025/11/02

This podcast returns mid-November 2025. This time we're looking into the etymologies of vegan related terms, beginning with the history of the Vegan Society and the roots of other dietary labels such as pescetarian and the more recent reducetarian. Soya beans take their name from the sauce, not the other way around, and Quorn, the brand name for a mycoprotein product, has an unexpected historical link to fox hunting. There's also a linguistic connection between the words plant and clan, a par...

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15:53

100. Anglosphere

Etymoleon - Word History, the etymology podcast. ·

2025/10/26

This episode looks at the differences between varieties of English across the Anglosphere, examining the origins of words that vary from place to place. Learn where the words trousers and pants come from, why thongs might refer to footwear or underwear, and whether you'd use a stroller or a pram depending on where you live. Discover how courgette and zucchini share the same linguistic root, as do arugula and rocket. The episode also uncovers the origins of nicknames like Yank, Pom and Limey, ...

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14:41

99. Lies

Etymoleon - Word History, the etymology podcast. ·

2025/10/19

This time we're tracing the etymology of words tied to lies and deceit, beginning with research into how children learn, or fail, to tell untruths, and a look at words of honesty such as blunt and authentic, the latter etymologically meaning 'self doing'. Fake and bogus grew out of criminal slang, with bogus first referring to a machine that produced counterfeit coins. Charlatan describes someone full of empty talk, and its origins may be more obvious to Spanish speakers, much like Irish spea...

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15:42

98. Names: Soap Characters

Etymoleon - Word History, the etymology podcast. ·

2025/10/12

This episode looks at surname origins through the lens of television soap operas, beginning with why these dramas are called soaps and how the conglomerate P&G remains involved in producing them. Some familiar family names point back to professions, with Archer and Fletcher tied to archery and another linked to roofing. British soap EastEnders is famous for tangled family ties, including two characters who at different times have been step-siblings, step-parent and step-son, and in-laws. ...

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16:00

97. Sugar

Etymoleon - Word History, the etymology podcast. ·

2025/10/05

This episode traces the language of sugar and sweetness, from the Arabic roots of the word sugar to the names of modern artificial sweeteners. Discover how accidents in the lab led to the discovery of saccharin, sucralose and aspartame, and how aspartame is linked to asparagus. Follow the shared origin of mead, the ancient honey-based drink, Miod, the Polish word for honey, and the name Maeve. Learn how syrup joined sugar in passing through Arabic into English and the likely origin behind the...

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15:34

96. Smells

Etymoleon - Word History, the etymology podcast. ·

2025/09/28

This episode uncovers the surprising histories of fragrant words. Many, including perfume, incense and bakhoor, trace back to roots connected with smoke and fumes. Eau de toilette may seem like an odd name for something sprayed on the body, but the history of the word toilet makes it clearer. Equally unexpected is potpourri, which goes back to a term meaning rotten pot. Find out why the number 5 became the name of the century's most iconic fragrance and the story behind the naming of the Marc...

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14:24

95. Contradicting Meanings III

Etymoleon - Word History, the etymology podcast. ·

2025/09/21

This episode looks at words that contradict themselves, carrying opposite meanings at once or shifting dramatically over time. Manufacturing suggests mass production today, yet it comes from Latin meaning 'made by hand'. A model can be an unfinished prototype or a finished ideal, while mistress carries both admiration and scandal. Execute traces back to a Latin root meaning, 'to follow', but does it mean to begin or to kill? Is supporting someone holding them up or holding them down? And why ...

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14:44

94. Italian Cuisine

Etymoleon - Word History, the etymology podcast. ·

2025/07/27

This podcast returns in September 2025. This time we're tracing the origins of Italian sauce, pasta, pizza and dish names. There are various theories as to why puttanesca shares its name with an Italian word for 'a woman of ill repute', but the etymology of ragù, which is linguistically connected to the word disgusting, is more straightforward. Ciabatta may appear traditional, but it was actually created in the 1980s, and its name is linked to feet. Surprisingly, lasagne might have English ro...

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14:16

93. Names: F

Etymoleon - Word History, the etymology podcast. ·

2025/07/20

This episode traces the meanings and origins of names beginning with F, through the lens of historical figures connected to mythology, politics, innovation and the beauty industry. Falguni Nayar, the billionaire founder of India's largest beauty e-commerce platform, has a name rooted in time, like May, Autumn or Sunday. Freya, now a popular baby name in England and Wales, is tied to a Norse goddess and shares linguistic roots with German and Dutch terms for women. Also explored are the names ...

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13:43

92. Assumptions

Etymoleon - Word History, the etymology podcast. ·

2025/07/13

This episode looks at terms connected to making assumptions, starting with the often-cited origin of the phrase "when you assume, you make an ass out of u/you and me". The word bias originally referred to a diagonal line, while projection comes from roots meaning to throw forward. Occam’s Razor is a principle that favours the simplest explanation, and Simpson’s Paradox highlights how data can be misleading. The episode also examines how mistaken assumptions about animals gave rise to expressi...

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14:28

91. Tabloids

Etymoleon - Word History, the etymology podcast. ·

2025/07/06

This episode looks into the language of tabloid journalism, starting with the surprising pharmaceutical origins of the word tabloid itself. The British Daily Mail and Daily Mirror were the first newspapers to adopt the format, offering condensed news in both style and content. They were both founded by Alfred Harmsworth. Find out why gossip is called "tea", how the word gossip has roots in godparents, and why press photographers came to be known as paparazzi. Also examined are the origins of ...

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15:11

90. Independence

Etymoleon - Word History, the etymology podcast. ·

2025/06/29

This time we're looking at terms related to independence and free will, as Americans prepare to celebrate Independence Day. The episode opens with a brief look at the events leading to America's break from Britain, followed by the origins of words like declaration, independent and sovereign. We also look at countries such as Sri Lanka, Belize and Zimbabwe, which changed their names after gaining greater independence. Belize's former British name came via Spanish and referenced the surrounding...

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15:07

89. Eateries

Etymoleon - Word History, the etymology podcast. ·

2025/06/22

This episode traces the origins of words for the places we eat, from the soupy history that gave us restaurant to the unknown roots of bistro, which entered English in the early 20th century, and brasserie, with its connection to beer. Discover the links between parlours and politicians, and how the word batch has its origins in baking. Find out why a military dining area is called a mess, and how buffet is tied to furniture. You'll also learn the meaning behind Mixue, the Chinese bubble tea ...

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15:59

88. Espionage

Etymoleon - Word History, the etymology podcast. ·

2025/06/15

This time we're uncovering the origins of espionage-related terms, from bug, alias, and surveillance to eavesdrop and secret, tracing how they entered the English language (and words they are related to). Staying under the radar is a classic spy skill - the word radar began as an acronym for radio detecting and ranging. Discover why James Bond's watch of choice is named Omega, and learn about the earlier names and organisations that eventually became MI5 and the CIA, the British and American ...

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14:49

87. Biblical

Etymoleon - Word History, the etymology podcast. ·

2025/06/08

This episode takes a look at terms and phrases that trace back to biblical roots. To "wash your hands of something/someone" has origins linked to the crucifixion, while a commonly misquoted phrase about money also comes from the Bible. Ancient towns mentioned in biblical texts have given rise to modern English terms (one of which remains controversial), and a queen's name has become a label for an immoral woman. The word missionary refers to spreading the word of God, and its more adult meani...

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15:46

86. Names: Sayings

Etymoleon - Word History, the etymology podcast. ·

2025/06/01

This episode looks at the origins of names used in common sayings, uncovering the theories behind how these phrases came about and tracing the names to their historical linguistic roots. Gordon Bennett is linked to the son of a newspaper entrepreneur, while Flash Harry may have been inspired by a well-known conductor. The phrase Bob's your uncle could have ties to a popular music hall song from the early 20th century. Jack the Lad refers to a real historical figure whose reckless lifestyle le...

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15:43

85. Big

Etymoleon - Word History, the etymology podcast. ·

2025/05/18

This episode is all about size, tracing the origins of words related to 'bigness' such as massive, monumental, enormous and gigantic. Discover how gargantuan and Brobdingnagian have literary beginnings, and how juggernaut and jumbo are thought to stem from Indian and West African rituals. Learn why the word for aubergine differs across regions, with Americans calling it eggplant, and hear about the largest one on record weighing in at nearly 4 kilograms. Also explored are the roots of terms u...

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16:34

84. Colours

Etymoleon - Word History, the etymology podcast. ·

2025/05/11

This time we're tracing the origins of colour names and the terms and phrases linked to them. Learn how conditions like grapheme-colour synesthesia, where people associate letters or numbers with colours, and tetrachromacy, the ability to see a wider range of colours, got their names. Discover how colour terms like turquoise, taupe, maroon, indigo and orange entered the language, why green screen is becoming an anachronistic term, and how Queen Victoria played a role in popularising white wed...

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103 results

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