Radio Omniglot

Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot. New language pages: Rangi (Kɨlaangi), a Bantu language spoken in the Kondoa District of the Dodoma Region in central Tanzania. Suabo (nidáibo), a Trans-New Guinea language spoken in Southwest Papua Province in eastern Indonesia. Oko (Ọ̀kọ), a Volta-Niger language spoken mainly in the Ogori-Magongo LGA in […]

In this episode we discover the Celtic roots of words for hostage in Germanic languages, and words related to engagement in Finnic languages. The Proto-Celtic word *geistlos means hostage or bail, and comes from Proto-Indo-European *gʰeydʰ- (to yearn for, to desire) [source] Descendents in the modern Celtic languages include: giall [ɟiəl̪ˠ] = hostage, pledge in […]

Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot. New language pages: Inuinnaqtun (ᐃᓄᐃᓐᓇᖅᑐᓐ‎), an Inuit language spoken in Nunavut and the Northwest Territories in northern Canada. Pare (Kipare), a Northeast Coast Bantu language spoken the Kilimanjaro Region in northeastern Tanzania. Kwamera (Nɨninɨfe), a Southern Oceanic language spoken on Tanna Island in Tafea Province in […]

You can be unkempt, but can you be just kempt? Let’s find out in this Adventure in Etymology on Radio Omniglot. An unkempt llama Unkempt [ˌʌnˈkɛmpt] means uncombed or dishevelled (hair), disorderly, untidy, messy, rough or unpolished. It comes from unkemmed, from Middle English kembed (well-combed, neat), from kemben [ˈkɛm(b)ən] (to comb), from Old English […]

Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot. New language pages: Naman, a Southern Oceanic language spoken on Malekula Island in central Vanuatu. Mbugu (kiMbugu) / Maʼa (kiMaʼa), a Bantu language spoken in the Lushoto District in the Tanga Region in the northeast of Tanzania. Mwerlap (N̄wërlap), a Southern Oceanic language spoken in the […]

In this episode we unearth the Celtic roots of words for birch (tree) in various languages. The Proto-Celtic word *betuyā means birch tree, and comes from Proto-Indo-European *gʷetu-yo-s, from *gʷet- (resin, gum) [source]. Descendents in the modern Celtic languages include: beith = birch (tree), letter B in Ogham (ᚁ) in Irish beithe [behə] birch, birch […]

Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot. New language pages: Kwangali (Rukwangali), a Bantu language spoken in northern Namibia and southern Angola. Lega (Kilega), a Bantu language spoken in the west of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Lomwe (Elomwe / Emakhuwa), a Bantu language spoken in northern Mozambique and southern Malawi. New […]

In this Adventure in Etymology we uncover the sticky roots of the word climb. Meanings of climb [klaɪm] include: To ascend, rise or go up To mount, move upwards To scale, get to the top of To move by gripping with the hands and using the feet It comes from Middle English climben [ˈkli(ː)mbən / […]

Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot. New constructed script: Surat Binua, which was created by Reza Sumanda as a way to write Kendayan, a Land Dayak language spoken in Indonesia and Malaysia. New constructed script: Tenzu, which was created by Reza Sumanda as a way to write Indonesian, and inspired by the […]

In this episode we uncover the possible Celtic roots of words for heron in Romance languages. The Proto-Celtic word *korxsā / *korxsiyos means heron or crane [source], and possibly comes from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kreik- (to screech, creak), which is imitative in origin [source]. Descendants in the modern Celtic languages include: corr [kəuɾˠ] = (grey) heron, stork, […]

Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot. New constructed script: Urup Bidayuh’, which was created by Reza Sumanda as a way to write Biatah (Bidayuh), a Land Dayak language spoken in West Kalimantan in Indonesia, and Sarawak in Malaysia. New language pages: Luang (Letri Lgona), a Timoric language spoken in the Leti and […]

In this Adventure in Etymology we investigate the word feather. A feather [ˈfɛð.ə(ɹ) / ˈfɛð.ɚ] is: A branching, hair-like structure that grows on the bodies of birds, used for flight, swimming, protection and display. Long hair on the lower legs of a dog or horse, especially a draft horse. [other meanings are available] It comes […]

Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot. New constructed script: Urup Bakatiʼ, which was created by Reza Sumanda as a way to write Bakatiʼ, a Land Dayak language spoken in West Kalimantan in Indonesia. New language pages: Bakatiʼ, a Land Dayak language spoken in West Kalimantan in Indonesia. Koro (Kōrō), a North-Central Vanuatu […]

In this episode we unravel the Celtic roots the English word deiseal. Deiseal [ˈdjɛʃəl] refers to a motion towards the right, in the direction of the hands of a clock or of the apparent motion of the sun (in the Northern Hemisphere); a turning in this direction. It is also written deisal, deasil, deisul or […]

Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot. New constructed script: Saramukhi, an alternative script for Indonesian and English created by Reza Sumanda and inspired by the Devanagari and Marchen scripts. New adapted script: Groeg (κροηκ​​), a way to write Welsh with the Greek alphabet devised by Xavier Merica. New language pages: Fwe (Chifwe), […]

In this Adventure in Etymology we investigate the word discombobulate. To discombobulate [ˌdɪs.kəmˈbɒb.jəˌleɪt] is: To throw into a state of confusion To befuddle or perplex. To upset or embarrass It was coined in the USA and first appeared in writing in around 1867 [source]. It is a fanciful mock-Latin term of a kind that was […]

Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot. New phonetic script: Vniverall (Universal) Alphabet, which was created by Thomas Harriot in the 1580s as a way to write the Carolina Algonquian language. New constructed script: Ranting Mualang, which was created by Reza Sumanda as is a way to write Mualang, a Ibanic language spoken […]

In this episode we uncover the Celtic roots of words for oar, to row and related things in Basque. The Proto-Celtic word *rāmyos means oar, spade or shovel and comes from the Proto-Indo-European *h₁reh₁- (to row) [source]. Descendants in the modern Celtic languages include: rámh [ɾˠɑːv] = oar in Irish ràmh [r̪ˠaːv] = oar, paddle […]

Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot. New writing system: Khom Thai, a descendent of the Old Khmer script used mainly to write religious texts in Pali, Sanskrit, Khmer, Thai and Lao. From: Wikimedia Commons, from the wellcome collection New constructed script: Hunter × Hunter Alphabet (ハンター文字), an alternative script for Japanese created […]

In this Adventure in Etymology we untangle the roots of the word number. A number [ˈnɐmbə(ɹ) / ˈnʌ̟mbɚ(ɹ)] is: Quantity An abstract entity used to describe quantity. A numeral: a symbol for a non-negative integer. An element of one of several sets: natural numbers, integers, rational numbers, etc other meanings are available It comes from […]