Etymoleon - Word History, the etymology podcast.

This episode investigates obscure words for discussions about error, tracing their origins and familiar words from the same root. Words examined include solecism, lapsus calami, amphibology, defalcation, misfeasance and mea culpa. Discover the mistaken beliefs that gave us the names West Indies, malaria and platinum. Sources: https://www.rd.com/article/malapropism-examples/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOU0eA03S2c https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/-/media/boe/files/quarterly-bulletin/2015/desperate-adventures-and-men-of-straw-the-failure-of-city-of-glasgow.pdf https://www.taylor-rose.co.uk/posts/misfeasance https://www.lshtm.ac.uk/research/library-archive-open-research-services/archives/sir-ronald-ross-collections https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anJKMZCVjxs Transition sound by https://audionautix.com

This episode considers unusual words for conversations about happiness, examining their origins and recognisable words from the same root. Words featured include gaiety, delectation, sangfroid, equanimity, ananda and rapturous. Hear the history of Jeremy Bentham's attempt to systematically assess pleasure and pain as a guide for moral action. Sources: https://www.britannica.com/topic/eudaimonia https://blogs.library.mcgill.ca/osler-library/aequanimitas/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqfjUTqDGRw Transition sound by https://audionautix.com

This episode gets into unusual words for conversations about eating, exploring their origins and familiar words from the same root. Words discussed include voracious, pantagruelian, temulent, alimentation, deglutition and abstemious. Plus, discover the history of how three daily meals, breakfast, lunch and dinner, became the norm. Sources: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/205/205-h/205-h.htm https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/caterpillar-mcmaster-1.5605825 https://www.merriam-webster.com/grammar/gourmet-vs-gourmand-usage-difference https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/1877-06-05/debates/119d4165-514d-4018-bd66-f6b96f695261/PrisonsBill%E2%80%94Bill121 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-20243692 https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2016/nov/28/breakfast-health-america-kellog-food-lifestyle https://www.manchester.ac.uk/about/news/hard-chews-why-mastication-played-crucial-role-in-evolution/ Transition sound by https://audionautix.com

This podcast returns on February 22nd 2026. This episode examines lesser-known words for discussions about Precision, looking at their origins and familiar words from the same root. Words explored include punctilious, ad litteram, cavilling, facsimile, pettifogging and fastidious. Find out when systems of measurement moved from regional variation to global uniformity. Sources: https://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/20686987-candelabra-selected-essays-and-addresses https://wordhistories.net/2018/02/04/scruple-origin/ https://kmbs.konicaminolta.us/blog/new-facts-about-fax-in-healthcare/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bUVjJWA6Vw https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-51198666 Transition sound by https://audionautix.com

This episode explores uncommon words for discussions about Power, examining their origins and familiar words from the same root. Words highlighted include recrudescence, lese-majeste, contumacious, de facto, seditious and arrogate. Hear how the transfer of royal power was not always determined by birth. Sources: https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofEngland/King-Stephen-Anarchy/ https://debretts.com/royal-family/the-royal-succession/ https://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/display/document/obo-9780199791279/obo-9780199791279-0046.xml https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/73906.txt.utf-8 https://hansard.parliament.uk/lords/2009-07-09/debates/09070996000389/CoronersAndJusticeBill https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/term/biog207883 https://www.historyextra.com/period/medieval/john-gaunt-duke-lancaster-who-facts-family-children-legacy/ Transition sound by https://audionautix.com

This episode covers rare words for conversations about Time, exploring their origins and recognisable words from the same root. Words featured include desultory, ephemeral, dilatory, tarry, exigent and evitable. Listen for the history of how time, once determined locally, became standardised across Britain with the emergence of the railway. Sources: https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/387/294/ https://www.folger.edu/explore/shakespeares-works/much-ado-about-nothing/read/1/1/ https://kinginstitute.stanford.edu/king-papers/documents/give-us-ballot-address-delivered-prayer-pilgrimage-freedom https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TbLTpR0njo Transition sound by https://audionautix.com

This podcast returns late January 2026. This episode begins with why Christmas carols were banned in the 17th century, and how the word carol comes from a French term for a dance performed by singers. Words like ditty, jingle and number are all used to describe Christmas songs, with number tracing back to theatre running orders. The episode also examines the etymologies of words found in carol lyrics, including gaily, orient, stranger and abhor, which shares a root with horrible and horrid. Instruments associated with Christmas sounds feature too, from bells and organs to the lesser known shawm, carillon and celeste, whose name comes from the French word for heavenly.

This time we're getting into terms of etiquette and the origins of certain expected behaviours, starting with the word etiquette itself, which shares a root with ticket because rules of behaviour were once written on small tabs. There are many theories about why placing your elbows on the table is considered rude, with one explanation linked to the need for stability. Forks were originally viewed as pretentious tools before becoming symbols of proper dining. In this context protocol refers to the formal rules that govern conduct, and its etymology goes back to the 'first page' of a document, from ancient Greek roots meaning first and glue. The episode also uncovers the origins of terms describing poor behaviour, including crude, vulgar, uncouth and boorish, the last of which is linked to the Dutch, along with expressions such as hoity-toity, toffee-nosed and la-di-da.

This episode marks St Andrew's Day by looking at the origins of terms linked to Scottish dialects. It begins with the etymologies of Scotland and other historical names for the region, including Caledonia and Alba. The episode also examines the various theories behind the word haggis, with explanations pointing to Old Norse and French roots. Wee, meaning little, is unmistakably Scottish, but other everyday English words such as glamour, numpty and eejit also have Scottish connections. Landscape terms including ben, brae, cairn and loch are explored, along with the origins of place names like Edinburgh, Falkirk and Dundee. Cullen skink, a soup of smoked haddock, has a name origin that is more meaty than fishy, and the word whisky translates to 'water of life', echoing similar meanings in other spirit terms such as eau de vie, akvavit and vodka.

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, princess or mother, with possible origins in Hebrew, Greek, Sanskrit, Arabic and an Indigenous language of New Zealand. Idris in Welsh means ardent lord, while in Arabic it is said to mean studious or smart. The Irish name Ciaran and the South Asian name Kiran sound similar, yet their etymologies move in opposite directions: one means dark, the other light. Also explored are the names Chika, Naomi, Bo, Arya and Dylan.

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 directions, and worry, which once had a far darker meaning in early English. The episode also looks at terms of cause and effect, including karma, comeuppance and just deserts.

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 part of the brain shares its etymology with a nut used as a milk substitute, and one type of mushroom owes its name to a marketing campaign aimed at boosting its appeal.

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, and how they came to describe people from different parts of the English speaking world.

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 speakers might recognise how phony connects to a jewellery scam. The origin of Pinocchio's name is right in front of us, and an ancient story has left us with a phrase that still warns against lying today.

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. A surname they both shared is often assumed to be patronymic from Michael, though an Old English root suggests its origin could have a different story. The episode also traces the origins of other well known soap surnames, including Ewing, Brady, Colby, Barlow and Platt.

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 term 'sugar daddy'. Also covered are the etymologies of diabetes, glucose and insulin.

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 Jacobs perfume line. We also look at the name origins of popular essential oils such as eucalyptus, lavender and tea tree, the latter with distinctly Australian roots.

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 do alarms go off when on seems more logical?

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 roots; a layered pasta and cheese dish called Loseyns appears in a 14th-century English cookbook. Find out why pineapple-and-ham pizza is called Hawaiian, and how the mozzarella, tomato and basil combination came to be named Margherita. Also featured are the origins of pasta names including pappardelle, tagliatelle, farfalle and cannelloni. Check out Mahabis for stylish slippers, sandals and trainers: https://mahabis.com/

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 of political figures such as Fatima Jinnah, Fania Mindell and Fidel Castro, whose Latin-derived name means faithful. The episode also looks into the etymologies of Forseti, Ferdinand and Florence.