27 episodes

A podcast about words, phrases, their origins and histories.

Ye olde word Adithya Mohan

    • Science
    • 5.0 • 1 Rating

A podcast about words, phrases, their origins and histories.

    Companion and Comrade

    Companion and Comrade

    What do the words companion and mate have in common with food? What is a Calque? Listen to this episode to find out!



    Sources:

    https://www.merriam-webster.com/wordplay/history-of-word-companion

    https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/companion#:~:text=companion%20(plural%20companions),accompany%20or%20travel%20with%20another.

    https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mate

    https://www.smh.com.au/national/mate-what-s-the-history-of-our-most-treasured-salutation-20210513-p57rhk.html

    https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/comrade

    • 2 min
    Explode

    Explode

    What do ancient theatre goers of Rome and the word explode have in common? Listen to the episode to find out!



    Sources:
    https://mashedradish.com/2017/03/28/the-dramatic-roots-of-explode/

    https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/explode

    • 2 min
    Janus words

    Janus words

    What are words which contradict themselves called? Fast means to go fast, but, to stand fast means to not move at all. Listen to this episode to understand such words!



    Sources: 

    https://medium.com/@jackashepherd/these-extremely-cool-words-mean-the-opposite-of-themselves-8e4f5fd63cd3

    https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/words-own-opposites#:~:text=A%20'Janus%20word'%20is%20a,antagonyms%2C%20or%20auto%2Dantonyms.

    https://blog.maltalingua.com/what-are-janus-words/

    https://www.economist.com/culture/2022/09/08/some-words-have-two-opposite-meanings-why

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janus#:~:text=In%20ancient%20Roman%20religion%20and,named%20for%20Janus%20(Ianuarius).

    https://www.andersonlock.com/blog/god-doors/

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auto-antonym#:~:text=An%20auto%2Dantonym%20or%20autantonym,or%20%22to%20bind%20together%22.

    • 2 min
    William Dampier

    William Dampier

    What is the difference between a pirate and a privateer? What link has the pirate William Dampier has to guacomole, mango chutney, and to Charles Darwin? Listen to the episode to find out!

    Sources:

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Dampier

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Selkirk

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_Hatley

    https://www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/article/eat-like-a-pirate

    https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/first-food-writer

    https://ocean.si.edu/human-connections/exploration/william-dampier-pirate-who-collected-plants

    https://www.nma.gov.au/defining-moments/resources/arrival-of-english-explorer-william-dampier

    https://www.britannica.com/story/pirates-privateers-corsairs-buccaneers-whats-the-difference#:~:text=A%20privateer%20was%20a%20pirate,belonging%20to%20a%20rival%20country.

    https://blog.marinersmuseum.org/2012/09/the-difference-between-pirates-privateers-and-buccaneers-pt-1/

    • 6 min
    Words from Greek myth-Part I

    Words from Greek myth-Part I

    What does the word cereal and panic have to do with Greek mythology? Listen to the episode to find out!

    Sources:

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceres_(dwarf_planet)

    https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cereal

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pan_(god)

    https://drhoffman.com/article/the-origin-of-panic-3/

    https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/the-mythological-origin-of-panic

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronos

    https://www.etymonline.com/word/victory

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victoria_(mythology)

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nike_(mythology)

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oceanus

    • 3 min
    Humour

    Humour

    Are the words humid and humour related? What does the word melancholy have to do with bile? Listen to the episode to find out!



    Sources: 

    https://www.sciencefriday.com/articles/the-origin-of-the-word-humor/

    https://www.britannica.com/science/humor-ancient-physiology

    https://uselessetymology.com/2017/11/29/the-etymology-of-humor/

    https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/112655/how-did-the-word-humor-which-originally-represented-bodily-fluids-end-up-rep

    https://www.thecolourworks.com/hippocrates-galen-the-four-humours/

    • 4 min

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