Etymoleon - Word History, the etymology podcast. cover art

Etymoleon - Word History, the etymology podcast.

Etymoleon - Word History, the etymology podcast.

By: Leon Bailey-Green
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About this listen

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 and phrase origins.


The majority of etymologies featured return to Old English, Ancient Greek, Latin and Old French, providing a look into languages of the past that underpin English.


New episodes on Sundays.


Play the daily word game Derivety: https://derivety.com


Get in touch: https://etymoleon.com

© 2026 Leon Bailey-Green World
Episodes
  • 111. Happiness

    111. Happiness
    Mar 1 2026

    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
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    15 mins
  • 110. Eating

    110. Eating
    Feb 22 2026

    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
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    14 mins
  • 109. Precision

    109. Precision
    Feb 8 2026

    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

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    16 mins
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