Etymoleon - Word History, etymology

This episode explores the origins and meanings of names beginning with D. Dorothy shares its etymology with Theodore, both names implying their bearers are 'God's gift'. The surname Dior as seen in the brand Christian Dior, traces back to a French word that also gives us the 'D'Or' in the British ice cream brand Carte D'Or. Find out how names synonymous with pop culture - Drake, Dua, Dakota, and Demi - came to be.

In this episode, we get into the language of ageing, uncovering the surprising origins and histories behind words like geriatric, sage, pensioner and senior - a term originally used to distinguish fathers from their sons before taking on additional meanings. We also explore the darker side of language, revealing the connection between the word 'crone' and decaying flesh. Discover the equine roots of the phrase "long in the tooth" and trace the evolution of "silver fox" from the baseball field.

This podcast returns in September. In the meantime, take a listen to this recap featuring a mix of clips from past episodes. Remember to leave a rating or review.

This podcast returns in September. In the meantime, take a listen to this recap featuring a mix of clips from past episodes. Remember to leave a rating or review.

This podcast returns in September. In the meantime, take a listen to this recap featuring a mix of clips from past episodes. Remember to leave a rating or review.

This podcast is celebrating its first anniversary, thank you for listening and subscribing. In this episode, we explore the etymology of expressions of gratitude, tracing the origins of words like thanks, grateful, blessed and applaud. Clapping is a common gesture of appreciation, but the word clap also has a secondary meaning related to infection. Find out the surprising connection to rabbits in that slang term's history. We also get into the history of greeting cards and the name meanings of three singers (Dido, Jamelia and Alanis Morissette) who all have songs titled "Thank You".

This episode gets into the origins of musical instrument names, from the guitar and ukulele to the harmonica, saxophone, drum and more. Learn how the saxophone got its name from its inventor, whose surname, Sax, is locational, tracing to Saxony. The Theremin is another instrument named after its creator. Discover Benjamin Franklin's surprising connection to the word 'harmonica', the etymological link between the oboe and the word bouquet, and the royal connection behind the phrase "blowing your own trumpet".

This episode uncovers etymology related to the pharmaceutical industry. Learn how Ozempic and Tylenol got their names, as well as pharmaceutical giants like Roche and Pfizer. Pfizer, for instance, is an occupational surname rooted in a Latin word meaning "baker". Find out how a male enhancement drug might be named after a Sanskrit word meaning "tiger" or designed to evoke the word "vigour". Additionally, we trace the word "placebo" back to a Latin word meaning "to please" and look at the origins of terms like "mongering", "gouging" and "lobbying".

In this episode, we uncover the origins of words related to the summer season, such as sweltering, holiday, barbecue and scorching. Learn about the dahlia, a flower of the British summer season, named after Swedish botanist Anders Dahl, who shares a surname with the famous author Roald Dahl. The name means "valley" with the English variant being "dale". Discover why the sunscreen brand Piz Buin is named after a mountain and how "al fresco" has a very different meaning in Italian slang compared to its English usage of dining outdoors.

This episode explores the origins and meanings of names popular with royalty. Discover why the nickname of a 10th century Nordic king lives on in the 20th century technology term Bluetooth. Learn how the name Harry, a pet form of Henry, traces back to the French pronunciation during the Middle English period. We also look into the ancient Greek roots of many female royal names such as Catherine, Sophia, Eugenie and Alexandra, and explore the connection between the mythological King Arthur and the name Jennifer.