What do ancient Roman spirits and IQ scores have in common? In this episode of Lexiconned, TJ explores the tangled history of the word “genius”—from its roots in Latin religion to its modern-day misuse. Discover how the word changed, and what we lost along the way.

Sources:

• Oxford English Dictionary
• Online Etymology Dictionary
• Encyclopedia Britannica
• Latin literature and religious texts
• “The Birth of the Modern Genius” by Darrin M. McMahon
• Smithsonian Magazine
• History Today: The Genius Myth

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