Etymoleon - Word History, the etymology podcast.
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
Etymoleon - Word History, the etymology podcast.
77. Comedy
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This episode looks at the origins of words linked to comedy, tracing the etymology behind terms like fun, amuse, slapstick, wit and giggle. Discover why humour and humid share a Latin root meaning wetness, and which two English words correspond to the elements of schadenfreude. Teasing first referred to separating fibres before extending to provoking people (eventually in a playful way). Plus, find out how religious plays gave rise to the word farce.