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.
80. Names: Novels & Theatre
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
This episode traces the origins of names from classic novels and theatre plays, uncovering the stories behind characters and their creators. You may not recognise the name Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, but you'll know his pen name, which was crafted from variants of his own. Learn the likely reason Oscar Wilde chose the name Dorian for his character, how the name Macbeth is linked to an alcoholic beverage, and how Ophelia connects to a mosquito. Also explored are the surname origins of characters from Jane Austen stories, including Darcy, Ferrars, Bennet and Price.