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.
101. Veganism
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This podcast returns mid-November 2025.
This time we're looking into the etymologies of vegan related terms, beginning with the history of the Vegan Society and the roots of other dietary labels such as pescetarian and the more recent reducetarian. Soya beans take their name from the sauce, not the other way around, and Quorn, the brand name for a mycoprotein product, has an unexpected historical link to fox hunting. There's also a linguistic connection between the words plant and clan, a part of the brain shares its etymology with a nut used as a milk substitute, and one type of mushroom owes its name to a marketing campaign aimed at boosting its appeal.