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Copyright © Simon Ager 2018-2021
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Radio Omniglot is a podcast about language and linguistics, brought to you by Simon Ager, the man behind Omniglot.com, the online encyclopedia of writing systems and languages.
422 Episodes
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On today’s adventure we are looking at the origins of the word session, because this afternoon I took part in a music session in a friend’s garden, and I thought I’d find out where the word comes from. Session comes from the Old French session (sitting, (court) session), from the Latin sessiō (a sitting, a […]
Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot. New writing system: Novo Tupi, an alphabet created in the early 19th century as a way to write Old Tupi, a language that was spoken by the Tupi people in Brazil until about the 19th century, and which developed into Nheengatu. New adapted script: Finnish Tengwar […]
In this episode of the Celtic Pathways podcast, we discover the possible Celtic roots of words for gravel in English and other languages. Gravel [ˈɡɹævəl] is small fragments of rock, used for laying on the beds of roads and railways, and as ballast, and other things (other meanings are available). It comes from Middle English […]
Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot. New language pages: Central ǃKung (ǃXun), a Kxʼa language spoken in northern Namibia. Ik (Icétôd), a Kuliak language spoken in Karamoja in the Northern region of Uganda. Markwet (Markweta), a Southern Nilotic language spoken in Elgeyo-Marakwet County in western Kenya. Sudanese Arabic (لهجة سودانية), a variety […]
In this Adventure in Etymology, we unweave the origins of the word text. A text [tɛkst] is: A writing consisting of multiple glyphs, characters, symbols or sentences. A book, tome or other set of writings. A brief written message transmitted between mobile phones. (other meanings are available) It comes from Middle English text, from Old […]
Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot. New language pages: Kwasengen (Hanga Hundi), a Sepik language spoken in East Sepik Province in the northwest of Papua New Guinea. Dirasha (D’iraassh), a Lowland East Cushitic language spoken in southwestern Ethiopia. Saho (Saahot Af), a Lowland East Cushitic language spoken mainly in Eritrea and Ethiopia. […]
In this episode we discover the possible Celtic roots of words for larch (tree) in various non-Celtic languages. A larch [ˈlɑːtʃ/ˈlɑɹtʃ] is a confierous tree of the genus Larix having deciduous leaves in fascicles (bundles). The most common type of larch tree in Europe is the European larch (Larix decidua), which is native to northern […]
Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot. New language pages: Kamasau, a Torricelli language spoken in East Sepik Province in the northwest of Papua New Guinea. Bukiyip (Bukiyúp), a Torricelli language spoken in East Sepik Province in the northwest of Papua New Guinea. Mufian, a Torricelli language spoken in East Sepik Province in […]
In this Adventure in Etymology, we determine the limits of the word term, and find out how it’s connected to the Daleks in Dr Who. St Pancras International Station – a major railway terminus in London A term [tɜːm/tɝm] is: That which limits the extent of anything; limit, extremity, bound, boundary, terminus. A chronological limitation […]
Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot. New language pages: Djabugay, a Pama-Nyungan language spoken in Queensland in northeastern Australia. Lamalama, a Pama-Nyungan language spoken in Queensland in the northeastern Australia. Warao, a language isolate spoken in Venezuela, Guyana and Suriname. Kapóng, a Cariban language spoken in Guyana, Venezuela and Brazil. New constructed […]
In this episode, we discover the Celtic roots of words for garter in English and French. The English word garter refers to a band around the leg to hold up a sock or stocking. It comes from Old Northern French gartier (garter), from Old French garet (knee, leg), from Vulgar Latin *garra (shank, calf), from […]
Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot. New language pages: Datooga, a Southern Nilotic language spoken in parts of northern Tanzania. Sobei, a Western Oceanic language spoken in Papua Province in eastern Indonesian. Defaka (défàkà), an Ijoid language spoken in Rivers State in southern Nigeria. New numbers pages: Defaka (défàkà), an Ijoid language […]
In this Adventure in Etymology, we’re looking into the origins of the word origin, and randomly looking at the word random. A random and original rowing boat Origin [ˈɒɹ.ɪ.dʒɪn/ˈɔɹ.ɪ.dʒɪn] is: The beginning of something The source of a river, information, goods, etc It comes from Middle English origyne [ɔˈridʒin(ə)] (origin, lineage, provenance), from Old French […]
Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot. New language pages: Anuak (Dha-Anywaa), a Western Nilotic language spoken in western Ethiopia and eastern South Sudan. Belanda Bor (di Bor), a Western Nilotic language spoken in South Sudan. Bawm, a Kuki-Chin-Naga language spoken mainly in Bangladesh, and also in India and Myanmar. Keiyo, a Southern […]
In this episode we discover the possible Celtic roots of the word jeans, and also the place names Genoa and Geneva. Jeans are trousers made from denim cotton, traditionally dyed dark blue, and also known as blue jeans. The word jeans is an abbreviation of jean fustian, from Middle English Gene (Genoa, Genovese) and fustian […]
Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot. New language pages: Adhola (DhoPadhola), a Western Nilotic language spoken in the Eastern Region of Uganda. Ntcham (ncam), a Northern Gur language spoken in Togo and Ghana. Akha (A˯ka˯daw˯), a Southern Loloish language spoken in China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam. New constructed script and language: […]
In this Adventure in Etymology we’re looking into the origins of the word swan. A swan [swɒn/swɑn] is: Any of various species of large, long-necked waterfowl, of genus Cygnus (bird family: Anatidae), most of which have white plumage. One whose grace etc. suggests a swan. It comes from Middle English swan [swan] (swan, swan meat), […]
Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot. New language pages: Moma (Mobaha), a Celebic language spoken in Central Sulawesi Province in northern Indonesia. Burum (Mindik), a Western Huon language spoken on the Huon Peninsula in Morobe Province of Papua New Guinea. Ternate (bhsua ternente), a West Papuan language spoken mainly on Ternate island […]
The Irish word leathar and the Welsh word lledr both mean leather, and various other things. You might think that they were borrowed from English, but in fact the English word leather might ultimately come from a Proto-Celtic word, via Middle and Old English and Proto-Germanic [source]. The Proto-Celtic word for leather or hide was […]
Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot. New language pages: Ngangam (miganganm), a Northern Gur language spoken in northeastern Togo and northwestern Benin. Mbukushu (thiMbukushu), a Bantu language spoken in Namibia, Angola, Botswana and Zambia. Belanda Viri, a Ubangian language spoken in the west and south of South Sudan. Glosa, an International Auxiliary […]
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