Etymoleon - Word History, etymology

About Etymoleon - Word History, etymology

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. Get in touch: https://etymoleon.com Etymoleon is produced by Leon Bailey-Green.

Publisher

Leon Bailey-Green

Category

history

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

6 Aug 2023

Latest episode

2 Aug 2026

Latest episodes

128 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   2 Aug 2026

   128. Taking a Break

   Three years and over 120 episodes in, this podcast will be taking an extended break until the end of the year. Please leave a rating or review in your podcast app and stay subscribed for future episodes. Get in touch: https://etymoleon.com.

2. 

   26 Jul 2026

   127. Spiders

   An Italian folk dance has origins in medieval beliefs about a spider bite. Japanese folklore has a shapeshifting spider that lures young men. An 18th century illustration is behind the name of one of the world's largest spiders. Alongside these histories, this episode uncovers the origins of words such as cobweb, Anansi, matriphagy, tarantula, Jorogumo, arachnomelia, chelated and autotomy. Transition sound by https://audionautix.com - https://www.youtube.c...

3. 

   19 Jul 2026

   126. Silence

   A 13th century city restricted the movements of glassmakers to protect valuable production secrets. For much of history, reading aloud was more common than reading silently in the mind. An early music player without a volume control may have inspired a popular phrase. Alongside these histories, this episode traces the origins of words such as divulge, recite, endophasia, expose, radio silence and schtum. Transition sound by https://audionautix.com - https://www.prospectm...

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.6 / 5

18 ratings

Spotify

4.7 / 5

31 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 36 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

40

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

82

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