Radio Omniglot
Simon Ager
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Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Radio Omniglot episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Radio Omniglot for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Radio Omniglot episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
Adventures in Etymology – Weird
Radio Omniglot
09/23/23 • 2 min
In this adventure we’re unwinding the origins of the word weird.
As an adjective weird means:
- Having an unusually strange character or behaviour.
- Deviating from the normal; bizarre.
- Of or pertaining to the Fates (archaic)
- Connected with fate or destiny; able to influence fate (archaic)
- Having supernatural or preternatural power (archaic)
As a noun weird means:
- Weirdness
- A prediction
- That which comes to pass; a fact
- Fate; destiny; luck (archaic)
As a verb weird means:
- To destine; doom; change by witchcraft or sorcery.
- To warn solemnly; adjure.
It comes from Middle English werd (fate, destiny), from Old English wyrd (fate), from Proto-West-Germanic *wurdi (fate, destiny), from Proto-Germanic *wurdiz (fate, destiny), from PIE *wert- (to turn) [source].
By the 16th century weird was obsolete in English, though it contained to be used in Scots. It was reintroduced to English by Shakespeare, who called the three witches in Macbeth the Weird Sisters.
In Scots weird means fate, fortune or destiny, and various other things, and tae dree your weird means to follow your destiny, to make what you can of your lot, or to suffer the consequences of your action [source].
Words from the same roots as weird include retain, verse, vortex and worth in English, Wert (value, worth) in German, gwerth (value, worth) in Welsh, worden (to become, get, grow, turn) in Dutch, and verða (to become, have to, must) in Icelandic [source].
I also write about words, etymology and other language-related topics on the Omniglot Blog, and I explore etymological connections between Celtic languages on the Celtiadur.
You can also listen to this podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Stitcher, TuneIn, Podchaser, PlayerFM or podtail.
If you would like to support this podcast, you can make a donation via PayPal or Patreon, or contribute to Omniglot in other ways.
Radio Omniglot podcasts are brought to you in association with Blubrry Podcast Hosting, a great place to host your podcasts. Get your first month free with the promo code omniglot.
Celtic Pathways – Bards and Poets
Radio Omniglot
08/12/22 • 1 min
In this episode we’re looking at words for bards, poets and related people.
In Proto-Celtic one word for bard was *bardos, which comes from the Proto-Indo-European *gʷr̥dʰh₁-ó-s from *gʷerH- (to express approval, praise, elevate) [source].
Descendants in the modern Celtic languages include:
- bard [bˠɑːɾˠd̪ˠ / bˠæːɾˠd̪ˠ] = poet, bard, scold in Irish
- bàrd [baːr̪ˠd] = poet, versifier, bard, rhymer in Scottish Gaelic
- bard = poet, bard in Manx
- bardd [barð] = poet, bard, literary person, author, prophet, philosopher, priest in Welsh
- bardh [barð] = bard, poet in Cornish
- barzh = bard, poet in Breton
The English word bard was borrowed from Scottish Gaelic in the 15th century. The Proto-Celtic word *bardos was borrowed into Latin as bardus (bard), which became barde in French and bardo in Italian, Spanish and Portuguese [source]
The Proto-Celtic word *weless means seer or poet. It comes from the Proto-Celtic *weleti (to see) from the PIE *wel (to see) [source].
Descendants in modern Celtic languages include:
- file [ˈfʲɪlʲə] = poet, song-maker, lyricist, satirist, scold in Irish
- filidh [filɪ] = minstrel, poet (traditionally a member of one of the seven ranks of poets, all of which are above the bàrd) in Scottish Gaelic
- feelee = poet in Manx
Words for to see in Welsh (gweld), Cornish (gweles) and Breton (gwelet) come from the Proto-Celtic *weleti, as to parts of the verb to be in Irish (bhfuil), Scottish Gaelic (bheil) and Manx (vel) – apparently they came from the imperative form of the verb and the meaning shifted from “see!” to “there is” to “is” [source].
The Swedish word leta (to search, look for) comes from the same PIE root, as does the word lait (to seek, search for, inquire), which is or was found in some UK dialects of English [source].
More details about these words on Celtiadur, a blog where I explore connections between Celtic languages in more depth.
I also write about words, etymology and other language-related topics on the Omniglot Blog.
You can also listen to this podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Stitcher, TuneIn, Podchaser, PlayerFM or podtail.
If you would like to support this podcast, you can make a donation via PayPal or Patreon, or contribute to Omniglot in o...
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Adventures in Etymology – Shambling Shambles
Radio Omniglot
03/09/24 • 2 min
In this Adventure in Etymology we’re looking into the origins of the word shamble (and shambles).
To shamble means to walk while shuffling or dragging the feet, and a shamble is one of a succession of niches or platforms, one above another, to hold ore which is thrown successively from platform to platform, and thus raised to a higher level in a mine.
It comes from Middle English schamel / schambyll [ˈʃaːməl] (footstool), from Old English sċamol [ˈʃɑ.mol] (stool), from Proto-West Germanic *skamil (stool, bench), from Latin scabellum (footstool, a kind of percussion instrument played with the foot), from scamnum (stool, step, bench, ridge), from PIE *skabh- (to hold up) [source].
Words from the same roots include scanno (seat, bench, stool) in Italian, escano (bench, footstool) in Portuguese, scaun (chair, seat, stool, throne, residence, butcher’s block) in Romanian, Schemel (footstool) in German, and iskemle (chair) in Turkish [source].
In the plural, shambles means a scene of great disorder or ruin, a great mess or clutter, a scene of bloodshed, carnage or devastation, or a slaughterhouse, and it used to mean a butcher’s shop. It comes from the same roots as the singular shamble [source].
There’s a street in York in the north of England called The Shambles (see the photo above), that was once home to many butchers. They originally displayed their wares on stalls or benches known as shamels or schambylls, which gave the street its name. There are several similarly-named streets in other parts of the UK and Ireland [source].
Incidentally, a German equivalent of shamble is schlurfen [ˈʃlʊɐ̯fn̩], which means to shuffle (walk without picking up one’s feet). It’s related to the English word slurp [source].
Now it’s time to shamble off. I made a bit of an omnishambles of this post – I wrote most of it, then accidentally deleted half of it and had to rewrite it as I couldn’t retrieve the lost bits. I hope it’s not too shambolic.
You can also listen to this podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Podchaser, Podbay or Podtail and other pod places.
If you would like to support this podcast, you can make a donation via PayPal or Patreon, or contribute to Omniglot in other ways.
Radio Omniglot podcasts are brought to you in association with Blubrry Podcast Hosting, a great place to host your podcasts. Get your first month free with the promo code omniglot.
I also write about words, etymology and other language-related topics on the Omniglot Blog, and I explore etymological connections between Celtic languages on the Celtiadur blog.
Celtic Pathways – Soft Bogs
Radio Omniglot
01/20/24 • 2 min
In this episode we discover the soft and tender Celtic roots of the word bog.
A bog is an area of decayed vegetation which forms a wet spongy ground too soft for walking on, and comes from Middle English bog (swamp, morass), from Irish / Scottish Gaelic bog (soft, tender, marshy, boggy), from Old Irish boc (soft, gentle, tender), from Proto-Celtic *buggos (soft, tender), from PIE *bhewgh- (to bend, curve) [source].
Related words in the modern Celtic languages include:
- bog [bɣɔɡ / bɣʌɡ] (noun) = soft, tender, flabby, indulgent, lenient, mellow (voice), mild (weather), loose, lukewarm in Irish
- bog [boɡ] = flabby, soft, limp, pulpy, moist, marshy, boggy, sloppy, foolish, damp, humid in Scottish Gaelic
- bog = soft, easy, tender, flabby, pulpy, slack, limp, moist, soft-hearted, callow in Manx
- bouk [buːk] = soft, cozy, heavy, stifling (weather) in Breton
English words from the same PIE root include badge, bagel, bay, (to) bow, bow (and arrow), buck and elbow [source].
Incidentally, the word bog is also slang for toilet / bathroom (originally latrine or outhouse) in the UK (especially in northern England), Ireland, Australia and New Zealand, and a boglet is a small patch of boggy ground, or a kind of supernatural being like a bogle or goblin.
More about words for and related things in Celtic languages.
You can find more connections between Celtic languages on the Celtiadur blog. I also write about words, etymology and other language-related topics on the Omniglot Blog.
Tóg go bog é! (Take it easy! – Irish).
Radio Omniglot podcasts are brought to you in association with Blubrry Podcast Hosting, a great place to host your podcasts. Get your first month free with the promo code omniglot.
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Omniglot News (09/10/22)
Radio Omniglot
10/09/22 • 0 min
Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot.
There are new language pages about:
- Äiwoo, an Oceanic language spoken mainly in the Reef Islands in Temotu Province of the Solomon Islands.
- Iaai, a Southern Oceanic language spoken in New Caledonia.
- Dumi (दुमी), a Kiranti language spoken in eastern Nepal.
There’s a new constructed script called Altus, which was devised by Paul Mbongo as an alternative way to write Lingala, a Bantu language spoken mainly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and in the Republic of Congo.
There are new numbers pages in:
- Wapishana (Wapixana), a Northern Arawakan language spoken in Guyana and Brazil.
- Yaghnobi (yaɣnobī́ zivók / яғнобӣ зивок), an Eastern Iranian language spoken in the Yaghnob valley in northwestern Tajikistan.
- Dumi (दुमी), a Kiranti language spoken in eastern Nepal.
There’s a new page with family words in Urdu.
There’s a new Tower of Babel translation in Iaai.
On the Omniglot blog this week there’s a post called Different Worlds, which is about the Japanese stories known as isekai (different world), and the linguistic situations in such worlds, and the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:
Here’s a clue: this language is spoken in the USA.
The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was
Nheengatu (ñe’engatú), a Tupí-Guarani language spoken in Brazil, Colombia and Venezuela.
There’s a new Celtiadur post about words for flour and related things in Celtic languages.
On the Celtic Pathways podcast we are digging up the origins of the word Iron.
In this week’s Adventure in Etymology we’re looking into, examining, scrutinizing and underseeking the origins of the word investigate.
In other news. this week my current streak on Duolingo passed 1,900 days, and yesterday I got to 1,904 days. So with my previous 96-day streak, I have now been studying languages every day for the past 2,000 days, or about five and a half years. In that time I’ve completed courses in Swedish, Russian, Danish, Romanian, Czech, Esperanto and Dutch. I also finished all the Spanish lessons, but then they added a whole bunch of new ones, which I’m working on those at the moment. I’m also refreshing my Japanese and Scottish Gaelic.
Do I speak all these languages now? Well, yes and no. I speak some of them fairly well, and can at least have basic conversations in the others. Some I understand and can read better than I speak or write them. The one I know the least of is Romanian, which I hadn’t studied before and tried to learn just using Duolingo. I found it difficult trying to work out the grammar, and there were no explanations.
Recently I’ve been enjoying using Super Duolingo (formerly Duolingo Plus). Normally you have to pay a monthly subscription for it, but I can use it for free, thanks to people who have signed up via one of the links on Omniglot. For each person that signs up, I get a free week. Would it be worth paying for this? Maybe, if you can afford it. You don’t have to worry about making mistakes as you don’t run out of hearts, except in the crown levels, you can practise your mistakes and take tests.
Have you tried Super Duolingo? If so, what do you think of it?
For more Omniglot News see:
https://www.omniglot.com/news/
https://twitter.com/Omniglossia
https://www.facebook.com/groups/omniglot/
https://www.facebook.com/Omniglot-100430558332117
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Adventures in Etymology – Sneeze
Radio Omniglot
08/13/22 • 1 min
Today we’re investigating the origins of the word sneeze.
Sneeze [sniːz] means:
- to emit air or breath suddenly, forcibly, and audibly through the nose and mouth by involuntary, spasmodic action.
It comes from the Middle English snesen [ˈsneːzən] (to sneeze), from fnesen [ˈfneːzən] (to sneeze) from the Old English fnēosan [ˈfne͜oː.zɑn] (to sneeze), from the Proto-Germanic *fneusaną [ɸneu̯.sɑ.nɑ̃] (to sneeze), from the Proto-Indo-European *pnew- (to pant, breathe, snort, sneeze) [source].
A related word in Middle English was fnesy [fneːziː] (having a tendency to wheeze or sneeze) [source]. Other words that began with fn in Middle Engilsh included fnoren and fnorten which became snore and snort in Modern English.
An old word for to sneeze in English was neeze, which is or was used in some dialects in the UK. It came from the Middle English nesen (to sneeze), from the Old English *hnēosan (to sneeze), from the Proto-Germanic *hneusaną (to sneeze), from the PIE *(s)knus- (to sneeze) and *pnew- (to pant, breathe) [source].
Words from the PIE root *pnew- include pneumatic and pneumonia in English, pneu (tyre/tire) in French, and πνέω [ˈpne.o] (to blow) in Greek [source].
Here’s a video I made of this information:
Video made with Doodly [afflilate link].
I also write about words, etymology and other language-related topics on the Omniglot Blog, and I explore etymological connections between Celtic languages on the Celtiadur.
You can also listen to this podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Stitcher, TuneIn, Podchaser, PlayerFM or podtail.
If you would like to support this podcast, you can make a donation via PayPal or Patreon, or contribute to Omniglot in other ways.
Adventures in Etymology – Snort
Radio Omniglot
12/17/22 • 1 min
In this Adventure we are snuffling around the origins of the word snort.
Snort [snɔɹt] means:
- The sound made by exhaling or inhaling roughly through the nose.
- to exhale roughly through the nose; to make a snort
- to inhale snuff or another snortable substance
It comes from the Middle English snorten (to snore, breathe heavily, snort), from fnorten/fnōren (to snore loudly, to snort in one’s sleep, (of a horse) to snort), from the Old English fnora (a sneeze, sneezing), from the Proto-Germanic *fnuzô, from the Proto-Indo-European *pnew- (to breathe, snort, sneeze) [source].
Words derived from snort include chortle (a joyful, somewhat muffled laugh, rather like a snorting chuckle) – a blend of chuckle and snort [source]; and snortle (a hearty laugh that is punctuated by a snort on the inhale) – a blend of snort and chortle [source].
Words from the same roots at snort include πνέω [ˈpne.o] (to blow) in Greek; niezen (to sneeze) in Dutch; sneeze, pneumonia and pneumatic in English; and fnysa (to snort, scoff, sniff, harumph) in Swedish [source].
Here’s a video I made of this information:
Video made with Doodly [afflilate link].
I also write about words, etymology and other language-related topics on the Omniglot Blog, and I explore etymological connections between Celtic languages on the Celtiadur.
You can also listen to this podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Stitcher, TuneIn, Podchaser, PlayerFM or podtail.
If you would like to support this podcast, you can make a donation via PayPal or Patreon, or contribute to Omniglot in other ways.
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Celtic Pathways – Swans
Radio Omniglot
01/10/23 • 1 min
In this episode we are looking into words for swan.
In Proto-Celtic word for swan was *eli-, which comes from the Proto-Indo-European *h1el- (swan, bird, waterfowl) [Source].
Related words in modern Celtic language include:
- eala [ˈalɣə] = swan in Irish
- eala [jal̪ɣə] = swan in Scottish Gaelic
- olla(y) = (mute) swan in Manx
- alarch [ˈalarχ/ˈaːlarχ] = swan, the constellation Cygnus in Welsh
- alargh = (mute) swan in Cornish
- alarc’h = swan in Breton
Words from the same Proto-Celtic root include alondra (lark) in Spanish, alouette (lark) in French, and allodola (skylark) in Italian. They were probably borrowed from the Gaulish alauda (skylark), from ala (swan) [Source].
Other words from the PIE root *h1el- include auk in English, olor (swan) in Latin, alke (auk) in Danish and Norwegian, and álka (razorbill) in Faroese and Icelandic [Source].
More details of words for swan in Celtic languages can be found on the Celtiadur, a blog where I explore connections between Celtic languages in more depth. I also write about words, etymology and other language-related topics on the Omniglot Blog.
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Celtic Pathways – Needles and Scythes
Radio Omniglot
02/17/24 • 2 min
In this episode we discover Romance scythes in a stack of Celtic pins and needles.
The Proto-Celtic word *delgos means pin or needle. It comes from Proto-Indo-European *dhelg- (sting) [source].
Related words in the modern Celtic languages include:
- dealg [ˈdjal̪ɣəɡ] = thorn, prickle, spine, spike, pin, peg or brooch in Irish
- dealg [djal̪ɣag] = pin, skewer or knitting needle in Scottish Gaelic
- jialg = needle, prick, quill, thorn or pin in Manx
- dala [ˈdala] = sting or bite in Welsh
Words from the same Proto-Celtic roots, via Gaulish *dalgis (scythe) and Latin *daculum (scythe) , possibly include dall (mowing, billhook) in Catalan, dalle (scythe) in Spanish, and dalha (scythe) in Occitan (Languedoc) [source].
The English word dagger, and related words in other languages, such as daga (dagger) in Spanish, and Degen (rapier, épée) in German, might come from the same Celtic roots [source].
Words from the same PIE root include dálkur (spine of a fish, knife, dagger, newspaper column) in Icelandic, dilgus (prickly) in Lithuanian, falce (scythe, sickle) in Italian, and falcate (shaped like a sickle) and falcifer (sickle-bearing, holding a scythe) in English [source].
More about words for Pins and Needles in Celtic languages.
You can find more connections between Celtic languages on the Celtiadur blog. I also write about words, etymology and other language-related topics on the Omniglot Blog.
Radio Omniglot podcasts are brought to you in association with Blubrry Podcast Hosting, a great place to host your podcasts. Get your first month free with the promo code omniglot.
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Celtic Pathways – Iron
Radio Omniglot
10/08/22 • 1 min
In this episode we are digging up the origins of the word iron.
The Proto-Celtic word for iron is *īsarnom. It comes from the Proto-Indo-European *h1ēsh2r̥no- (bloody, red), from *h1ésh2r̥ (blood) [source].
Descendants in the Celtic languages include:
- iarann [ˈiəɾɣən̪ɣ] = iron in Irish
- iarann [iər̪ɣən̪ɣ] = iron, (metal) blade, day’s worth cutting peat (for two) in Scottish Gaelic
- yiarn = iron; tool, scythe, blade; dough (money); tip (gratuity) in Manx
- haearn = iron, iron bar, hardness, strength, resoluteness, hard, strong, unyielding in Welsh
- horn = iron in Cornish
- houarn [ˈhuː.arn] = iron, flat iron; horseshoe in Breton
Words for iron in Germanic languages come from the same Proto-Celtic root, via the Proto-Germanic *īsarną (iron). They include iron in English, ijzer in Dutch, Eisen in German, järn in Swedish, and jern in Danish [source].
Words from the same PIE roots, include արյուն (aryun – blood, slaughter) in Armenian, asinis (blood, temperament, origin) in Latvian [source], words for blood in Romance languages [source], and words for sister in most European languages [source].
More details about these words on Celtiadur, a blog where I explore connections between Celtic languages in more depth. I also write about words, etymology and other language-related topics on the Omniglot Blog.
You can also listen to this podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Stitcher, TuneIn, Podchaser, PlayerFM or podtail.
If you would like to support this podcast, you can make a donation via PayPal or Patreon, or contribute to Omniglot in other ways.
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FAQ
How many episodes does Radio Omniglot have?
Radio Omniglot currently has 284 episodes available.
What topics does Radio Omniglot cover?
The podcast is about Language Learning, Courses, Podcasts and Education.
What is the most popular episode on Radio Omniglot?
The episode title 'Adventures in Etymology – Weird' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on Radio Omniglot?
The average episode length on Radio Omniglot is 2 minutes.
How often are episodes of Radio Omniglot released?
Episodes of Radio Omniglot are typically released every 1 day, 3 hours.
When was the first episode of Radio Omniglot?
The first episode of Radio Omniglot was released on May 21, 2022.
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