Fascinating Word Origins
This is an episode I’ve been planning for a long time and I’m quite excited to share. We’ll be looking at the origins of 8 different English words and the deep stories behind them.
Each word originally comes from another language or culture, and it was brought into English through fascinating stories that we’ll explore in this episode. These are just a few examples of the countless words that have been adopted into English in a similar way.
For each word, I’ll ask a question to the audience to answer too, which gives you a chance to practice and hear my own views.
Episode Summary
1. Priority
From Latin prior, meaning “first.” The word was singular for centuries — only recently did people start saying “priorities.”
➤ Discussion: Do you try to choose one clear priority each day or week?
2. Nightmare
From Old English mare, an evil spirit that sat on people during sleep. The connection to horses came later.
➤ Discussion: Have you ever had a nightmare that felt real?
3. Salary
From Latin salarium — linked to sal (salt), once valuable enough to be used as payment.
➤ Discussion: What’s more important to you: Salary, coworkers, or flexibility?
4. Clue
From Greek clew (a ball of thread). Theseus used a thread to escape the labyrinth — the original “clue.”
➤ Discussion: Can you think of a time a small detail helped you solve something?
5. Quarantine
From Italian quaranta giorni — “forty days.” Ships had to wait 40 days before docking during the Black Death.
➤ Discussion: What habits or routines did you develop during COVID lockdowns?
6. Muscle
From Latin musculus, meaning “little mouse.” Romans thought flexing looked like mice moving under the skin.
➤ Discussion: Have you noticed how your body responds to exercise or strength training?
7. Robot
From Czech robota, meaning forced labor. Popularized in a 1920 play where artificial humans were made to work.
➤ Discussion: Would you use a human-like AI assistant? How do you feel about AI in everyday life?
8. Trivia
From Latin tri (three) + via (road) — a place where people met to chat. Now it refers to small or fun facts.
➤ Discussion: What’s your favourite piece of trivia? (e.g. Australia is wider than the moon!)
⭐️ Transcript & Bonus Lesson
Feel free to answer the questions above in the comments below
Comment your thoughts below.