Radio Omniglot - SoundSage

Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot.

New language pages:

Ngambay, a Central Sudanic language spoken in Chad, Cameroon and Nigeria.
Ineseño (Sʰamala), a Chumashan language that was spoken in southern California in the USA and that is being revived.
Tungag (Lavongai), a Western Oceanic language spoken in New Ireland Province in Papua New Guinea.

New numbers page: Tungag (Lavongai), a Western Oceanic language spoken in New Ireland Province in Papua New Guinea.

New phrases page: Valencian (valencià), a Western Catalan language spoken mainly in Valencia in eastern Spain.

In this week’s Adventure in Etymology, we discover the origins of the word Influence. This is episode 200 of Adventures in Etymology, by the way.

It’s also available on Instagram and TikTok.

On the Omniglot blog we find out whether near is nearer than nigh in a post entitled Nearly Nigh, and there’s the usual language quiz. See if you guess what language this is:

http://www.omniglot.com/soundfiles/blog/quiz020826.mp3Here’s a clue: this language is spoken in southern California in the USA.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Djabugay, a Pama-Nyungan spoken in Far North Queensland in the northeast of Australia.

On the Celtiadur blog this week there’s a new post entitled Shining Bright about words for clear, bright, shining and related things in Celtic languages.

For more Omniglot News, see:
https://www.omniglot.com/news/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/omniglot/
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100046466483286

You can also listen to this podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn and Podchaser.

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.

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In this Adventure in Etymology we discover the origins of the word influence.

Influence [ˈɪn.flu.əns] can refer to the power to affect, control or manipulate something or someone; an action exerted by a person or thing on another to cause change, or a person or thing exerting such power or action.

In astrology, influence is apparently an element believed to determine someone’s character or individual tendencies, caused by the position of the stars and planets at the time of one’s birth, and it used to mean the action of flowing in or an influx.

As a verb to influence can mean to have an effect on by using gentle or subtle action; to modify, bias or sway; to persuade or induce; to exert or make use of one’s influence, and it used to mean to cause to flow in, to infuse or to instill.

It comes from Middle English influence / influens (control, power, influence, flowing, influx), from Old French influence (inundation, flooding, influence, especially viewed as a mystical force affecting one’s fate), from Medieval Latin īnfluentia (influence), from Latin īnfluēns (flowing into), from īnfluō (to flow into, stream, rush, throng), from in (in, within) and fluō (to flow, stream, pour) [source].

Words from the same Latin roots include influx and influenza in English, influencia (influence, clout, leverage) and influjo (influx, sway, influence) in Spanish, influenza (influence, influenza) in Italian, influer (to influence) in French [source].

Other words with similarly fluid roots (fluō in Latin) include fluid, flume, flux, affluent, effluent, confluent, superfluous in English, confluir (to converge) in Catalan, and fiume (river) in Italian [source].

Incidentally, this is the 200th episode of the Adventures in Etymology podcast. You can find links to all previous episodes on the Adventures in Etymology page of this blog.

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.

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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot.

New language pages:

Koyrasboro Senni (كࣷيْرَبࣷرࣷ سٜنِّ), a Southern Songhay language spoken in southern Mali.
Tuwali, a Philippine language spoken the Province of Ifugao in northern Luzon in the Philippines.
Nga La (Matu), a Southern Kuki-Chin language spoken western Myanmar and northeastern India.

New numbers page:

Tuwali, a Philippine language spoken the Province of Ifugao northern Luzon in the Philippines.
Nga La, a Southern Kuki-Chin language spoken western Myanmar and northeastern India.

New phrases page: Nga La, a Southern Kuki-Chin language spoken western Myanmar and northeastern India.

New Tower of Babel translations pages:

Udi (удин муз / udin muz), a Northeast Caucasian language spoken in Azerbaijan, Russia, Georgia and Armenia.
Wandala, a Chadic language spoken in northern Cameroon and northwestern Nigeria.
Talinga, a Bantu language spoken in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Tamahaq, a Northern Berber language spoken in Algeria, Libya and Niger.
Tandroy, a Southern Kuki-Chin language spoken in Chin State in western Myanmar.
Tsakhur, a northeast Caucasian language spoken in Azerbaijan and Russia
Ut Main, a Northwest Kainji language spoken in northern Nigeria.

New constructed script: Simgeul, a way to write Korean with a “simplified” version of the Korean Hangeul script created by Ajn.

In this week’s Adventure in Etymology, we point out the origins of the word Index.

It’s also available on Instagram and TikTok.

On the Omniglot blog we discover what griffons have to do with messy writing in a post entitled Griffonage, and there’s the usual language quiz. See if you guess what language this is:

http://www.omniglot.com/soundfiles/blog/quiz020826.mp3Here’s a clue: this language is spoken in northeastern Australia.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Chakhar (ᠴᠠᠬᠠᠷ), a variety of Mongolian spoken in the Inner Mongolia Region in northern China.

On the Celtiadur blog this week there’s a new post entitled Confluent Ravines about words for ravine, confluence and related things in Celtic languages.

For more Omniglot News, see:
https://www.omniglot.com/news/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/omniglot/
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100046466483286

You can also listen to this podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn and Podchaser.

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.

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In this Adventure in Etymology we point out the origins of the word index.

An index [ˈɪndɛks] is an alphabetical listing of items and their location; the index finger; a movable finger on a gauge, scale, etc (other meanings are available).

As a verb to index can mean to arrange an index for something; to inventory; to measure by an associated value, and other things.

It comes from Latin index (a pointer, index finger, index, list, sign, informer, spy), from in (in, at, on) and dicō (to say, talk, speak, declare, tell) [source].

Dicō comes from Proto-Italic deikō* (to show, indicate, say, tell), from Proto-Indo-European déyḱeti (to be pointing out), from deyḱ-. (to point out, to show) [source].

English words from the same roots include dictate, diction, dictionary, digit, edict, indicate, judge, preach, predict, teach, toe, token, verdict and vindicate [source].

Words in other languages from the same roots include decir (to say, tell) in Spanish, vingar (to avenge, revenge, thrive) in Portuguese, দিক (dik – direction, side, end) in Bengali, Zeh (toe) in German, teikn (omen, sign, icon) in Icelandic, and mallacht (curse) in Irish [source].

Incidentally, if there is more than one index, do you talk about indexes or indices?

I prefer indexes, but think you could use indexen (similar to ox / oxen, child / children, and aurochs / aurochsen) instead. The -en plural ending used to be a more common and used for words such as cheesen (cheeses), kneen (knees), eyen (eyes), foxen (foxes) and shoon (shoes) [source].

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.

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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot.

New language pages:

Shi (Mashi), a Northeast Bantu language spoken in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Ikwo, an Igboid language spoken in Ebonyi and Cross River states in southern Nigeria.
Ngaing, a Finisterre language spoken in the south of Madang Province of Papua New Guinea.

New numbers page:

Ngaing, a Finisterre language spoken in the south of Madang Province of Papua New Guinea.

New Tower of Babel translations pages:

Shi (Mashi), a Northeast Bantu language spoken in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Nga La (Matu), a Southern Kuki-Chin language spoken in western Myanmar.
Gofa (Goofatho / የጎፋ-ቋንቋ), a North Omotic language spoken in southwest of Ethiopia.
Safen (Saafi-Saafi), a Senegambian language spoken in western Senegal.
Koyraboro Senni, a Songhay language spoken in southern Mali.
Thaiphum, a Southern Kuki-Chin language spoken in Chin State in western Myanmar.

New adapted script: Sitelen kana (写太 / してれんかな / シテレンカナ), a way to write Toki Pona with Japanese scripts.

In this week’s Adventure in Etymology, entitled Awkwardly Odd, we discover the odd roots of the word awkward.

It’s also available on Instagram and TikTok.

On the Omniglot blog we fribble about some fribblish words in a post entitled Fribblish Fribblers, and there’s the usual language quiz. See if you guess what language this is:

http://www.omniglot.com/soundfiles/blog/quiz260726.mp3Here’s a clue: this language is spoken in northern China.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Malaweg, a Northern Luzon language spoken in Luzon in the Philippines.

On the Celtiadur blog this week there’s a new post entitled Awkwardly Clumsy, about words for clumsy, awkward and related things in Celtic languages.

Incidentally, this is episode 250 of the Omniglot news.

For more Omniglot News, see:
https://www.omniglot.com/news/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/omniglot/
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100046466483286

You can also listen to this podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn and Podchaser.

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.

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In this Adventure in Etymology we discover the odd origins of the word awkward.

Meanings of awkward [ˈɔːk.wəd / ˈɔk.wɚd] include: lacking dexterity in the use of the hands, or of instruments; not easily managed or effected; embarrassing; lacking social skills, or uncomfortable with social interaction; difficult to handle.

It comes from awk, an obsolete word meaning odd, out of order, perverse, wrong or clumsy, and -ward, a suffix denoting course or direction to, motion or tendency toward, and so on [source].

Awk comes from Middle English auk(e) (backhanded, perverse, wrong, strange, marvelous), from Old Norse ǫfugr (turned the wrong way, unkind, harsh), from Proto-Germanic abuhaz* (inverted, wicked, bad), from PIE h₂époh₃kʷos, from h₂epó (off, away) and *h₃ekʷ- (to see, eye) [source].

Words from the same roots include öfugur (reversed, backwards, wrong) in Icelandic, avig (backwards, inside out) in Swedish, opak (opposite) in Czech, and опак (opak – wicked, nefarious, dastardly) in Macedonian [source].

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.

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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot.

New language pages:

Yali (Yalimo), a Trans-New-Guinea language spoken in Papua province of Indonesia.
Western Bukidnon Manobo (Minenub’ù), a Greater Central Philippine language spoken in the Northern Mindanao region of the Philippines. (the 2,400th language on Omniglot, by the way)
Komba, a Finisterre-Huon language spoken in Morobe Province in eastern Papua New Guinea.
Koreguaje (Koʼrevajʉ), a Tucanoan language spoken in the Caquetá Department in southern Colombia.

New numbers pages:

Izhem, a variety of Komi-Zyrian, a Permic language spoken in northwestern Russia.
Koreguaje (Koʼrevajʉ), a Tucanoan language spoken in the Caquetá Department in southern Colombia.

New Tower of Babel translations pages:

Nyangumarta, a Pama-Nyungan language spoken in Western Australia.
Gamo, a North Omotic language spoken in southwest Ethiopia.
Akuapem (Twi), a Kwa language spoken mainly southern Ghana, and also in Ivory Coast.
Khanty (Ханты), an Ugric language spoken in parts of the Tomsk Oblast in Russia

In this week’s Adventure in Etymology, entitled A Fountain of Fonts, we uncover the roots of the word font.

It’s also available on Instagram and TikTok.

On the Omniglot blog we find out what horses and gates have to do with breaking and entering in a post entitled Horse Gate, and there’s the usual language quiz. See if you guess what language this is:

http://www.omniglot.com/soundfiles/blog/quiz190726.mp3Here’s a clue: this language is spoken in the Philippines.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Koryak, (чавʼчывэн), Chukotko-Kamchatkan language spoken in the Koryak Autonomous Region in the far east of the Russian Federation.

On the Celtiadur blog this week there’s a new post entitled Bushy Hedges, about words for hedge, bush and related things in Celtic languages.

In other news, I’m planning to make an ad-free version of Omniglot for people who support the site via Patreon, PayPal or Buy Me A Coffee, and those who contribute significantly in terms of content and/or corrections. This will take quite a while, as the site contains over 8,500 pages. I plan to start with the pages about writing systems.

Which sections of the site would you most like to see in the ad-free version?

For more Omniglot News, see:
https://www.omniglot.com/news/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/omniglot/
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100046466483286

You can also listen to this podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn and Podchaser.

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.

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In this Adventure in Etymology we uncover the roots of the word font.

A font [fɒnt / fɑnt] is a receptacle in a church for holy water, especially one used in baptism, or a receptacle for lamp oil in a lamp.

It comes from Old English fant/font (font, fountain, spring), from Latin fōns (spring, well, fountain), from Proto-Italic fontis (spring, well), possibly from PIE dʰenh₂-* (to flow, set in motion) [source].

Words from the same roots include fonte (source, spring) in Italian, fuente (spring, fountain, source, dish, bowl, font) in Spanish, fontaine (fountain, cistern, tank) in French, ffynnon (spring, fountain, well) in Welsh, and fountain English [source].

A font is also a set of glyphs of unified design, belonging to one typeface, style, and weight. Usually representing the letters of an alphabet and its supplementary characters. Or in other words, a typeface.

It comes from Middle French fonte (the act/process of founding, melting), which comes from Old French fondre (to melt), from Latin fundō (to pour out, melt, cast, found), Proto-Italic hundō* (to pour out), from PIE ǵʰewd-* (to pour) [source].

Words from the same roots include fondre (to melt, smelt) in French, hundir (to sink, engulf, ruin) in Spanish, gieten (to pour, mould, cast) in Dutch, ffynnu (to prosper) in Welsh, and found, fund, fuse English [source].

A font can also be a source of wellspring. This possibly comes from fount (a spring), which is a clipping of fountain [source].

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.

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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot.

New language pages:

Thao (Thau a lalawa), a Formosan language spoken near Sun Moon Lake in central Taiwan.
Cara, a Plateau language spoken in Plateau State in central Nigeria.
Eleme, a Cross River language spoken in Rivers State in southeast Nigeria.
Waimoa (Waima’a), a Timoric language spoken in the north of East Timor.

New numbers pages:

Eleme, a Cross River language spoken in Rivers State in southeast Nigeria.
Waimoa (Waima’a), a Timoric language spoken in the north of East Timor.
Fur (Poor), a Nilo-Saharan language spoken mainly in southwestern Sudan, and also in Chad.

In this week’s Adventure in Etymology, entitled Scribbling Scribes, we scratch at the roots of the word scribe.

It’s also available on Instagram and TikTok.

On the Omniglot blog we find out whether the words grip, gripe and grab are related in a post entitled Grabbing Gripes, and there’s the usual language quiz. See if you guess what language this is:

http://www.omniglot.com/soundfiles/blog/quiz120726.mp3Here’s a clue: this language is spoken in Siberia in the far east of Russia.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Cha’palaa, a Barbacoan language spoken in northern Ecuador.

On the Celtiadur blog this week there’s a new post entitled Binding Fastenings, about words for binding, fastening and related things in Celtic languages.

For more Omniglot News, see:
https://www.omniglot.com/news/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/omniglot/
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100046466483286

You can also listen to this podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn and Podchaser.

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.

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In this Adventure in Etymology we scratch at the roots of the word scribe.

Thoth, Egyptian god of the Moon, wisdom, knowledge, writing, science, magic, art and judgement, scribe of the gods, inventor of (Egyptian hieroglyphic) writing, reading and music

A scribe [skɹaɪ̯b] is someone who writes, a draughtsperson, a writer for another, a secretary, notary or copyist, and to scribe means to write, engrave, inscribe, record, and so on.

It comes from Middle English scribe (a public official who deals with writing or accounts, a clerk), from Old French scribe (scribe), from Late Latin scrība (writer, scribe, secretary, clerk), from Latin scrībō (to write), from Proto-Italic skreiβō* (to carve), from PIE (s)kréybʰeti, from (s)kreybʰ- (to scratch, tear) [source].

Words from the same roots may include schrijven (to write) and rijven (to rake, rasp, grate) in Dutch, scrie (to write) in Romanian, skriva (to write, type, copy) in Swedish, scríobh (to write, fill in, compose) in Irish, and écriture (writing, scripture) in French [source].

The English words scribble, script, scripture, describe, inscribe, prescribe, proscribe, transcribe, shrive (to hear or receive a confession [of sins, etc]), shrine also come from the same roots [source]. As does the word scrivener, which refers to a professional writer, particularly one whose occupation is to draw contracts or prepare writings, and used to mean a broker [source].

Incidentally, if you’re prone to excessive writing, you could be described as scribacious [source], and if you are a bad at transcribing, you could be called a transcribbler [source]

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.

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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot.

New language pages:

Baba (Supapyag), an Eastern Grassfields language spoken in the North West Region of Cameroon.
Bamukumbit (Maŋkɔŋ), an Eastern Grassfields language spoken in the North West Region of Cameroon.
Sawai, a South Halmahera language spoken on Halmahera island in North Maluku Province in Indonesia.

New numbers pages:

Khowar (کھووار), a Dardic language spoken mainly in northern Pakistan, and also in India.
Baba (Supapyag), a Bantu language spoken in the North West Region of Cameroon.
Sawai), a South Halmahera language spoken on Halmahera island in North Maluku Province in Indonesia.

New idiom: When the Cat’s Away (the mice will play)

New constructed script: Atʼákaz bee yádeiiltiʼí, an alternative script for Navajo invented by Nicholas Fox.

On the Omniglot blog there’s a new post entitled Gluten Glue in which we find links between the words glue, gluten and clay, and there’s the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:

http://www.omniglot.com/soundfiles/blog/quiz121025.mp3Here’s a clue: this language is spoken in British Colombia in Canada.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Dhao, a Sumba-Flores language spoken on Ndao, one of the Lesser Sunda Islands in East Nusa Tenggara Province in Indonesia.

Unfortunately I couldn’t find any words of Celtic origin in non-Celtic languages for this week’s Celtic Pathways podcast, so after 94 episodes, I’ve decided to take a break. I’ll be back with more Adventures in Etymology next week.

On the Celtiadur blog there’s a new post about words for Awls & Bodkins in Celtic languages.

Improved pages: Phoenician numbers and Khowar language pages

In other news, my Duolingo streak reached 3,000 days this week (3,004 at the time of writing). Or in other words, for the past 8 years or so, I’ve studied languages every single day. At the moment I’m learning Swahili, and maintaining my other languages, particularly Japanese, Spanish and Italian.

For more Omniglot News, see:
https://www.omniglot.com/news/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/omniglot/
https://www.facebook.com/Omniglot-100430558332117

You can also listen to this podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn and Podchaser.

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.

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I couldn’t find any words of Celtic origin in non-Celtic languages for this week’s Celtic Pathways podcast, so after 94 episodes, I’ve decided to take a break. I’ll be back with more Adventures in Etymology next week.

There are plenty of place names throughout Europe that have Celtic roots – see Celtic toponymy on Wikipedia. However, for the Celtic Pathways podcasts, I like to find words that have descendants in at least some of the modern Celtic languages, as well as words from the same Celtic roots in other languages. If I find any more like this, I will make more episodes of Celtic Pathways.

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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot.

New language pages:

Ushoji (اُݜوجو), an Eastern Dardic language spoken mainly in the Swat District in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province in northwest Pakistan.
Aer (آیر), a Western Indo-Aryan language spoken in Sindh in Pakistan and Gujarat in India.
Dameli (دمیلی), a Dardic language spoken in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province in northwest Pakistan.
Wandala, a Chadic language spoken in northern Cameroon and northwestern Nigeria.

New numbers pages:

Ushoji (اُݜوجو), an Eastern Dardic language spoken in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province in northwest Pakistan.
Dameli (دمیلی), a Dardic language spoken in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province in northwest Pakistan.
Secoya (Paikoka), a Tucanoan language spoken in northern Ecuador and northern Peru.

New adapted script: Cyrilice (Цырилице), a way to write Czech with the Cyrillic script devised by Marc Mundet.

On the Omniglot blog there a new post entitled Shearing Scissors in which we find out why word scissors have a silent c in it, and whether it’s related to the word shears, and there’s the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:

http://www.omniglot.com/soundfiles/blog/quiz051025.mp3Here’s a clue: this language is spoken in the Lesser Sunda Islands in Indonesia.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Gottscheerish (Göttscheabarisch), a West Germanic language spoken mainly in southern Slovenia, and in New York in the USA.

In this week’s Adventure in Etymology, Fishing for Fish, we’re fishing for the origins of the word fish and related words.

It’s also available on Instagram and TikTok.

On the Celtiadur blog there’s a new post entitled Sticky Glue about words for glue, to stick and related things in the Celtic languages.

For more Omniglot News, see:
https://www.omniglot.com/news/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/omniglot/
https://www.facebook.com/Omniglot-100430558332117

You can also listen to this podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn and Podchaser.

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.

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In this Adventure in Etymology we fish for the origins of the word fish.

Fish [fɪʃ] can refer to:

A typically cold-blooded vertebrate animal that lives in water, moving with the help of fins and breathing with gills.
Any animal (or any vertebrate) that lives exclusively in water.
As a verb it can mean: To hunt fish or other aquatic animals in a body of water, or to collect coral or pearls from the bottom of the sea.

Other meanings are available, and some would say there’s no such thing as a fish.

It comes from Middle English fisch [fiʃ] (fish, and other animals that live in water), from Old English fisċ / fix / ᚠᛁᛋᚳ [fiʃ / fisk] (fish), from Proto-West Germanic fisk*, from Proto-Germanic fiskaz [ˈɸis.kɑz] (fish), from Proto-Indo-European peysk- (fish) [source].

Words from the same PIE root include vis (fish) in Dutch, fisk (fish, Pisces) in Swedish, peixe (fish) in Portuguese, pez (fish, idiot) in Spanish, pêcher (to fish) in French, pysgodyn (fish) in Welsh, iasc (fish) in Irish, and piscine (fishy, pertaining to fish) and piscatorial (pertaining to fish, fishing or fishermen) in English [source].

The Proto-Indo-European peysk-* (fish) only has descendents in the Germanic, Romance and Celtic languages. Another PIE root for fish is dʰǵʰúHs, which became ձուկ (juk – fish, calf muscle) in Armenian, zivs (fish) in Latvian, žuvis (fish) in Lithuanian, and ιχθύς (ichthýs – fish) in Greek – (archaic) appears mainly in compounds such as χθυοπώλης (ichthyopólis – fishmonger)* [source].

Some fish-related words in English also come from the same roots, via Ancient Greek ἰχθύς [ixˈθis] (ikhthús, fish, stupid person). These include: ichthyology (fish science), ichthyosaur (any fishlike marine reptiles of the extinct order Ichthyosauria), ichthyolatry (the worship of fish or fish-shaped idols), and ichthyophobia (fear of fish) [source].

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.

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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot.

New language pages:

Turu (Kιnyatυrυ, Kιrιmi), a Bantu language spoken in the Singida Region in central Tanzania.
Pnar (Ka Ktien Pnar), a Khasi-Palaungic language spoken in northeastern India and northeastern Bangladesh.
Wenzi (LiWenzi), a Bantu language spoken in the Kigoma Region in northwestern Tanzania.
Dimasa (Grao-Dima), a Brahmaputran language spoken in Assam, Nagaland and Manipur in the northeast of India.

New numbers pages:

Tz’utujil (Tz’utujiil), a Mayan language spoken in the Western Highlands of Guatemala.
Dimasa (Grao-Dima), a Brahmaputran language spoken in Assam, Nagaland, Meghalaya and Mizoram in the northeast of India.
Tuyuca (Docapúaraye), an Eastern Tucanoan language spoken mainly in southeastern Colombia, and also in northwestern Brazil.

New constructed script: Latillawa, an alternative way to write Hindi inspired by the Pallawa script devised by Ezekiel-James.

New adapted script: Cirth for Hungarian, a way to write Hungarian using Tolkien’s Cirth alphabet devised by Murray Callahan.

On the Omniglot blog there a new post entitled Select Choices in which we look at some Swahili words for selection, choice, listening and related things, and there’s the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:

http://www.omniglot.com/soundfiles/blog/quiz280925.mp3Here’s a clue: this language is spoken mainly in New York in the USA.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Awa Pit (Cuaiquer), a Barbacoan language spoken in southern Colombia and northern Ecuador.

In this week’s Celtic Pathways podcast, Rich Kingdoms, we discover the Celtic roots of words for kingdom, rich and related things in Germanic, Romance and other languages.

It’s also available on Instagram and TikTok.

On the Celtiadur blog there’s a new post entitled Crested Combs about words for comb, crest and related things in the Celtic languages.

For more Omniglot News, see:
https://www.omniglot.com/news/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/omniglot/
https://www.facebook.com/Omniglot-100430558332117

You can also listen to this podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn and Podchaser.

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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In this episode we discover the Celtic roots of words for kingdom, rich and related things in Germanic, Romance and other languages.

The Proto-Celtic word rīgyom* means kingdom, and comes from Proto-Indo-European h₃rḗǵs (king). Related words in Proto-Celtic include rīxs (king) and *rīganī (queen) [source]

Related in the modern Celtic languages include:

rí [ɾˠiː] = king and banríon [bˠau(n̪ˠ)ˈɾˠiːnʲ] = queen in Irish
rìgh [r̪ʲi] = king and banrigh [bãũn̪r̪ʲɪ] = queen in Scottish Gaelic
ree [ɾiː] = king and benrein = queen in Manx
rhi [r̥iː] = king and rhiain (woman, girl, queen, lady) in Welsh
ri = king in Cornish
ri [ˈʁiː] = king in Breton

More details of words for king, queen and related things in Celtic languages can be found in the Celtiadur post Kings and Queens.

The Proto-Celtic word rīgyom* (kingdom) was borrowed into Proto-Germanic as rīkiją (rulership, goverment, authority, realm, kingdom), and is the root of such words as rijk (realm, kingdom, empire, state) in Dutch, Reich (empire, state, realm) in German, říše (realm, empire, kingdom) in Czech, and rike* (realm, kingdom, empire, nation) in Swedish [source].

The Proto-Celtic word rīxs* (king) was borrowed into Proto-Germanic as rīkijaz (kingly, royal, noble, mighty, powerful, rich), which became rich in English, ryk (rich, wealthy) in Afrikaans, ricco (rich, wealthy, affluent) in Italian, and rikas* (rich, wealthy, opulent, plentiful) in Finnish [source].

The Proto-Celtic word rīxs* (king) also found its way into names such as Friedrich and Heinrich in German, Henrik in Dutch (and other languages), and Roderick, Frederick, Henry and Richard** in English [source].

Other words from PIE root h₃rḗǵs* (king) include rey (king) and reina (queen) in Spanish, रानी (rānī – queen, princess) in Hindi, and royal, regal, viceroy and maybe realm** in English [source].

Incidentally, the continents of America (initially it referred just to South America, then to North America as well) were named after the Italian explorer Amerigo Vespucci, and the name Amerigo comes ultimately from the Proto-Germanic name Amalarīks, from amalą (hard work, stuggle) and rīks* (king, ruler), from Proto-Celtic rīxs* (king) [source].

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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot.

New language pages:

Shambala (Kisambaa), a Bantu language spoken in the Tanga Region in northern Tanzania.
Suabo (nidáibo), a Trans-New Guinea language spoken in Southwest Papua Province in eastern Indonesia.
Tongwe (Sitongwe), a Bantu language spoken in the Kigoma Region in northwestern Tanzania.

New numbers pages:

Bamunka (Ŋgieməkɔʼkə), a Southern Bantoid language spoken mainly in the North West Region of Cameroon.
Fon (Fɔngbè), a Niger-Congo language spoken in southern Benin and southern Togo.
Seychelles Creole (Seselwa), a French-based creole spoken in the Seychelles.

New adapted script: Angerthas Rossiya (Ангертас Россия), a way to write Russian with Tolkien’s Cirth alphabet devised by Murray Callahan.

New adapted script: Modern Arabic Latin Script (Al-Ƹarabijà al-Latinijjà al-moƹaṣir), a way to write Arabic with the Latin script devised by Sheth Al-Ghamidi.

On the Omniglot blog there a new post entitled Good Intentions we look into the origins of the expression the road to hell is paved with good intentions, and there’s the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:

http://www.omniglot.com/soundfiles/blog/quiz210925.mp3Here’s a clue: this language is spoken mainly in Colombia.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Liangmai (Lianglad), a Kuki-Chin-Naga language spoken in Nagaland and Manipur in the northeast of India.

In this week’s Adventure in Etymology, Rest Awhile, we take awhile to unravel the roots of the word while, and discover what it has to do with resting.

It’s also available on Instagram and TikTok.

On the Celtiadur blog there’s a new post entitled Whey about words for whey and related things in Celtic languages

Improved pages: Cirth script and Garhwali phrases

For more Omniglot News, see:
https://www.omniglot.com/news/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/omniglot/
https://www.facebook.com/Omniglot-100430558332117

You can also listen to this podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn and Podchaser.

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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What does the word while have to do with resting? Let’s find out in this Adventure in Etymology on Radio Omniglot.

While [waɪl / wæl] as a noun means an uncertain duration of time, a period of time, or an uncertain long (or short) period of time. As a conjunction it means during that same time, although or as long as, and as a verb it means to pass (time) idly, e.g. to while away hours, days, etc. or to occupy or entertain (sb) in order to let time pass.

It comes from Middle English whyle [ˈhwiːl(ə)] (while), from Old English hwīl [xwiːl] (while, period of time), from Proto-West Germanic hwīlu* (period of time, pause, while), from Proto-Germanic hwīlō [ˈxʷiː.lɔː] (time, while, break, pause, period of rest), from Proto-Indo-European kʷyeh₁- (to rest, rest, peace) [source].

Words from the same PIE root include pokój (room, peace) in Polish, quedo (quite, still) in Spanish, quitter (to leave, quit) in French, tranquillo (calm, sober, tranquil) in Italian, hvile (rest, repose) in Danish, and quiet, quit, quite, quiescent, acquiesce, tranquil, requiem, and coy in English [source].

I hope that reading and/or listening to this podcast has been worth your while. In a while, there will be a new Adventure in Etymology. Meanwhile, you might find it worthwhile to while away a little (or long) while look at / listening to past episodes of this and other Radio Omniglot podcasts.

By the way, if someone tells you they’ll do something in a little while or in a while, how long would you expect to wait?

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.

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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot.

New language pages:

Rangi (Kɨlaangi), a Bantu language spoken in the Kondoa District of the Dodoma Region in central Tanzania.
Suabo (nidáibo), a Trans-New Guinea language spoken in Southwest Papua Province in eastern Indonesia.
Oko (Ọ̀kọ), a Volta-Niger language spoken mainly in the Ogori-Magongo LGA in Kogi State in the south of Nigeria.
Northern Popoloca (Ngigua / Ngiiwa̱), a Popolocan language spoken in the state of Puebla in southern Mexico.

New numbers pages:

Suabo (nidáibo), a Trans-New Guinea language spoken in Southwest Papua Province in eastern Indonesia.
Oko (Ọ̀kọ), a Volta-Niger language spoken mainly in the Ogori-Magongo LGA in Kogi State in the south of Nigeria.
Tai Laing (တႆးလꧥင်ꩽ), a Southwestern Tai language spoken in the Sagaing Region and in Kachin State in northern Myanmar.

New adapted script: Finnish Runes (ᛋᚢᚮᛗᛆᛚᛆᛁᛋᛖᛏ ᚱᛁᛁᛗᚢᛏ), a way to write Finnish using the Runic alphabet devised by Murray Callahan.

New adapted script: Katalog (𑼒𑼔𑼭𑼴𑼔𑽁), a way to write Tagalog with the Kawi script divised by Chen Carson D. Callueng.

On the Omniglot blog there’s a new post entitled Nesting Niches in which we find connections between the words niche and nest, and there’s the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:

http://www.omniglot.com/soundfiles/blog/quiz140925.mp3Here’s a clue: this language is spoken in the northeast of India.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Even (эвэды торэн), a Northern Tungusic language spoken mainly in the Sakha, Northern Magadan, Chukot and Koryak regions in the Far Eastern Federal District of the Russian Federation.

In this week’s Celtic Pathways podcast, Engaged Hostages, we discover the Celtic roots of words for hostage in Germanic languages, and words related to engagement in Finnic languages.

It’s also available on Instagram and TikTok.

On the Celtiadur blog there’s a new post entitled Winnowing Wheat about words for wheat, winnowing and related things in Celtic languages

Improved page: Kawi script.

In other news, the number of subscribers to the Omniglot YouTube channel passed 3,000 this week, and I’d like to thank everyone who has subscribed to the channel. If you’re not aware of the channel, it’s been there since 2007, you can find it at youtube.com/@omniglot. It contains videos versions of Adventures in Etymology, Celtic Pathways and other Radio Omniglot podcasts, videos of songs and tunes I’ve written, and videos of linguistic and musical events I’ve taken part in.

For more Omniglot News, see:
https://www.omniglot.com/news/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/omniglot/
https://www.facebook.com/Omniglot-100430558332117

You can also listen to this podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn and Podchaser.

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.

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In this episode we discover the Celtic roots of words for hostage in Germanic languages, and words related to engagement in Finnic languages.

The Proto-Celtic word geistlos* means hostage or bail, and comes from Proto-Indo-European gʰeydʰ-* (to yearn for, to desire) [source]

Descendents in the modern Celtic languages include:

giall [ɟiəl̪ˠ] = hostage, pledge in Irish
giall [gʲiəl̪ˠ] = hostage, pledge in Scottish Gaelic
gioal = pledge, stake, wager in Manx
gwystl [ɡwɨ̞sdl] = pledge, assurance, security in Welsh
gostel = hostage, riot in Cornish
gouestl [ˈɡwestl] = hostage, pledge, guarantee in Breton

More details of words for hostage and related things in Celtic languages can be found in the Celtiadur post Captive Hostages.

Words from the same Proto-Celtic root, via Proto-Germanic gīslaz* (hostage), include gijzelen (to take hostage) in Dutch, Geisel (hostage) in German, and gissel** (hostage) in Norwegian [source].

The Finnish words kihlata (to betroth) and kihlajaislahja (engagement present), the Estonian word kihlatu (to betroth) also come from the same Proto-Celtic roots via Proto-Germanic gīslaz* (hostage) and Proto-Finnic kihla* (pledge, bet, wager, engagement gift) [source].

Words from the same PIE root (gʰeydʰ-*) include geisti (to desire, crave, covet) in Lithuanian, gaidīt (to wait, expect) in Latvian, ždát (to ask) in Czech, and ждати** (ždáty – to wait for, expect) in Ukrainian [source].

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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 (Tengwar suomeksi), a way to write Finnish (and Estonian) with Tolkien’s Tengwar alphabet devised by Kuutti Saarivirta.

New language pages:

Ikoma (Eghiikoma), a Northeast Bantu language spoken in the Serengeti District of the Mata Region in northern Tanzania.
Old Tupi, a language that was spoken by the Tupi people in Brazil that developed into Nheengatu.
Kakwa (kʊ́tʊ́ nà kákwà), an Eastern Nilotic language spoken in Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and South Sudan.

New numbers page: Ki’che’ (Qatzijobʼal), a Mayan language spoken in central Guatemala.

On the Omniglot blog we find whether the word kitchen is related to the words apricot, pumpkin and melon in a post entitled Kitchen Fruit, and there’s the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:

http://www.omniglot.com/soundfiles/blog/quiz101124.mp3Here’s a clue: this language is spoken in northern Bolivia.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Caac (Caaàc), a New Caledonian language spoken on the northeast coast of Grande Terre island in the North Province of New Caledonia.

In this week’s Celtic Pathways podcast, Grinding Pebbles, we discover the possible Celtic roots of words for gravel and other things in English and other languages.

On the Celtiadur blog there’s a new post entitled Counting Numbers about words for number, to count and related things in Celtic languages.

For more Omniglot News, see:
https://www.omniglot.com/news/
https://x.com/Omniglossia
https://www.facebook.com/groups/omniglot/
https://www.facebook.com/Omniglot-100430558332117

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.

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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 gravel / gravail(le) (sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles), from Old French gravele (gravel), a diminutive of grave (gravel, seashore), from Medieval Latin grava, possibly from Gaulish grava, from Proto-Celtic grāwā (gravel, pebbles), from Proto-Indo-European gʰroh₁weh₂*, from gʰreh₁w-* (to grind) [source].

Words from the same Proto-Celtic roots in the modern Celtic languages include gro (gravel, shingle, gravelly shore, strand) in Welsh, grow (gravel) in Cornish, and grouan (gravel) in Breton [source].

For more details of words for gravel and related things in Celtic languages, see the Celtiadur post Gritty Gravel.

Words from the same Proto-Celtic roots in the non-Celtic languages include grava (gravel) in Catalan, grève (flat, sandy land along the sea or a large river) in French, grava (gravel) in Spanish, and grave (gravel, shore, gravelly ground) in Occitan [source].

Words from the same PIE roots in other languages include: grit, groat, grout and gruel in English, Grieß (semolina) in German, grjót (coarse stones, rubble) in Icelandic, gryt (a badger’s sett, a fox’s den) in Swedish, riutta (reef) in Finnish, and grúodas (frozen mud or earth) in Lithuanian [source].

Incidentally, one Old English word for gravel was ċeosol [ˈtʃeo.sol], which comes from Proto-West-Germanic kesul* (small stone, pebble). This became chisel and chessil (gravel or pebbles) in modern English, and is cognate with Kiesel (pebble) in German, kiezel (pebble, flint, silicon) in Dutch, and kisel** (silicon) in Swedish [source].

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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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 of Arabic spoken mainly in Sudan, and also in South Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia and other countries.

New numbers pages:

Ik (Icétôd), a Kuliak language spoken in Karamoja in the Northern region of Uganda.
Dagaare (Dàgáárè), a Gur language spoken in Ghana and Burkina Faso.
Genoese (zeneise), a Gallo-Romance language spoken mainly in Genoa in Italy.

On the Omniglot blog there are new posts about the words Hire & Rent and Hat Tricks, and there’s the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:

http://www.omniglot.com/soundfiles/blog/quiz031124.mp3Here’s a clue: this language is spoken in New Caledonia.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Mayo (Yoreme Nokki), an Uto-Aztecan language spoken in northern Mexico.

In this week’s Adventure in Etymology, Weaving Text, we unweave the origins of the word text.

On the Celtiadur blog there’s a new post entitled Teary Drops about words for tear, drop and related things in Celtic languages.

New song: Terms & Conditions, a song I wrote in October 2024 about all those pesky terms & conditions that we have to agree to, but few of us ever read, and even fewer understand.

Simon Ager · Terms & ConditionsImproved page: Turkish language page.

For more Omniglot News, see:
https://www.omniglot.com/news/
https://x.com/Omniglossia
https://www.facebook.com/groups/omniglot/
https://www.facebook.com/Omniglot-100430558332117

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.

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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 French texte (text), from Latin textus (woven, texture, structure, tissue, connection), from texō (to weave, knit, plait, intertwine), from Proto-Italic teksō*, from Proto-Indo-European tḗtḱ-ti (to create, produce, cut, hew) or teḱ-se-t, both of which come from *teḱ- (to sire, beget) [source].

Words from the same roots include architect, context, subtle, technical, textile and texture in English, tisser (to weave, plait) in French, tessere (to weave, plot) in Italian, and tekst (text, lyrics) in Dutch [source].

In Old English, one word for text was traht [trɑxt], which also means passage, exposition, treatise or commentary. It comes from traht(n)ian (to treat, comment on, expound, consider), from Proto-West-Germanic trahtōn (to consider, think of, strive for, seek, discuss), from Latin tractō* (to tug, drag, handle, discuss) [source]. The modern English word tract** (A small booklet such as a pamphlet, often for promotional or informational uses; a treatise or discourse on a subject) comes from the same roots [source].

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.

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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.

New constructed script: Bocsys, an alphabet I created for no particular reason that can be used to write most western European languages.

New numbers pages:

Kryts (Khaput dialect), a Northeast Caucasian spoken in northeastern Azerbaijan.
Sakizaya, an East Formosan language spoken mainly in Hualien County on the east coast of Taiwan.
Rukai, a Formosan language spoken in Pingtung, Kaohsiung and Taitung counties in the south of Taiwan.

On the Omniglot blog there’s a new post entitled Pans of Cream about words for cream in Italian, and related words in other languages. There’s also the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:

http://www.omniglot.com/soundfiles/blog/quiz271024.mp3Here’s a clue: this language is spoken in northern Mexico.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Tswa (xiTswa), a Southern Bantu language spoken in southern Mozambique.

In this week’s Celtic Pathways podcast, Oaken Larches, we discover the possible Celtic roots of words for larch (tree) in various non-Celtic languages.

On the Celtiadur blog there’s a new post called Sufficiently Enough about words for enough, sufficient and related things.

I also made improvements to the Oak (trees) Celtiadur post.

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

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.

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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 Italy. Other types of larch are availble.

The English word larch comes from early modern German Larche/Lärche, from Middle High German larche, from Old High German larihha, from Latin larix (larch), from Ancient Greek λάριξ (lárix – larch, Venice turpentine), possibly from Gaulish devro (oak?) from Proto-Celtic daru* (oak), from PIE dóru* (tree) [source].

*Venice turpentine = A thick substance made from the tree resin of the European larch (Larix decidua), formerly used as a component in the oil paintings to create glossy, translucent glazes [source].

Words in the modern Celtic languages from the same Proto-Celtic root include: dair [d̪ˠaɾʲ] (oak) in Irish, dair [darʲ] (oak) in Scottish Gaelic, darragh (oak) in Manx, dâr [ˈdaːr] (oak tree, leader, mighty lord) in Welsh, dar [daːr / dæːr] (oak) in Cornish, and dar [dɑːr] (oak) in Breton [source].

Words from the same Proto-Celtic root in other languages include: làrix in Catalan, lariks in Dutch learag in Scottish Gaelic, larch in English, Lärche in German, and lærk in Danish, all of which mean larch (tree) [source].

Incidentally, the French word mélèze (larch) has doubly Celtic roots: it comes from Franco-Provençal (Dauphinois) melèzo (larch tree), from Vulgar Latin melice* (larch), from Gaulish mel- (larch) and Latin larix (larch). The Gaulish word mel- comes from Proto-Celtic *meli (honey) [source].

Words from the same PIE root include δόρυ (dóry – spear) in Greek, terva (tar) in Finnish, dearbh (sure, certain) in Irish, tree, trim, and trough and true in English, and trä (wood) in Swedish [source].

See the Celtiadur post Oak (trees) for more details of words for oak and related things in Celtic languages. 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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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 Papua New Guinea.
Wiyot (Soulatluk), an Algic language that was spoken in Humboldt Bay in northwestern California, and which is being revived.

New numbers pages:

Wiyot (Soulatluk), an Algic language that was spoken in Humboldt Bay in northwestern California.
Yurok (Puliklah), an Algic language that was spoken in northern California, and which is being reivived.

On the Omniglot blog there’s a new post entitled Trigraphs about the rather unusual orthography used by the Yurok language. There’s also the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:

http://www.omniglot.com/soundfiles/blog/quiz201024.mp3Here’s a clue: this language is spoken in Mozambique.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Lahu (Ladhof) , a Lolo-Burmese language spoken in China, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos and Vietnam.

In this week’s Adventure in Etymology, Terminal Boundaries, we determine the limits of the word term, and find out how it’s connected to the Daleks in Dr Who.

On the Celtiadur blog there’s a new post about some Deeply Profound words, and I made improvements to the post about words for Fish.

I also made improvements to the Yurok and Betawi language pages, and the Unifon con-script page.

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

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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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 or restriction, a limited timespan.
Any of the binding conditions or promises in a legal contract.
A word or phrase (e.g., noun phrase, verb phrase, open compound), especially one from a specialised area of knowledge.
Part of a year, especially one of the divisions of an academic year.
Duration of officeholding, or its limit; period in office of fixed length.
With respect to a pregnancy, the period during which birth usually happens (approximately 40 weeks from conception).

It comes from Middle English terme (limit, end, goal, boundary), from Old French terme (limit, boundary), from Latin terminus (boundary, limit, end, period of time), from Proto-Italic termenos* (boundary stone), from Proto-Indo-European térmn̥ (boundary, end), possibly from ter(h₂)- (to pass through) [source].

Words from the same roots include terminal, terminus, determine, avatar, thorough and through in English, terme (conclusion, end, term [word, expression], deadline, rent) in French, término (end, terminus, finish, conclusion, period, term) in Spanish, and τέρμα (térma – conclusion, end, goal, finishing line) in Greek [source].

What links term with the Daleks? Well, the Daleks’ favourite expression, Exterminate!, comes from the same roots, via Latin exterminātus (expelled, exiled, banished, abolished, destroyed) from exterminō (I expel, exile, banish, etc), from ex- (out, away) & terminō* (I finish, close, end) [source].

*Dalek = A member of a species of extraterrestrial cyborg mutants who appear in the television programme Doctor Who and are known for travelling in metallic shells, having monotone, mechanically distorted voices, repeating a limited number of phrases, and their fanatical obsession with exterminating other, non-Dalek beings. The word Dalek either comes from the Kaleds*, the beings they evolved from, or from Dals* (gods) in their (fictional) language [source].

Incidentally, the word terminator also comes from the same roots, via Latin terminātor (he who sets bounds), from terminō (I finish, close, end), from terminus (end, limit) [source].

Here’s a little ditty I wrote in October 2024 called Terms & Conditions, which is about all those pesky terms & conditions that few of us ever read, and even fewer understand.

Simon Ager · Terms & ConditionsYou 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.

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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 script: Arkyn, an alternative way to write English created by Hanson Walker and designed for discreet and efficient communication.

New constructed script: Nyctography, a substitution cipher for English created by the author Lewis Carroll in 1891 to enable him to write in the dark when ideas came to him in the middle of the night.

New numbers pages:

Arvanitic (arbërisht), a variety of Albanian spoken in southern Greece.
Alur (Dho-Alur), a Southern Luo language spoken in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

On the Omniglot blog there’s a new post entitled Jack Of All Trades about the origins of that saying, and related sayings in English and other languages. There’s also the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:

http://www.omniglot.com/soundfiles/blog/quiz131024.mp3Here’s a clue: this language is spoken mainly in southwestern China and northeastern Myanmar.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Samogitian (žemaitiu kalba), an Eastern Baltic language spoken in the Samogitia region in western Lithuania.

In this week’s Celtic Pathways podcast, Garters, we discover the Celtic roots of words for garter in English and French.

On the Celtiadur blog there’s a new post about words for Darkness and related things

I also made improvements to the Guugu Yimithirr language page.

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

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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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 Gaulish garrā (leg), from Proto-Celtic garros (calf, shank), possibly from PIE *ǵʰes- (hand, to take) [source].

Words in the modern Celtic languages from the same Proto-Celtic root include: gar [ɡar] (leg, shank, thigh, ham) in Welsh, garr [ɡarː/ɡɒr] (leg, stem) in Cornish, and gar [ɡɑːr] (leg, paw) in Breton [source].

Words from the same Proto-Celtic root in other languages include: jarret (hock) and jarretière (garter) in French, and possibly garra (claw, talon, hand, paw, spirit) in Spanish, and garra (shank, tail, claw) in Catalan [source].

Words from the same PIE root include chiropractor, million and surgeon in English; dorë (hand) in Albanian; paže (arm) in Czech, and pažastis (armpit) in Lithuanian [source].

Chiropractor comes from Ancient Greek χείρ (kheír – hand) & πρᾶξις (prâxis – action, activity, practice) [source]; million comes ultimately from the PIE root ǵʰéslom* (thousand) or literally “full hand” [source]; and surgeon comes from Ancient Greek χειρουργός (kheirourgós – craftsman, surgeon), from χείρ (kheír – hand) & ἔργον (érgon – work) [source]

Incidentally, the English word hock [hɒk/hɑk] (also written hough) can refer to the hollow behind the knee, the tarsal joint of an animal such as a horse or pig, and the meat from that part of an animal. It’s also the name of a type of wine from the Hochheim region of Germany [source].

See the Celtiadur post Legs & Feet for more details of words for shank, calf, leg, foot and related things in Celtic languages. 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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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 Nilotic language spoken in western Kenya.
Southern Oromo (Borana), a Lowland East Cushitic language spoken in Ethiopia and Kenya.

New numbers pages:

Anuak (Dha-Anywaa), a Western Nilotic language spoken in Ethiopia and South Sudan.
Bawm, a Kuki-Chin-Naga language spoken mainly in Bangladesh, India and Myanmar.
Southern Oromo (Borana), a Lowland East Cushitic language spoken in Ethiopia and Kenya.

On the Omniglot blog there’s a new post about words for Mushroom in Spanish, French and English, and a post called Snub Nosed Simians, about the Italian word scimmia (monkey, ape), and words for monkey in other languages. There’s also the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:

http://www.omniglot.com/soundfiles/blog/quiz290924.mp3Here’s a clue: this language is spoken in northern Brazil.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Deg Xinag (Degexit’ank), a Northern Athabaskan language spoken in Alsaka in the USA.

In this week’s Celtic Pathways podcast, we investigate the possible Celtic roots of the word Jeans, and also the place names Genoa and Geneva, and find out how they’re connected to words for knee

On the Celtiadur blog there’s a new post entitled Voices about words for voice, word, sound and related things in Celtic languages, and I made improvements to the Heads & Brains, Hearing, fame & renown and Ears posts.

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

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.

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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 (a strong cotton fabric) [source].

Gene comes from Latin Genua (Genoa), which like Geneva, possibly comes from the Proto-Celtic genwā* ([river] bend) from PIE ǵénw-eh₂, from ǵónu (knee), which is also the root of the Proto-Celtic word *glūnos (knee) [source].

Related words in the modern Celtic languages include:

glúin [ɡl̪ˠuːnʲ] = knee, generation, step, node in Irish
glùin [ɡl̪ˠuːn̪ʲ] = knee, generation, lap in Scottish Gaelic
glioon [ɡlʲuːnʲ] = joint, knee in Manx
glin [ɡliːn] = knee in Welsh
glin [ɡliːn] = knee in Cornish
glin [ɡlĩːn] = knee in Breton

Other words from the same PIE roots include genuflect (to bend the knee, grovel) and knee in English; genou (knee) in French; knie (knee) in Dutch and Afrikaans; gju [ɟu/ɡjũː] (knee) in Albanian, and γόνατο [ˈɣɔnatɔ] (knee) in Greek [source].

Incidentally, the k in knee was pronounced in Middle Engish kne [kneː] and Old English cnēow [kne͜oːw] [source], and also in Early Modern English until about the 16th or 17th century, when it quietly disappeared in speech [source].

See the Celtiadur post Knees for more details of words for knee and related things in Celtic languages. 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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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: Yufrabiz, which was created by Max Greiner.

New constructed script: Western Script, which was invented by Julius Alfred Cordova as an alternative way to write English and Spanish.

New numbers pages:

Adhola (DhoPadhola), a Western Nilotic language spoken in the Eastern Region of Uganda.
Akha (A˯ka˯daw˯), a Southern Loloish language spoken in China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam.
Achang (Ngachang), a Tibeto-Burman language spoken in Yunnan province in southern China.

On the Omniglot blog we find out whether the French word heurter (door knocker) is related to the English word hurt in a post entitled Battering Down the Door. There’s also the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:

http://www.omniglot.com/soundfiles/blog/quiz220924.mp3Here’s a clue: this language is spoken in Alaska in the USA.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Maung (Mawng Ngaralk), an Iwaidjan language spoken on Goulburn Island in Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory of Austalia.

In this week’s Adventure in Etymology, we find out what the word Swan has to do with sonnets, sonatas and bells.

On the Celtiadur blog there’s a new post entitled Leader in Chief about words for leader, chief, president and so on in Celtic languages.

Improved page: New Akha con-script page.

I forgot to mention on the recording, but here’s a new song I wrote recently called Cats & Dogs:

Simon Ager · Cats and DogsFor more Omniglot News, see:
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https://twitter.com/Omniglossia
https://www.facebook.com/groups/omniglot/
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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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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), from Old English swan [swɑn] (swan), from Proto-West-Germanic swan* (swan) from Proto-Germanic swanaz [ˈswɑ.nɑz] (swan, literally “the singing bird”), probably Proto-Indo-European swenh₂- (to sound) [source].

Words from the same roots include sound, sonnet and sonata in English, zwaan [zʋaːn] (swan) in Dutch, Schwan [ʃvaːn] (swan, the constellation Cygnus) in German, sonar [soˈnaɾ] (to sound, ring) in Spanish, suonàre [swoˈna.re] (to play [an instrument], to sound, to ring) in Italian, and possibly dzwon [dzvɔn] (bell) in Polish [source].

Incidentally, the English word sonar, as in a device that uses hydrophones to locate objects underwater, is an acronym of Sound Navigation and Ranging, and was coined by Frederick Vinton Hunt, an American inventor, scientist and professor of acoustic engineering at Havard University in 1942.

Initially, the name ‘bearing and deviation indicator’ (BDI) was used for the system developed by Hunt and his team at the Harvard Underwater Sound Laboratory in 1941. The Navy Bureau of Ships asked him to come up with a more interesting name to make the job of an acoustic ranging technician sound more glamorous. He suggested SONAR, and said that it stood for Sound Navigation and Ranging – so it is in fact a backronym (an acronym based on an existing word) [source].

By the way, an adult male swan is a cob, which comes from Middle English cobbe (male swan, gang leader, bully) [source]. An adult female swan is a pen, the origins of which are uncertain [source], and a baby swan is a cygnet, which comes from Middle English signet (a young swan), from Anglo-Norman cignet, a diminutive of Old French cigne (swan), from Latin cycnus [ky.knus] (swan, [singing] poet), from Ancient Greek κύκνος (kúknos – swan, a type of ship) [source]. Baby swans are also known as swanlings [source].

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.

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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 in North Maluku Province of Indonesia.
Tidore, a West Papuan language spoken mainly on the island of Tidore in North Maluku Province of Indonesia.
Thadou (Thadou pao), a Kuki-Chin-Naga language spoken in Manipur and Assam in the northeast of India.

New numbers pages: in Ternate (bhsua ternente), a West Papuan language spoken mainly on Ternate island in North Maluku Province of Indonesia.

New Numbers and Phrases pages in Mirandese (mirandés), a Western Ibero-Romance language spoken mainly in northern Portugal.

On the Omniglot blog this we investigate the Italian word rumore in a post entitled What’s that noise?. There’s also the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:

http://www.omniglot.com/soundfiles/blog/quiz150924.mp3Here’s a clue: this is an Australian aboriginal language.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Mangareva (Te Reo Magareva), a Polynesian language spoken on the islands of Gambier and Mangareva in French Polynesia.

In this week’s Celtic Pathways podcast, we discover the possible Celtic roots of words for Leather in English and other Germanic languages.

On the Celtiadur blog there’s a new post entitled Leathery Hide about words for leather, hide and related things, and I made improvements to the Surfaces and Calling Words posts.

Improved page: Mirandese language page.

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

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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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 (ɸ)letros*, which comes from Proto-Indo-European péltrom, from pel- (to cover, to wrap, skin, hide, cloth) [source].

Related words in the modern Celtic languages include:

leathar [ˈl̠ʲahəɾˠ] = skin, hide, leather in Irish
leathar [l̪ʲɛhər] = leather, leathery in Scottish Gaelic
l(h)iare = leather in Manx
lledr [ɬɛdr/ˈɬeːdɛr] = leather, parchment, vellum, skin, hide in Welsh
ledher = leather in Cornish
lêr [lɛːr] = leather in Breton

The Proto-Germanic word leþrą* [ˈle.θrɑ̃] (leather), which was possibly was borrowed from Proto-Celtic, and from these roots we get words such as leather in English, leer (leather) in Dutch, Leder (leather, suede, hide) in German, læder (leather) in Danish, and läder** (leather, suede) in Swedish [source].

Words from the same PIE root include pall, pelt, camouflage and film in English; plena (membrane) in Czech; piel (skin, fur) in Spanish, plah (to cover, veil) in Albanian, and pall (cloak, curtain, covering, tent) in Welsh [source].

See the Celtiadur post Leathery Hide for more details of words for leather 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.

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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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 Language based on Interglossa.

New numbers pages:

Glosa, an International Auxiliary Language based on Interglossa.
Interglossa, an International Auxiliary Language devised by Lancelot Hogben.
Uropi, an International Auxiliary Language based on common Indo-European roots.
Betawi (basè Betawi), a Malay-based creole spoken mainly in the Jakarta region of Indonesia.

On the Omniglot blog there’s a new post entitled Doorgetting about the doorway effect (forgetting why you entered a room as you walk through the door), and related things. There’s also the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:

http://www.omniglot.com/soundfiles/blog/quiz080924.mp3Here’s a clue: this is a Polynesian language.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Bhili (भीली / ભીલી), a Western Indo-Aryan language spoken in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh in central India.

In this week’s Adventure in Etymology, Sadly Satisfied, we find out whether the words sad and satisfied are related.

On the Celtiadur blog there’s a new post entitled Tented Pavilions about words for tents, pavilions and related things in Celtic languages

Improved page: Interglossa language page

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

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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In this Adventure in Etymology we find out whether the words sad and satisfied are connected.

Sad [sæd] means various things, including:

Feeling sorrow; sorrowful, mournful.
Appearing sorrowful.
Causing sorrow; lamentable.
Poor in quality, bad; shameful, deplorable, regrettable, poor.

It can mean unfashionable, socially inadequate or undesirable (in slang), and in the past it meant:

Sated, having had one’s fill; satisfied, weary.
Steadfast, valiant.
Dignified, serious, grave.
Heavy; weighty; ponderous; close; hard.

It comes from Middle English sad [sa(ː)d] (sated, weary; firm, solid, hard, thoughtful, serious, sad (sorrowful), authentic, true, genuine; dark, deep [colours]), from Old English sǣd [sæːd] (full, sated, weary), from Proto-West-Germanic sad* (sated, full) from Proto-Germanic sadaz [ˈsɑ.ðɑz] (sated, full), Proto-Indo-European seh₂- (to satiate, satisfy) [source].

Words from the same roots include satt [zat] (not hungry, satiated, full, fed up) in German, sāts (moderation, satiation, fill) in Latvian, sáith [sˠaːç] (sufficiency, enough, fill) in Irish, and satiate, satisfied and insatiate in English [source].

The Welsh word sad was borrowed from Middle English, and means firm, stable, steady, solid, certain, sure, wise, discreet, sober, grave, melancholy, and various other things. Related words include sadiwr (stabilizer) and sadeiddio (to make or become firm or stable) [source].

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.

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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot.

New writing system: Nag Chiki, which was created by Dinesh Mudi from West Bengal in India to write Koda, a North Munda language spoken in India and Bangladesh.

New language pages:

Koda (কোড়া), a North Munda language spoken mainly in West Bengal in northwestern India
Nateni (Naàteǹni), a Northern Gur language spoken in the Atakora Department in the northwest of Benin.
Mbelime bɛ̄dímɛ), a Northern Gur language spoken in the Atakora Department in the northwest of Benin.
Hanga (Haŋa), a Northern Gur language spoken in the Savannah Region in northern Ghana.

New numbers pages:

Hanga (Haŋa), a Northern Gur language spoken in the Savannah Region in northern Ghana.
Sipakapense (Ri Qyolb’al), a Mayan language spoken in the San Marcos Department in western Guatemala.
Bajaw, a Sama-Bajaw language spoken in Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines.

New article: Multiple Ways to Say “To Visit” in French

On the Omniglot blog there’s a new post entitled Stanzas, Cameras and Salons about the Italian word stanza (room), and related words in other languages. There’s also the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:

http://www.omniglot.com/soundfiles/blog/quiz010924.mp3Here’s a clue: this language is spoken in central India.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Maay Maay (Af-Mai-Mai), a Lowland East Cushitic language spoken in southern Somlia.

In this week’s Celtic Pathways podcast, Groovy Furrows, we’re looking at Celtic words for furrow, trench, ditch and related things, and words in other languages that come from the same roots.

On the Celtiadur blog there are new posts entitled Yoked Bonds and Furrowed Trenches, and improved the post about Ditches and Trenches.

Improved page: Nüshu script page

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You can also listen to this podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Stitcher, TuneIn, Podchaser, PlayerFM or podtail.

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In this episode we’re looking at Celtic words for furrow, trench, ditch and related things, and words in other languages that come from the same roots.

The Proto-Celtic word ɸrikā* means furrow and comes from Proto-Indo-European pr̥keh₂ (furrow), from perḱ- (to open, rip up, dig) [source].

Related words in the modern Celtic languages include:

eitre [ˈɛtʲəɾʲə] = furrow, groove, ridge in Irish
eitre = trench, furrow in Scottish Gaelic
eerey = furrow length, plough length in Manx
rhych [r̥ɨːχ/r̥iːχ] = trench, ditch, furrow, groove, wrinkle, cleft, cleavage in Welsh
reg = line, furrow in Breton

Words from the same Proto-Celtic roots, via Gaulish rikā* (furrow) and Latin riga (line, stripe), include raie (stripe, parting, line) in French, porca (ridge between furrows) in Italian, alporquia (layering) in Portuguese, porcoi (haystack, heap, pile, bunch) in Romanian, and erreka** (river, stream, ravine) in Basque [source].

Words from the same PIE roots include furrow, farrow and pig in English, Furche (furrow) in German, fåra (furrow, groove) in Swedish, porsas (piglet, pork) in Finnish, and arc [aɾˠk] (piglet) in Irish [source].

Incidentally, the Orkney Islands get their name from Old Norse Orkneyjar (“seal islands”), from Old Norse ørkn (seal) and ey (island). The ørkn part is thought to be a misinterpretation of the Pictish name orc (piglet), which ultimately comes from the PIE root *perḱ- (to dig, etc) [source].

More about words for Furrowed Trenches and related tools 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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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot.

New fictional script and language: High Valyrian (Valyrio), a fictional language developed for the television series Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon, and based on the few words of High Valyrian used in George R. R. Martin’s series of fantasy novels, A Song of Ice and Fire.

New constructed script: Vjøbhaž, which was created by David Kos to write his conlang, Vneghlav, and is based on the Cyrillic script.

New language pages:

Kulango Nkuraeng), a Gur language spoken mainly in the northwest of Ivory Coast, and also in western Ghana.
Ibinda (Chibinda), a Bantu language spoken in the Angolan province and exclave of Cabinda.
Vwanji (Ekivwanji), a Bantu language spoken mainly in the Njombe Region in the southwest of Tanzania.
Safwa (Kisafwa), a Bantu language spoken in the Mbeya region in the southwest of Tanzania.
Hehe (Kihehe), a Northeast Bantu language spoken in the Iringa region in southern Tanzania.

New numbers pages:

Ibinda (Chibinda), a Bantu language spoken in the Angolan province and exclave of Cabinda.
High Valyrian (Valyrio), a fictional language developed for the television series Game of Thrones.
Latino Sine Flexione, an International Auxiliary Language based on Latin without the inflections.

On the Omniglot blog there’s a new post entitled Foolish Consistency about foolishly consistent hobgoblins, insanity and misquotation. There’s also the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:

http://www.omniglot.com/soundfiles/blog/quiz250824.mp3Here’s a clue: this language is spoken in Somalia.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Tundra Yukaghir (Вадул аруу), a Yukaghir language spoken in the Far East region of the Russian Federation, particularly in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia)

In this week’s Adventure in Etymology, we find out whether the word Grass is connected to words like green, graze, grow and herb.

On the Celtiadur blog there’s a new post entitled Grinding Mills, which is about words for grind, mill and related things in Celtic languages.

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

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.

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In this Adventure in Etymology we find out whether the words grass, graze and green are connected.

Grass [ɡɹɑːs/ɡɹas/ɡɹ̠æs] is:

Any plant of the family Poaceae, characterized by leaves that arise from nodes in the stem and leaf bases that wrap around the stem, especially those grown as ground cover rather than for grain.

It comes from Middle English gras [ɡras] (grass, herb, pasture, meadow, fodder), from Old English græs [ɡræs] (grass), from Proto-Germanic grasą* [ˈɣrɑ.sɑ̃] (grass) from Proto-Indo-European gʰreh₁-* (to grow, become green) [source].

Words from the same roots include grow, green, gray/grey, graze and herb in English, groen (green) in Dutch, grasen (to graze) in German, and rohi (grass, medicine) in Estonian [source].

Incidentally, in British slang, a grass is an informer, police informer, or one who betrays a group (of criminals, etc) to the authorities. This is probably an abbreviation of grasshopper (police officer, informant), which is rhyming slang for copper (police officer) or shopper (informant).

So we’d better not let the grass grow under our feet and kick this into the long grass, because the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence and if we listen carefully, we can hear the grass grow.

Other grass-related idioms and expressions are available, and I wrote a song about the grass appearing greener called The Other Side. It goes something like this:

Simon Ager · The Other SideYou 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.

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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot.

New language pages:

Biatah bidayuh), a Land Dayak language spoken in Sarawak in Malaysia and West Kalimantan in Indonesia.
Kembayan (Matéq), a Southern Land Dayak language spoken in West Kalimantan Province in Indonesia.
Modang, a Kayanic language spoken in East Kalimantan Province in northern Indonesia.
Maay Maay (Af-Mai-Mai), a Lowland East Cushitic language spoken mainly in southern Somlia, and also in Ethiophia and Kenya.
Pendau (Umalasa), a Celebic language spoken in Central Sulawesi Province in Indonesia.

New numbers pages:

Biatah (bidayuh), a Land Dayak language spoken in Sarawak in Malaysia and West Kalimantan in Indonesia.
Modang, a Kayanic language spoken in East Kalimantan Province in Indonesia.
Pendau (Umalasa), a Celebic language spoken in Central Sulawesi Province in Indonesia.
Maasai (ɔl Maa), an Eastern Nilotic language spoken in central and southern Kenya and northern Tanzania.

New constructed script: Rountounge (Valkh’raash Dub Namtarak), which was invented by Kitsune Sobo as the script and language of various beings in the fictional Rhodinoverse.

On the Omniglot blog there’s a new post entitled Superfluously Redundant, .in which we dive into some redundant and superfluous words. There’s also the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:

http://www.omniglot.com/soundfiles/blog/quiz180824.mp3Here’s a clue: this language is spoken in northern Siberia in the Far East Region of the Russian Federation.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Wichita (Kirikir’iis), a Northern Caddoan language that was spoken in western Oklahoma in the USA and which is being revived.

In this week’s episode of Celtic Pathways podcast, we look into the Celtic roots of words for Tin in some Romance languages.

On the Celtiadur blog there’s a new post entitled A Meeting of Assemblies and I improved the posts about Wolves & Sea Monsters and Roundness

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

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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In this episode, we’re looking into the Celtic roots of some Romance tins.

The Proto-Celtic word stagnos* means tin and probably comes from the Proto-Indo-European sth₂gʰ-nó-s (standing, firm), from steh₂- (to stand) [source].

Related words in the modern Celtic languages include:

stán = tin, tin vessel in Irish
staoin [sdɯːn̪ʲ] = tin, pewter in Scottish Gaelic
stainney = tin, can, tin-plate in Manx
(y)staen [ˈ(ə)staɨ̯n] = tin, pewter in Welsh
sten [stɛːn / steːn] = tin in Cornish
staen [ˈstɛːn] = tin in Breton

Words from the same Celtic roots, via Gaulish stagnom (tin) and Latin stannum* (tin, silver-lead alloy), include estany (tin) in Catalan, étain (tin) in French, stagno (tin) in Italian, and estanho** (tin) in Portuguese [source].

I forgot to mention in the recording that the symbol for the element tin is Sn, which comes from Latin stannum, and the English words such as stannary (of or pertaining to tin mining, especially in Cornwall), and stanniferous (containing or producing the metal tin) come from the same roots [source].

Words from the same PIE roots include cost, distant, estate, instant, obstinate, stand, stem and stool in English [source], and words from heel in Celtic languages, such as sawdl in Welsh and sáil in Irish [source].

Incidentally, the word tin comes from Middle English tyn(ne) (tin), from Old English tin (tin), from Proto-Germanic *tiną (tin), probably from a pre-Indo-European language [source].

More about words for Tin and related tools 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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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot.

New language pages:

Chamacoco (Ɨshɨr), a Zamucoan language spoken in the Alto Paraguay department in northern Paraguay.
Mising (mising agom), an Eastern Tani language spoken mainly in Assam in the northeast of India.
Ocaina (Xáfahxajoh), a Bora-Huitoto language spoken mainly in northeastern Peru, and also in southern Colombia.
Ayoreo, a Zamucoan language spoken in northern Paraguay and eastern Bolivia.
Binumarien, a Kainantu language spoken in Eastern Highlands Province of Papua New Guinea.

New numbers pages:

Mising (mising agom), an Eastern Tani language spoken mainly in Assam in the northeast of India.
Ocaina (Xáfahxajoh), a Bora-Huitoto language spoken mainly in northeastern Peru, and also in southern Colombia.
Binumarien, a Kainantu language spoken in Eastern Highlands Province of Papua New Guinea.

New phrases page: Mising

New adapted script: Italorussian (Италоруссо), a way of writing Italian with the Cyrillic alphabet devised by Walter Loi.

Тутти љи эссэри умани насконо либэри эд эгўали ин дињита̀ э диритти. Эсси соно дотати ди раджонэ ди кощэнца э дэвоно адзирэ љи уни вэрсо љи альтри ин спирто ди фратэлланца.

On the Omniglot blog there’s a new post entitled Rucksacks & Mistletoe, in which we find out how the Italian word zaino (rucksack, backpack) is related to the English word mistletoe. There’s also the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:

http://www.omniglot.com/soundfiles/blog/quiz110824.mp3Here’s a clue: this language was spoken in Oklahoma in the USA and is being revived.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Chamacoco (Ɨshɨr), a Zamucoan language spoken in northern Paraguay.

In this week’s Adventure in Etymology, we find out what links the word Antique with words like eye, window and Antigua.

On the Celtiadur blog there’s a new post entitled Habitual Customs and words for habits, customs and related things.

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

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.

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In this Adventure in Etymology, we find out what links the word antique with words such as eye, window and Antigua.

Antique [ænˈtiːk] can mean:

An old object perceived as having value because of its aesthetic or historical significance (noun)
Having existed in ancient times, descended from antiquity; out of date, old (adjective)
to search or shop for antiques; to make (an object) appear to be an antique in some way (verb)

It comes from French antique (ancient, old), from Latin antīquus (old, ancient, aged, classic, traditional) from Proto-Indo-European h₂énti-h₃kʷ-o-s* (“facing the front, in front of the eye”), from h₂énti (opposite, near, in front, before) and h₃ekʷ- (to see, eye) [source].

Words from the same Latin root (antīquus) include antic in English, antik (ancient, antique) in German, and antiguo (old, ancient, vintage) in Spanish [source].

The island of Antigua in the Caribbean also gets its name from the same roots, via Spanish antigua (ancient, old), and was originally named Santa María de la Antigua by Christopher Columbus to honour a mural known as Virgen de la Antigua or Santa María de la Antigua in Seville Cathedral (see below) [source].

Other words from the PIE root h₂énti* (in front, before) include and and words beginning with ante-/ant(i)- such as antechamber and anticlockwise in English, antes (before, earlier, sooner) in Spanish, and anzi** (on the contrary, indeed, actually) in Italian [source].

Other words from the PIE root h₃ekʷ-* (to see, eye) include eye, ocular, ogle and window in English, occhio (eye) in Italian, wyneb (face, surface) in Welsh, and oineach** (honour, reputation) in Irish [source].

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.

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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot.

New language pages:

Hill Miri (muri-mugli / मुरि-मुग्लि), Western Tani language spoken in Arunachal Pradesh in northeastern India.
Chiru (ꯆꯤꯔꯨ), a Kuki-Chin-Naga language spoken in Manipur, Assam and Nagaland in the northeast India.
Bimin, a Mountain Ok language spoken mainly in Sandaun Province in the west Papua New Guinea.

New numbers pages:

Bimin, a Mountain Ok language spoken mainly in Sandaun Province in the west Papua New Guinea.
Hill Miri (muri-mugli / मुरि-मुग्लि), Western Tani language spoken in Arunachal Pradesh in northeastern India.
Galo (gallo), a Western Tani language spoken in Arunachal Pradesh in the northeast of India.

New phrases pages:

Galo (gallo), a Western Tani language spoken in Arunachal Pradesh in the northeast of India.
Hill Miri (muri-mugli / मुरि-मुग्लि), Western Tani language spoken in Arunachal Pradesh in northeastern India.

New constructed script: Nomish, which was invented by Kitsune Sobo as the native script of the Nomes in the fictional Rhodinoverse.

On the Omniglot blog there’s a new post entitled Forest Cities, in which we ask what a forest is, and whether cities like London and Berlin could be classified as forests. There’s also the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:

http://www.omniglot.com/soundfiles/blog/quiz040824.mp3Here’s a clue: this language is spoken in northern Paraguay.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Lokoya, an Eastern Nilotic language spoken in South Sudan.

In this week’s episode of Celtic Pathways podcast, entitled Boring Tools we’re drilling down to find the possibly Celtic roots of words for drill, auger and related tools in some Romance languages.

On the Celtiadur blog there are new posts entitled Augers & Drills and Shells.

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

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.

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The Proto-Celtic word taratrom* means auger and comes from the Proto-Indo-European térh₁trom (tool for drilling), from terh₁- (to rub, turn, drill, pierce [source].

Related words in the modern Celtic languages include:

tarathar = auger in Irish
tora [tɔrə] = auger, gimble, gimlet in Scottish Gaelic
tarrar = drill in Manx
taradr [ˈtaradr] = auger, drill, borer, awl, gimlet in Welsh
tarder = drill in Cornish
tarar [ˈtɑː.rar] = augur, chignole (a hand drill), shipworm (mollusk) in Breton

Words that possibly come from the same Celtic roots, via Gaulish taratron (auger) and Late Latin taratrum, include taradre (to bore) in Catalan, trade (auger) in Galician, taladro (drill) in Spanish and tarière (auger) in French [source].

Words from the same PIE roots include thread, thresh, trout and throw in English, settentrione (north) in Italian, třít (to rub) in Czech, and drehen (to turn) in German [source].

Incidentally, an auger is a carpenter’s tool for boring holes longer than those bored by a gimlet (a small screw-tipped tool for boring holes); a plumber’s snake (a plumbing tool for removing obstructions from pipes); a tool used to bore holes in the ground, or a hollow drill used to take core samples of soil, ice, etc. for scientific study [source].

In Middle English it was a nauger [ə ˈnau̯ɡər], which was rebracketed as an auger in modern English. It comes from Old English nafugār (nave drill, lit. “nave spear”) – nave refers to the hub of a wheel and not the body of a church, and is related to navel [source].

The gār part of nafugār means spear, arrow or dart, and is possibly the root of the ger part of my surname Ager [source].

Auger should not be confused with augur, which refers to a diviner who foretells events by observing the behaviour of birds or other animals, or by signs derived from celestial phenomena, or unusual occurrences. In ancient Rome, an augur was an official who interpreted omens before the start of public events [source].

More about words for Drills & Augers and related tools in Celtic languages.

The theme tune for this episode is one I wrote in 2017 called The Clockwork Octopus / Yr Wythdroed Clocwaith. You can hear a longer version here:

Simon Ager · The Clockwork Octopus / Yr Wythdroed ClocwaithYou 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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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot.

New language pages:

Fataluku, a Timor-Alor-Pantar language spoken in eastern East Timor.
Rongga, an Sumba-Flores language spoken on Flores Island in southeastern Indonesia
Kakwa (Kãkwã), a Puniave-Maku language spoken mainly in the southeast of Colombia.
Wejewa, a Sumba-Flores language spoken on Sumba Island in southeastern Indonesia.

New phrases page: Guernésiais, a Gallo-Romance language spoken on the Channel Island of Guernsey.

New numbers pages:

Dinka (Thuɔŋjäŋ), a Western Nilotic language spoken mainly in Sudan and South Sudan.
Lugbara, an Eastern Moru-Madi language spoken in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

On the Omniglot blog there’s a new post entitled Water Parties about the Spanish word aguafiestas (party pooper, wet blanket), and there’s also the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:

http://www.omniglot.com/soundfiles/blog/quiz280724.mp3Here’s a clue: this language is spoken in South Sudan.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was East Frisian (Oostfräisk), a West Germanic language spoken in the Ostfriesland region of Lower Saxony in the northwest of Germany.

In this week’s Adventure in Etymology, we look into the origins of the word Folk.

On the Celtiadur blog there’s a new post entitled Razors, and I made improvements to the posts about Fathers and Land, Parishes & Enclosures.

Improved page: Lugbara language page.

Incidentally, this is the 150th episode of the Omniglot News.

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

You can also listen to this podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Stitcher, TuneIn, Podchaser, PlayerFM or podtail.

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In this Adventure in Etymology we’re looking into the origins of the word folk.

Some folk playing folk music

Folk [fəʊk / foʊk] can refer to:

People, persons
One’s relatives, especially one’s parents (e.g. my folks)
Short for folk music
A people; a tribe or nation; the inhabitants of a region, especially the native inhabitants. (Archaic)

It comes from Middle English folk [fɔlk] (people, nation, group, family, kin, relatives, humanity), from Old English folc [folk] (people, nation, tribe, crowd) from Proto-Germanic fulką [ˈɸul.kɑ̃] (people, tribe), fulkaz* (crowd, army), possibly from PIE pleh₁-* (to fill) [source].

Words from the same roots include fill, pleb, plenty, plural, plus and public in English, pul̃kas [ˈpʊlkɐs] (flock, crowd, regiment) in Lithuanian, pułk [puwk] (regiment) in Polish, and Volk [fɔlk] (people, native, tribe) in German [source].

The French word plouc [pluk] (country bumpkin, yokel) also comes from the same roots, via Breton plouk [pluːk] (yokel), from ploue [pluːe] (parish, countryside) Proto-Brythonic pluɨβ (countryside, parish, common people) and Latin plēb(ē)s* (common people, plebians) [source].

Related words in other Celtic languages include pluw (parish) in Cornish, and plwy(f) [pluːɨ̯(v) / plʊi̯(v)] (parish, poor relief, parishioners, people) in Welsh [source].

For more details, see the post about Land, Parishes & Enclosures on the Celtiadur.

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.

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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot.

New language pages:

Meyah, a West Papuan language spoken in eastern Indonesia.
Izon, an Ijaw language spoken in soutern Nigeria.
Kakwa (Kãkwã), a Puniave-Maku language spoken mainly in southeastern Colombia.
Bori, an Eastern Tani language spoken in Arunachal Pradesh in northeastern India.

New numbers page:

Bori, an Eastern Tani language spoken in Arunachal Pradesh in the northeast of India.
Izon, an Ijaw language spoken in soutern Nigeria.
Ladino (djudeo-espanyol / ג’ודיאו-איספאנייול), a Jewish language based on Medieval Spanish and spoken mainly in Israel, Turkey and Greece.

New constructed script: Dust Witch Runes, which were invented by Kitsune Sobo as the native script of the Dust Witches in the fictional Rhodinoverse.

New constructed script: Zuravot, which was created by Eliya Gobani to write a constructed language by the same name based on Arabic.

On the Omniglot blog there’s a new post about the word Taradiddle (a trivial lie or fib) and other diddlesome words, and there’s also the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:

http://www.omniglot.com/soundfiles/blog/quiz210724.mp3Here’s a clue: this language is spoken in northern Germany, but isn’t a variety of German.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Batsbi (ბაცბურ მოტტ), a Northeast Caucasian language spoken in the Akhmeta distict in eastern Georgia.

In this week’s Celtic Pathways podcast, Bits & Pieces, we piece together the Celtic roots of the word piece, and related words.

On the Celtiadur blog there’s a new post entitled Monday Moons, and I made improvements to the post about Parts and Portions.

For more Omniglot News, see:
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https://twitter.com/Omniglossia
https://www.facebook.com/groups/omniglot/
https://www.facebook.com/Omniglot-100430558332117

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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In this episode, we’re piecing together the Celtic roots of the word piece and related words.

Piece comes from Middle English pece [ˈpɛːs(ə)] (piece, morsel, bit), from Anglo-Norman piece (piece, bit, part), from Late Latin petttia (piece, portion), from Gaulish pettyā*, from Proto-Celtic kʷezdis* (piece, portion) [source].

Related words in the modern Celtic languages include:

cuid [kɪdʲ] = part (of whole), share, portion, some in Irish
cuid [kudʲ] = portion, share, allotment, means, belongings in Scottish Gaelic
cooid = certain, some, stuff, assets, goods in Manx
peth [peːθ] = thing, object, material, stuff in Welsh
pyth, peth [pɪːθ / pɛθ] = commodity, material, matter, possession in Cornish
pezh [peːs] = piece, bit, room, part, what in Breton [source]

Words from the same Celtic roots, via Gaulish and Latin, include pièce (room, patch, piece, play, document) in French, pieze (piece, part) in Spanish, biisi (song) in Finnish, and ピース (pīsu – piece) in Japanese [source].

The Irish word píosa (piece, bit, patch, piece-work, literary or musical composition, coin) also comes from the same roots, via Middle Irish pís(s)a (piece, fragment, coin), and Middle English pece [source].

Incidentally, the French word pièce, has ben borrowed into a variety of diffent languges, including Turkish – piyes ([theatrical] play), Russian – пьеса [ˈp⁽ʲ⁾jesə] (a play, piece [of music]), and Georgian – პიესა [pʼiesa] (a play) [source].

More about words for Parts and Portions 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.

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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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot.

New language pages:

Nafanan, a Southern Senufo spoken mainly in Ghana, and also Ivory Coast.
Papapana, a Northwest Solomonic language spoken on the east coast of Bougainville Island in Papua New Guinea.
Yelmek, a Trans-Fly-Bulaka River language spoken in the Merauke Regency in South Papua Province in eastern Indonesiaa.

New constructed script: Arleng Mekʼlek. which was invented by Ripu Rahang as an alternative way to write Karbi, a Tibeto-Burman language spoken in northern India.

New numbers page:

Zarma (Zarmaciine), a member of the Songhay branch of the Nilo-Saharan language family spoken mainly in Niger.
Sun(u)war (सुनुवार), a Kiranti language spoken mainly in eastern Nepal, and also in Sikkim in norteastern India..
Slovio, an International Auxiliary Language based on Slavic languages invented by Mark Hucko.

On the Omniglot blog there’s a new post about the Spanish word Muchedumbre (crowd, throng, multitude, mob), and related words in other languages, and there’s also the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:

http://www.omniglot.com/soundfiles/blog/quiz140724.mp3Here’s a clue: this language is related to Chechen and Ingush.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Saraiki (ਸਰਾਇਕੀ / सराइकी / سرائيكى), a Western Punjabi language spoken in parts of Pakistan and northern India.

In this week’s Adventure in Etymology, we look into the origins of the word door, and find links to words like forum, forensic and thyroid.

On the Celtiadur blog there’s a new post entitled Similar Likeness and I made improvements to the posts about Doors and Sticks and Rods.

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

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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In this Adventure in Etymology, we’re opening doors to find the origins of the word door.

A door [dɔː / dɔɹ] is:

A portal of entry into a building, room, or vehicle, typically consisting of a rigid plane movable on a hinge. It may have a handle to help open and close, a latch to hold it closed, and a lock that ensures it cannot be opened without a key.

It comes from Middle English dor(e) [ˈdɔːr(ə)] (door), from Old English duru [ˈdu.ru] (door, opening) from Proto-West-Germanic dur* (door, hatch, flap) from Proto-Germanic durz (door, hatch, flap), from PIE dʰwer- (door) [source].

Words from the same roots include forum, forensic and thyroid in English, dörr (door) in Swedish, drws (door, doorway) in Welsh, dvor (court, courtyard) in Slovak and ترس (tors – shield, buckler) in Persian [source].

Incidentally, in Old English one word for window was ēagduru [ˈæ͜ɑːɡˌdu.ru], or literally “eye-door”. Another was ēagþyrel [ˈæ͜ɑːɡˌθy.rel], or “eye-hole” [source].

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.

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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot.

New language pages:

Helong, a West Timor language spoken in mainly in West Timor in the Kupang Regency of East Nusa Tenggara province in southern Indonesia.
Phom, a Brahmaputran language spoken in Nagaland in the northeast of India.
Sursurunga, a Western Oceanic language spoken in New Ireland Province of Papua New Guinea.

New numbers page:

Jingpho (Jìngphòʔ gà / ဈိာင်ေဖါစ်), a Tibeto-Burman language spoken mainly in Kachin and Shan States in northern Myanmar.
Guernésiais, a Romance language spoken on the Channel Island of Guernsey.
Lavukaleve, a Central Solomons language spoken in the Russell Islands in the Central Province of the Solomon Islands.

On the Omniglot blog there’s a new post entitled Jentacularity in which we discuss things jentacular (related to breakfast) and prandial (related to dinner), and there’s also the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:

http://www.omniglot.com/soundfiles/blog/quiz070724.mp3Here’s a clue: this language is spoken in Pakistan and northern India.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Rangi (Kilaangi), a Southern Bantoid language spoken in central Tanzania.

In this week’s Celtic Pathways podcast, we look into the Celtic roots of words for heather and related things in some Romance languages.

On the Celtiadur blog there’s a new post about words for Seeds and related things, and I made improvements to the Ceilidh Companions post.

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

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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In this episode we look into the Celtic roots of words for heather in some Romance languages.

The Proto-Celtic word *wroikos means heather. Its origins are uncertain, and it possibly comes from a non-Indo-European substrate source [source].

Related words in the modern Celtic languages include:

fraoch [fˠɾˠeːx] = heather, heath, moor in Irish
fraoch [frɯːx] = heather in Scottish Gaelic
freoagh = heather, heath in Manx
grug [ɡrɨːɡ / ɡriːɡ] = heather, heath in Welsh
grug [ɡryːɡ / ɡriːɡ] = heather, heath in Cornish
brug [bryːk] = heather in Breton

Words from the same Proto-Celtic roots, via Gaulish and Latin, include brezo (heath) in Spanish, breixo (heather) in Galician, brugo (heather) and brughiera (heath, moor) in Italian, and bruyère (heath, heather, brier) in French [source].

Related words in other languages possibly include vřes (heather) in Czech, wrzos (heather) in Polish, viržis (heather) in Lithuanian, and ericaceous (Of or pertaining to the heath family; Acid-loving, acidic) in English.

Incidentally, the word heather comes from Old English hǣddre (heather), from hǣþ* (wasteland, wilderness, heath), from Proto-Germanic haiþī [ˈxɑi̯.θiː] (heath, wasteland), possibly from PIE kóy-t-os (forest, wasteland, pasture) [source].

Other words from the same roots include heath in English, heide (heath, heathland, heather) in Dutch, Heide (heath, heathland, nation, country) in German [source].

More about words for Heather 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.

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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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot.

New language pages:

Jju, an Atlantic Congo language spoken in Kaduna State in central Nigeria.
Abua, a Central Delta language spoken in Rivers State in southern Nigeria.
Banggai, a Celebic language spoken in Central Sulawesi Province in Indonesia.
Beami, a Trans-New Guinea language spoken in the Western Province of Papua New Guina.

New numbers page: Beami.

On the Omniglot blog there’s a new post entitled New Old Words about my trip to Ireland and some of the things I learnt there, and there’s also the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:

http://www.omniglot.com/soundfiles/blog/quiz300624.mp3Here’s a clue: this language is spoken in Tanzania.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Tetum (Lia-Tetun), a Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian language spoken in East Timor (Timor-Leste), and in the West Timor (Timor Barat) in Indonesia.

In this week’s Adventure in Etymology, we find out what links the word journey with words for day, heaven and god, and also giraffe.

On the Celtiadur blog there are new posts entitled A Shovelful of Spades and Light Lungs.

I also made improvements to the Breton language page, and found a good site for learning Breton (through French): https://desketa.bzh

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

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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In this Adventure in Etymology we’re going a journey to find our what links the word journey with words for day, heaven and god.

Meanings of journey [ˈdʒɜːni / ˈdʒɝni] include:

A set amount of travelling, seen as a single unit; a discrete trip, a voyage.
Any process or progression likened to a journey, especially one that involves difficulties or personal development.
To travel, to make a trip or voyage.

It used to mean a day, a day’s travelling or work, and an also refer to a group of giraffes.

It comes from Middle English journe [dʒurˈneː] (an endeavour, enterprice, attempt, journey, battle), from Old French journee [dʒuɾˈneːə] (day, daytime, a day’s journey or work, day of battle) from Vulgar Latin diurnāta [jorˈnada] (the span of a day) from Latin diurnum (of the day, daily) from diēs* (day), ultimately from PIE dyḗws* (heaven, sky) [source].

Words from the same roots include and deity, diary, diva, divine, journal, Tuesday, Jupiter and Zeus in English, journée (day, daytime) in French, giornata (day) in Italian, dia (day) in Portuguese, and strong>dia / Dia (a god, God) in Irish [source].

In Old English, a word for journey was faru [ˈfɑ.ru]. It’s related to the modern English fare (money paid for transport, a paying passenger, food and drink), which used to mean a journey, voyage, course or passage. Farewell also comes from the same roots [source].

I had a bit of a cold when I recorded this, so if my voice sounds a bit croaky, you know why.

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.

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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot.

New language and alphabet: Bactiran (Αριαο) , an Eastern Iranian language that was spoken from about 300 BC to 1000 AD in Bactria, an ancient Iranian civilisation in Central Asia, and which was written with a version of the Greek script.

Surkh Kotal inscription, 2nd century AD

New language pages:

Biak (wós Vyak / wós kovedi), a South Halmahera-West New Guinea language spoken in the Bial Islands in eastern Indonesia.
Nambya (chiNambya), a Southern Bantu language spoken in northwest Zimbabwe and northeast Bostwana.
Bariai, a Western Oceanic language spoken in West New Britain Province of Papua New Guinea.

New numbers page: Bariai, a Western Oceanic language spoken in West New Britain Province of Papua New Guinea.

On the Omniglot blog there’s a new post entitled Earthlings and Other Lings about words ending in -ling, such as earthling, and there’s a post about my trip to Ireland / Éire. There’s also the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:

http://www.omniglot.com/soundfiles/blog/quiz160624.mp3The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Angika (अंगिका), a Bihari language spoken mainly in the states of Bihar and Jharkhand in northern India, and also in eastern Nepal.

There’s no Adventure in Etymology this week as I’m on holiday in Ireland. I probably won’t have time to work on Omniglot during that time, and there’ll be no recorded newscasts.

On the Celtiadur blog there’s a new post about words for Acorns and related things, and I made improvements to the post about Battle-related words.

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

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.

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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot.

New language pages:

Zeme, a Kuki-Chin-Naga language spoken in Assam, Manipur and Nagaland in the northeast of India.
Borong, a Western Huon language spoken in Morobe Province of Papua New Guinea.
Boko, an Eastern Mande language spoken in northern Benin and northern and western Nigeria.
Vatlongos, a Southern Oceanic language spoken mainly on Ambrym Island in Malampa Province in northern Vanuatu.

New numbers pages:

Zeme, a Kuki-Chin-Naga language spoken in Assam, Manipur and Nagaland in northeastern India.
Northern Pomo, an extinct Pomoan language that was spoken in Lake County in California in the USA, and which is being revived.
Lebanese Arabic, a variety of Levantine Arabic spoken mainly in Lebannon.

New Tower of Babel translations: Alur, Akha, Adhola, Dangme, Achi and Abua.

On the Omniglot blog there’s a new post entitled Speading Sweetness about how words for honey, mead and related things possibly spread throughout Europe and as far as China and Japan. There’s also the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:

http://www.omniglot.com/soundfiles/blog/quiz090624.mp3Here’s a clue: this language is spoken mainly in northern India, and also in eastern Nepal.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Forest Enets (Баи), a dialect of Enets (Онэй база), a Samoyedic language spoken in Krasnoyarsk Krai in Siberia in the Russian Federation.

In this week’s Celtic Pathways podcast, Charming Witches, we look into the possible Celtic roots of words for witch in some Romance languages, such as bruja in Spanish.

On the Celtiadur blog there are a new posts about words for Mixed & Confused and Honey Wine and I improved the post about Magic and Spells.

I also improved the Maltese language page.

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

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.

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In this episode we look into the possble Celtic roots of words for witch in some Romance languages.

The Proto-Celtic word brixtā* means spell, magical formula or incantation. It possibly comes from PIE bʰerHǵ-* (enlighten) [source].

Related words in the modern Celtic languages include:

briocht = charm, spell, amulet in Irish
lled(f)rith = magic, spell, charm, enchantment, apparition, spectre, phantom, illusion, delusion, fantasy, imagination in Welsh
bre = incantation magic in Breton

Words that probably come from the same Proto-Celtic root, via the Celtiberian bruxtia*, include bruja (witch, crone, hag, owl) in Spanish, bruxa (witch, hex) in Galician, bruxa (witch) in Portuguese, and bruixa** (witch) in Catalan [source].

Alternatively, bruja and similar words, might might be related to the Old Irish name Brigit [ˈbʲrʲiɣʲidʲ] (patron goddess of Druids), which comes from Proto-Celtic *Brigantī (high, elevated, an exalted person) [source].

The city of Bragança (Braganza) in northern Portugal gets its name from the same Celtic roots, as do the Welsh words brenin (king, monarch, sovereign) and braint (privilege) [source].

More about words for Magic and Spells 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.

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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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot.

New language pages:

Lakon, a Southern Oceanic language spoken on Gaua Island in Torba Province of Vanuatu.
Maléku (malécu jaíca) – a Chibchan language spoken in northern Costa Rica.
Kadiwéu (Ejiwajigi) – a Guaicuruan language spoken in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul in southern Brazil
Mocoví (moqoit) – a Southern Guaicuruan language spoken in Chaco, Santa Fe and Formosa provinces in the northeast of Argentina.

New numbers pages:

Bosnian (bosanski), a South Slavic language spoken mainly in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Celtiberian – an extinct Celtic language that was spoken in the northeast of the Iberian Peninsula until about the 1st century AD.

On the Omniglot blog there’s a new post entitled Super Brows about the word supercilious and other (eye)brow-related expressions in English and other languages. There’s also the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:

http://www.omniglot.com/soundfiles/blog/quiz020624.mp3Here’s a clue: this language is spoken in Siberia.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Blin (ብሊና), a Central Cushitic language spoken in and around the city of Keren in central Eritrea.

In this week’s Adventure in Etymology, we free ourselves by looking into the word Escape and related words.

On the Celtiadur blog there’s a new post about words for Eyebrows and related things.

Finally, here’s my latest song, which I finished writing and recording this week. It’s in the style of a sea shanty called Off To Sea

Simon Ager · Off To SeaYou can hear more songs and tunes I’ve written on SoundCloud.

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

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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In this Adventure in Etymology we free ourselves by looking into the word escape.

Escape [ɪˈskeɪp / əˈskeɪp] can mean:

To get free; to free oneself.
To avoid (any unpleasant person or thing); to elude, get away from
To avoid capture; to get away with something, avoid punishment
To elude the observation or notice of; to not be seen or remembered by

It comes from Middle English escāpen (to free oneself, get away, avoid, elude), from Old Northern French escaper (to evade, avoid) from Vulgar Latin excappāre (to escape) from ex- (out) and cappa* (cape, cloak), or literally “to get out of one’s cape; to leave a pursuer with just one’s cape” [source].

Words from the same roots include escapade (a daring or adventurous act; an undertaking which goes against convention) in English, scappare (to run away, flee, escape) in Italian, échapper (to escape, evade) in French, and escapar (to escape, get out, run away) in Spanish [source].

The English word scamper (to run lightly and quickly, especially in a playful or undignified manner) possibly comes from similar roots, via Middle Dutch schamperen (to insult, scorn, dishonour), Old French esc(h)amper (to break loose) and Vulgar Latin excampāre, from ex- (out) and campō, from campus* (field) [source].

Other interesting English word related to escaping include:

absquatulate = to leave quickly or in a hurry, to depart, flee, abscond – a jocular mock-Latin word coined in the USA in the 1830s from abscond, squat and perambulate [source].
skedaddle = to move or run away quickly – appeared in the USA in the 1860s. Possibly from scaddle, a UK dialect word meaning to run off in fright [source].
vamoose = to run away, flee, hurry – from Spanish vamos (we go) or vámonos (let’s go) [source].

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.

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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.

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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot.

New writing system: Sheek Bakrii Saphaloo Script, which was created in 1956 by Sheikh Bakri Sapalo from Ethiopia, and is used to write Oromo, a Cushitic language spoken in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia and Egypt.

New fictional script: Exception, which appears in the Netflix anime series “Exception”.

New constructed script: Formetta, an alternative way to write English invented by TCSenpai, and designed to be clear, simple, and easy to learn and reproduce.

There are new language pages about:

Maká (mac’a) – a Matacoan language spoken in the Chaco region of Paraguay and Argentina.
Wichí Lhamtés Nocten (‘weenhayek) – a Matacoan language spoken mainly in southeastern Boliva, and also in northwestern Argentina.
Wichí Lhamtés Güisnay (Wiznay) – a Matacoan language spoken in Salta Province in northern Argentina
Wichí Lhamtés Vejoz – a Matacoan language spoken mainly in northern Argentina and also in southern Bolivia.

New phrase pages in Taíno-Quisqueyanaíqui, a reconstructed language based on the Taíno that was spoken in the Dominican Republic created by Desmond Johnson Montes De Oca.

On the Omniglot blog there’s a new post entitled A Little Alliteration about alliteration and other kinds of rhymes, and how they can be difficult to translate into other languages. There’s also the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:

http://www.omniglot.com/soundfiles/blog/quiz260524.mp3Here’s a clue: this language is spoken in Eritrea.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Mocoví, a Southern Guaicuruan language spoken mainly in Santa Fe, Chaco, and Formosa provinces in Argentina.

In this week’s Celtic Pathways podcast, Bills and Gouges, we find connections between Celtic beaks and bills, and chisels and gouges in other languages.

On the Celtiadur blog there’s a new post entitled The End about words for end, final, after and related things in Celtic languages.

I also made improvements to the Taíno language page.

In other news, I reached 2,500 days in my current streak on Duolingo this week. I’m still concentrating on Irish, Scottish Gaelic, Spanish and Japanese, and occasionally doing a bit of Dutch or Swedish.

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

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.

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In this episode we find connections between Celtic bills and beaks, and chisels and gouges in other languages.

A gouge [ɡaʊdʒ] is a chisel with a curved blade for cutting or scooping channels, grooves, or holes in wood, stone, etc.

The word comes from Middle English gouge (gouge), from Old French gouge (gouge), from Late Latin goia / gu(l)bia (chisel, piercer), from Gaulish gulbiā* (beak, bill), from Proto-Celtic gulbā / gulbīnos (beak, bill) [source].

Related words in the modern Celtic languages include:

gulba = beak, bill, tip, point, projection in Irish
gulb [gul̪ˠub] = beak, nose in Scottish Gaelic
gylf = sharp point, knife, bird’s beak or snout in Welsh
gelvin = beak, bill in Cornish
gwlib = curlew, whimbrel (?) in Breton

Other words from the same Proto-Celtic roots, via Gaulish and Latin, include gulbia (gouge) in Galician, gubia (gouge) in Spanish, gorbia (ferrule*) in Italian [source].

A ferrule* is band or cap (usually metal) placed around a shaft to reinforce it or to prevent splitting [source].

Incidentally, the word chisel comes from Old Northern French c(h)isel (cutting tool, chisel), from cisoir (cutting tool), from Late Latin cīsōrium (cutting instrument), from Latin caedō (to cut, hew, fell), from Proto-Italic kaidō*, from PIE kh₂eyd-* (to cut, hew) [source].

Words from the same roots include cement, concise, decide, excise, hit, incision, precise and scissors in English; and hitta (to find, locate) in Swedish [source].

More about words for Beaks and Snouts 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.

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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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot.

There are new language pages about:

Bhaca (isiBhaca) – a Southern Bantu language spoken in Eastern Cape Province in South Africa.
Ulumandaʼ – a South Sulawesi language spoken in West Sulawesi Province in Indonesia.
Bambam– a South Sulawesi language spoken in West Sulawesi Province in Indonesia.

New numbers pages in Ulumandaʼ and Bambam.

On the Omniglot blog there’s a new post called Buckling Swashes in which we learn about swashbucklers, and also pirates, privateers, buccaneers, freebooters and corsairs. There’s also the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:

http://www.omniglot.com/soundfiles/blog/quiz190524.mp3Here’s a clue: this language is spoken in Argentina.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Kagoshima dialect (鹿児島弁), a variety of Japanese spoken in Kagoshima Prefecture in southern Japan. It is also known as Satsugū dialect (薩隅方言).

The recording comes from YouTube:

In this week’s Adventure in Etymology, we look into the word Landlubber, and related words in English and other languages.

New Celtic Cognates page: Names – a collection of Celtic personal names from Celtic and non-Celtic roots.

On the Celtiadur blog there’s a new post about words for Glens and Valleys and I made improvements to the post about words for Full and related things.

In other news, the Polyglot Gathering is currently taking place in Prague in the Czech Republic. I decided not to go this year for various reasons, but if any of you were there, I hope you had a good time. I may go to the Polyglot Conference in Valletta in Malta in November.

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

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.

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In this Adventure in Etymology we look into the word landlubber, and related words in English and other languages.

A landlubber [ˈlænd.lʌ.bə / ˈlænd.lʌ.bɚ] is:

Someone unfamiliar with the sea or seamanship, especially a novice seaman.

It comes from lubber (a big, clumsy, stupid fellow who lives in idleness), from Middle English lobre (lazy lout) from lobbe (a lump), or from Old French lobeor (swindler, parasite), or from a Nordic word [source].

Related words include abbey-lubber (an able-bodied idler who grew sleek and fat from the charity of religious houses; a lazy monk), lubberly (clumsy, awkward, coarse), lubberland (a land of plenty), and lubberwort (a mythical herb that produces laziness) [source].

Landlubbers are also known as landsmen, land-lopers or fresh-water seamen in English.

Words in other languages for landlubber include landkrabbe (“land crab”) in Danish, landrot (“land rat”) in Dutch, and marin d’eau douce (“freshwater mariner”) in French [source].

Experienced sailors and seaman used to call themselves, and were called (Jolly) Jack Tars or Tars in English. The name Jack is/was used as a generic name, in the UK at least, and tar is probably related to the use of tar on ships to make things waterproof [source].

For more seafaring-related words, see this Omniglot blog post: Buckling Swashes, and this podcast, which inspired this post:

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.

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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot.

There are new language pages about:

Teanu – an Oceanic language spoken on Vanikoro Island in Temotu Province in the east of the Solomon Islands.
Nanggu (Engdewu) – an Oceanic language spoken on the island of Nendö in Temotu province in the east of the Solomon Islands.
Uneapa (Uniapa) – an Oceanic language spoken on Unea Island in West New Britain Province of Papua New Guinea.

Uneapa happens to be the 2,000th language on Omniglot, by the way.

There’s a new adapted script, Turkorece (툴코레제), a way to write Turkish with the Korean Hangeul script created by Wojciech Grala.

New numbers pages:

Nawat (Nāwat), an Uto-Aztecan language spoken mainly in western El Salvador.
Classical Nahuatl (Nāhuatlahtōlli), an Uto-Aztecan language that was spoken in the Valley of Mexico and central Mexico until about the 17th century.
Chakma (𑄌𑄋𑄴𑄟𑄳𑄦 𑄞𑄌𑄴 / চাাংমা ভাচ), an Eastern Indo-Aryan language spoken in parts of Bangladesh and India.

On the Omniglot blog there’s a new post entitled 2,000 Languages!, in which I talk about some significant Omniglot-related moments from the past 26 years, including adding the 2,000th language to the site this week. There’s also the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:

http://www.omniglot.com/soundfiles/blog/quiz120524.mp3Here’s a clue: this language is spoken in Japan, but isn’t (standard) Japanese.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Nambya, a Bantu language spoken in northwestern Zimbabwe and northeastern Botswana.

In this week’s Celtic Pathways podcast, we find some Celtic Brio behind some vigorous Romance and English words.

On the Celtiadur blog there’s a new post entitled Meaty Flesh about words for meat, flesh and related things, and I made improvements to the post about words for Horses and Strength.

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

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.

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In this episode we discover the Celtic power behind some vigorous Romance and English words.

The English word brio [ˈbɹiːoʊ] means vigour or vivacity. When used in musical directions, as con brio, it means with spirit, with vigour, vivciously [source].

It comes from Italian brio (vivacity, liveliness), from Spanish brío (vigour, mettle, zest, zeal), from Old Occitan briu (wild), from Gaulish brīgos (strength), from Proto-Celtic brīgos (power, worth), possibly from PIE bʰerǵʰ-* (to rise; high) [source].

Related words in the modern Celtic languages include:

brí [brʲiː] = strength, vigour; force, significance, influence or merit in Irish
brìgh [brʲiː] = essence, gist, matter, pith, purport or substance in Scottish Gaelic
bree = power, energy, stamina or vigour in Manx
bri [briː] = honour, dignity, reputation, fame or prestige in Welsh
bri = distinction, importance, relevance or reputation in Cornish
bri [briː] = dignity or honour in Breton

Other words from the same Proto-Celtic roots include briu (energy, push, courage) in Catalan, brio (brilliance, panache) in French, and brio in Italian, brío in Spanish (as mentioned above).

Words from the same PIE roots possibly include barrow, burrow, bury, effort, force and fort in English, and brenin (king), bwrw (to hit, strike, cast) in Welsh [Source].

Incidentally, the musical direction forte (f), which indicates that a passage in music is to be played loudly or strongly, also comes from the same PIE roots, via Italian and Latin, as does the English word forte (strength, talent), though via Middle French [Source].

More about words for Strength 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.

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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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot.

There are new language pages about:

Sa’a (Tɛgɛ) – a Southeast Solomonic language spoken on South Malaita and Ulawa islands in Makira Ulawa Province of the Solomon Islands.
Talise (ẽberã) – a Southeast Solomonic language spoken in the south of Guadalcanal Island in Guadalcanal Province of the Solomon Islands.
Santa Cruz (Natqgu) – a Southeast Solomonic language spoken on the island of Nendö, one of the Santa Cruz Islands in Temotu province in the east of the Solomon Islands.

New numbers pages:

Santa Cruz (Natqgu) – a Southeast Solomonic language spoken on the island of Nendö, one of the Santa Cruz Islands in Temotu province in the east of the Solomon Islands.
Lepcha (ᰛᰩᰵᰛᰧᰵᰶ), a Tibeto-Burman language spoken in India, Nepal and Bhutan.
Limbu (ᤕᤠᤰᤌᤢᤱ ᤐᤠᤴ), a Kiranti language spoken in mainly in Nepal, and also in northern India.

New phrases page: Dogri (डोगरी), a Western Pahari language spoken in northern India.

On the Omniglot blog there’s a new post entitled Chocolate Peanuts in which we find out what links words for chocolate and peanuts in French, and the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:

http://www.omniglot.com/soundfiles/blog/quiz050524.mp3Here’s a clue: this language is spoken in Zimbabwe and Botswana.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Wymysorys (Wymysiöeryś), a West Germanic language spoken in Wilamowice (Wymysoü), a small town in southern Poland.

In this week’s Adventure in Etymology, we find out what the dickens a dinkus () is, and what to do with an *asterism (⁂). Asterisks () and Asterix* are also involved.

On the Celtiadur blog there’s a new post entitled Meaty Flesh about words for meat, flesh and related things, and I made improvements to the post about words for Brown & Dun.

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

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.

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In this Adventure in Etymology we find out what the dickens a dinkus is, and what to do with an asterism.

A dinkus is:

A small drawing or artwork used for decoration in a magazine or periodical.
A small ornament, usually a line of three asterisks ( * ), especially for the purpose of breaking up sections of a chapter, article, or other text

⁎⁎⁎It comes from German Ding (thing), from Old High German thing [ðinɡ] (thing, object, matter, case), from Proto-West Germanic þing* (court session, lawsuit, affair, matter, thing, object), from Proto-Germanic þingą* (date, appointment, meeting, assembly, matter, issue) [source].

Words from the same roots include thing in English, ding (matter, thing) in Dutch, þing [θiŋk] (assembly, meeting, council, parliament) in Icelandic, and ting (thing, court of law, legislative assembly) in Swedish [source].

Dinkus should not be confused with dingus, which can refer to something whose name you’ve forgot, i.e. a thingamajig, whatchamacallit, etc in North American and South African. In the USA and Canada it can also refer to a foolish, incompetent, or silly person [source].

Dingus was possibly borrowed from Dutch and/or Afrikaans dinges (thingamajig, whatshisname) and ding (thing).

An asterism is:

A rarely used typographical symbol (⁂, three asterisks arranged in a triangle), used to call attention to a passage or to separate subchapters in a book (like a dinkus).
An unofficial constellation (small group of stars that forms a visible pattern).

⁂It comes from Ancient Greek ἀστερισμός [ˈæs.təˌɹɪz.əm] (a group of stars), from ἀστήρ [asˈtir] (star, planet, illustrious person, starfish)[source].

Asterism is also the name of a Japanese band:

The word asterisk () comes from the same roots, via Latin Latin asteriscus (small star and Ancient Greek ἀστερῐ́σκος* [as.teˈris.kos] (small star) [source].

Two asterisks on top of each other (⁑) are apparently used in texts to denote emphasis, comments, footnotes, corrections, or other similar annotations [source].

Incidentally, Asterix, the Gaulish hero of the comic books by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo, gets his name from the French word astérisque (asterisk) combined with the Gaulish word *rīx (king) [source].

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.

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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot.

There are new language pages about:

Central Teke (Tɛgɛ) – a Bantu language spoken in the Republic of the Congo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Catio (ẽberã) – a Chocoan language spoken mainly in northwestern Colombia.
Pagibete (Apagibete) – a Bantu language spoken in the northwest of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Kukuya (Kikukuya) – a Bantu language spoken in the Plateaux Department in the Republic of the Congo

New constructed script: Pan-Caucasian alphabet, a unified writing system proposed by Vazgen R. Ghazaryan for the Northwest Caucasian and Northeast Caucasian languages.

New numbers pages:

Central Teke (Tɛgɛ) – a Bantu language spoken in the Republic of the Congo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Babine-Witsuwitʼen, a Northern Athabaskan language spoken in parts of British Columbia in Canada.

New page about telling the time in: Swahili (Kiswahili).

On the Omniglot blog there’s a new post entitled Surfing the Mountains, about French words for snowboarding, and the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:

http://www.omniglot.com/soundfiles/blog/quiz280424.mp3Here’s a clue: this language is spoken in Poland.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was
Tongva, an Uto-Aztecan language which was spoken in Southern California and which is currently being revived.

In this week’s Celtic Pathways podcast we’re sweeping French floors with Celtic Brooms.

On the Celtiadur blog there are new posts about words for Barns, and I made improvements to the posts about words for Brushes and Broom and Grey.

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

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.

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In this episode we’re sweeping French floors with Celtic shrubs.

The Proto-Celtic word banatlo- means broom, as in the shrub Cytisus scoparius* (a.k.a. common broom / Scotch broom) or similar plants. It comes from Proto-Indo-European bʰenH-tlom* (way, path) in the sense of “cleared path (in a wood)” [source].

Related words in the modern Celtic languages include:

bealaidh [bɛl̪ˠɪ] = broom in Scottish Gaelic
banadl [ˈbanadl] = broom in Welsh
banadhel = broom in Cornish
balan [ˈbɑːlãn] = broom in Breton

They all mean broom, as in the shrub, although the exact species of broom plant they refer to may vary from language to language.

According to An Etymological Dictionary of the Gaelic Language by Alexander MacBain (1982), there is a cognate in Irish: beally/i, however it doesn’t appear in any of the Irish dictionaries I’ve checked.

The French word balai (broom, broomstick, brush) ultimately comes from the same Proto-Celtic root, via Old French balain (bundle of broom), Middle Breton balain, balazn, Old Breton balan (broom) and Gaulish balano-* (broom, broom plant), as does bálago (straw, Spanish broom) in Spanish and balea (broom) in Galician, possibly via Celtiberian bálago-, bálaco- [source].

Words same PIE roots possibly include bana (course, path, trajectory) in Swedish, baan (road, path, track, job, orbit) in Dutch, and Bahn (route, trail, railway) in German [source].

More about words for Brushes and Broom and related things in Celtic languages.

Incidentally, the tune at the beginning of this episode is one of my own compositions called Apple Blossom / Blodau Afal. Here’s a longer recording of it:

Simon Ager · Apple Blossom / Blodau AfalYou 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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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot for the past three weeks – I was away on holiday in Scotland for a week, and didn’t have time to record newscasts during that time. (More on that later).

There are new language pages about:

Niuatoputapu-Tafahi, an extinct Polynesian language or dialect cluster which was spoken on the islands Niuatoputapu and Tafahi in what is now Tonga.
Isinai, a Central Cordilleran language spoken in the Province of Nueva Vizcaya in Luzon in the Philippines.
Owa, a Southern Solomonic language spoken in Makira-Ulawa Province in the Solomon Iands.
Desano, Carapana (Mõxtã), Tuyuca (Docapúaraye), and Yurutí, which are all Eastern Tucanoan language spoken in Colombia and in Brazil.

New constructed script: Marubhasha, an alternative way to write Telugu invented by K. Kiran Kumar.

New constructed script: Erm, an alternative way to write English invented by Jeffy Huang and based mainly on the classical Mongolian script.

New constructed script: Ayxanər, which was created by Ayxan Eyvazov as an alternative way to write the Azerbaijani language.

New phrases and numbers pages: Dogri (डोगरी), a Western Pahari language spoken in northern India.

New numbers pages:

Saurashtra (ꢱꣃꢬꢵꢰ꣄ꢜ꣄ꢬꢵ), a Western Indo-Aryan language spoken in Tamil Nadu in southern India.
Chorti (Ch’orti’), a Mayan language spoken in Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador.
Midland Mixe (Ayüük), a Mixe-Zoque language spoken in Oaxaca in southern Mexico.

New Tower of Babel translation: Midland Mixe (Ayüük)

On the Omniglot blog there are new posts about Sabhal Mòr Ostaig (the Scottish Gaelic college on the Isle of Skye where I spent most of my holiday), Turas Fada (Long Journey) (about my journey to Skye), Giving Up (a April’s fool post), and Mr(s) Rumbling, about the Japanese word ごろごろ様 (gorogoro sama – thunder). There’s also the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:

http://www.omniglot.com/soundfiles/blog/quiz210424.mp3Here’s a clue: this language was spoken in California in the USA, and is currently being revived.

The mystery language in language quiz of 7th April was
Interslavic (Меджусловјански / Medžuslovjanski), an international auxiliary language designed to be used by speakers of different Slavic languages to communicate with one another.

The mystery languages in the language quiz of 14th April were
Assamese (অসমীয়া), an Eastern Indo-Aryan language spoken in India, Bangladesh and Bhutan, and Sylheti (ছিলটী), and Eastern Indo-Aryan language spoken in Bangladesh and India.

The recordings comes from YouTube:

New article: Lights, Camera, Action! Unleash the Power of Movies for Language Learning

In this week’s Adventure in Etymology, entitled Stable Stables, we find out whether the words stable (a building for horses) and stable (steady, permanent) are related.

On the Celtiadur blog there are new posts about words for Lies and Deceit and Ploughs, and I made improvements to the posts about words for Bridges, Seals and Purple.

I also made improvements to the Tindi, Kryts, Budukh, Hunzib, Bagvalal, Mi’kmaq, Guanano, Tzotzil, Tzeltal and Kubachi language pages.

Sabhal Mòr Ostaig

In other news, I had a great time in Scotland doing a course in Scottish Gaelic songs at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig on the Isle of Skye. This is the tenth time I’ve been there doing courses in Gaelic songs, and we learnt about 30 songs in 5 days in the song class. I knew some of them already, but most were new to me. I’ve been learning Scottish Gaelic on and off for many years and speak it fairly fluently, so I tried to speak it as much as possibly while I was there. I also had conversations in French, Irish, Welsh, Mandarin Chinese and even English.

Gaelic Song Class April 2024 / Clas Òrain Ghàidhlig Giblean 2024

For more Omniglot News, see:
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https://twitter.com/Omniglossia
https://www.facebook.com/groups/omniglot/
https://www.facebook.com/Omniglot-100430558332117

You can also listen to this podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Stitcher, TuneIn, Podchaser, PlayerFM or podtail.

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In this Adventure in Etymology we find out whether the words stable (a building for horses) and stable (steady, permanent) are related.

A stable is:

a building for the lodging and feeding of horses, cattle, etc.
a collection of animals housed in such a building. [other meanings are available]

It comes from Middle Englsh stable (a building for horses), from Anglo-Norman stable (a place for keeping animals), from Latin stablum (dwelling, stable, hut, tavern), from stō (to stand, stay, remain) and‎ -bulum (instrumental suffix) [source].

In Old English, a stable was a horsern [ˈhorˠzˌerˠn] (“horse place”) [source] or a steall [stæ͜ɑll], from which we get the word stall (a compartment for a single animal in a stable or cattle shed) [source].

As an adjective stable means:

Relatively unchanging, steady, permanent; firmly fixed or established; consistent; not easily moved, altered, or destroyed

It comes from Middle English stable, from Anglo-Norman stable / stabel (stable, firm), from Latin stabilis (firm, steadfast), from stō (to stand, stay, remain) and -abilis (able). It displaced the Old English word for stable, staþolfæst [ˈstɑ.ðolˌfæst] [source].

So it seems that these two words do come from the same roots. Other words from the same roots include stage, stand, state and stamina in English, stabbio (pen, fold, pigsty) in Italian, estar (to be) in Spanish, and ystafell (room, building, house) in Welsh [source].

I forget mention on the podcast, but the reason I chose the word stable for this adventure is because it’s related to the Scottish Gaelic sabhal [sa.əl̪ˠ] (barn), which comes from Middle Irish saball, from Latin stabulum [source], and I’ve just spent a week doing a course in Scottish Gaelic songs at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig (“Ostag’s Big Barn”), the Gaelic college on the Isle of Skye [more details].

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.

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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot.

There are new language pages about:

Ambo-Pasco Quechua (Kichwa), a Central Quechua language spoken in central Peru.
Matsés, a Panonan language spoken mainly in Brazil and Peru.
Yine, a Southern Arawakan language spoken in eastern and southern Peru.

New constructed script: Skyling Script, which was invented by Kitsune Sobo for his fictional Rhodinoverse.

New constructed script: Japonesian, which created by Aiden Neuding as an alternative way to write Japanese and Indonesian.

New numbers pages:

Chuj (Koti’), a Mayan language spoken in western Guatemala and southern Mexico.
Tzotzil (Batsʼi kʼop), a Mayan language spoken mainly in the Mexican state of Chiapas.
Tzeltal (Bats’i k’op), a Mayan language spoken in the Mexican state of Chiapas.

On the Omniglot blog there’s a new post about Madrugadores (Early Risers), and there’s the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:

http://www.omniglot.com/soundfiles/blog/quiz310324.mp3Here’s a clue: this is an International Auxiliary Language (IAL).

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Khanty (Ханты), a Ob Ugric language spoken in the Khanty-Mansi and Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrugs in the west and north of the Russian Federation.

In this week’s Celtic Pathways podcast, entitled Fortified Dunes, we uncover Celtic fortresses among the sand dunes.

On the Celtiadur blog there’s a new post about words for Blessings and related things, and I made improvements to the post about words for Talkative.

I also made improvements to the Tzotzil, Tzeltal and Kubachi language pages.

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

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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In this episode we uncover Celtic fortresses among the sand dunes.

A dune is a ridge or hill of sand piled up by the wind. It comes from Proto-West Germanic dūn(ā)* (sand dune, hill), via French or Dutch, from Proto-Germanic dūnaz (accumulation, pile, heap, mound), or from Gaulish dunum (hill), from Proto-Celtic dūnom (stronghold, rampart), all of which come from Proto-Indo-European *dʰuHnom (enclosure) [source].

Related words in the modern Celtic languages include:

dún [d̪ˠuːnˠ] (fort(ress), place of refuge, residence, house) in Irish
dùn [duːn] (fortress, heap) in Scottish Gaelic
doon [duːn] (fort, stronghold) in Manx
din [dɪn] (city, fortress, stronghold), and dinas (city) in Welsh
din [di:n] (fort) in Cornish
din [ˈdĩːn] (fortress) in Breton

Apart from dinas in Welsh, these words are mostly found in placenames, such as Dún Dealgan (Dundalk) in Ireland, Dún Dè(agh) (Dundee) in Scotland, Dinbych (Denbigh) in Wales, Dinmeur (Dunmere) in Cornwall, and Dinan in Brittany.

Words from the same Celtic roots possibly include town and down (a [chalk] hill, rolling grassland) in English, tuin (garden, yard) in Dutch, tún (hayfield) in Icelandic, and тын [tɨn] (fence [especially one made of twigs]) in Russian [source].

Words same PIE roots include dusk, dust and fume in English, dagg (dew) and dy (mud, mire, sludge) in Swedish, and fem (dung, manure) in Catalan [source].

More about words for Castles & fortresses 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.

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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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot.

There are new language pages about:

Jibu, a Central Jukunoid spoken in Taraba State in eastern Nigeria.
Oroha, a Southern Solomonic language spoken in the south of Small Malaita Island in Malaita Province in the east of the Solomon Islands.

There’s a new page about Neolatin, an international auxiliary language designed to be used by speakers of different Romance languages to communicate with one another, and also Phrases, Numbers, Time, Family words and Weather pages in Neolatin

New constructed script: Script of the All-Seers (Lishan Oiad), which was invented by Kitsune Sobo as the native script of the alien All-Seers in the fictional Rhodinoverse.

New numbers pages:

Jibu, a Central Jukunoid spoken in Taraba State in eastern Nigeria.
Oroha, a Southern Solomonic language spoken on Small Malaita Island in the east of the Solomon Islands.
Kryts (цIека meз), a Northeast Caucasian language spoken in the Quba district in the northeast of Azerbaijan.

On the Omniglot blog we’re Noodling About Nurdles, and there’s the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:

http://www.omniglot.com/soundfiles/blog/quiz240324.mp3Here’s a clue: this language is distantly related to Finnish and is spoken in Russia.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Achuar-Shiwiar (Achuár chícham), a Chicham language spoken in Peru and Ecuador.

The recording comes from YouTube

In this week’s Adventure in Etymology, we’re Noodling About Noodles.

On the Celtiadur blog there’s a new post about words for heart, centre and related things, and I made improvements to the posts about words for Streets and Ants.

Finally, with all this noodling about, I was inspired to write a new song called Noodling. It goes something like this:

Simon Ager · NoodlingFor more Omniglot News, see:
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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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In this Adventure in Etymology we’re noodling around with the word noodle.

As a noun, a noodle can refer to:

A string or flat strip of pasta or other dough, usually cooked (at least initially) by boiling, and served in soup or in a dry form mixed with a sauce and other ingredients.
An object which is long and thin like a noodle.

It comes from Dutch noedel (noodle), or from German Nudel (a piece of pasta, noodle). The origin of these words is uncertain [source].

Apparently in the USA noodle can refer to Asian noodles and Italian pasta, whereas in the UK, noodle only refers to Asian noodles.

As a verb, to noodle can mean:

To play a musical instrument or to sing in an improvisatory or light-hearted manner
To ponder or think, especially in an unproductive or unsystematic manner
To attempt in an informal or uncertain manner; to fiddle.

In Shetland dialect, to noddle means to hum or sing (a tune) at a low pitch or volume. This may be a blend of the Shetland word nune (to sing softly, croon, hum) and doodle (to play the bagpipes) in Scottish English.

The English verb to noodle may come from the Shetland word, or from German nudeln (to make music or sing listlessly, at a low pitch or volume, or in an improvisatory manner). It was possibly influenced by doodle (to draw or scribble aimlessly).

In informal British English, to noodle can also mean to engage in frivolous behaviour, or to fool around or waste time, and it used to mean a person with poor judgement, a fool, or to fool or trick someone.

Other meanings of noodle are available.

Incidentally, I like to noodle on my various musical instruments, and with my voice, and wrote a little ditty about this the other day, which goes something like this:

I’m just noodling away quite happily
and nothing can get in my way
I could noodle all day down by the bay
and noodle all through the night

Will you noodle with me down by the sea?
Will you noodle along the shore?
Will you noodle and moodle and all that caboodle?
We’ll have a lot of fun you’ll see

We can noodle and doodle and eat some strudel
with oodles of custard and cream
And then noodle some more it won’t be a bore
Just noodling down on the shore

Just noodling down on the shore
Just noodling down on the shore
Just noodling down on the shore
Just noodling down on the shore

Simon Ager · NoodlingTo moodle means to dawdle aimlessly, to idle time away [source], oodles means an unspecified large amount, number, or quantity; lots, tons [source], and cabdoodle means any large collection of things or people [source]

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.

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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot.

New writing system: Ogan Script, which is used to write Ogan, a Central Malay language spoken in South Sumatra and Lampung in Indonesia.

There are new language pages about:

Ogan (Base Ugan / بهاس اوڬن), a Central Malay language spoken along the Ogan River in South Sumatra and Lampung provinces in eastern Indonesia.
Longgu, a Southeast Solomonic language spoken on the northeast coast of Guadalcanal Island in the Solomon Islands.
Lop (Ľor télé / لوپنۇر تېلې), a Karluk Turkish language spoken in the Lop Nur region in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in the northwest of China.

New numbers pages:

Kongo (Kikongo), a Bantu language spoken in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of the Congo and Angola.
Northern Ndebele (isiNdebele), a Bantu language spoken in southwestern Zimbabwe and northeastern Botswana.
Lozi (siLozi), a Bantu language spoken mainly in the southwest of Zambia, and in neighbouring countries.

On the Omniglot blog, may I ask you to read, comment on and share a new post about imperatives phrased as questions, a.k.a. Whimperatives, and there’s the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:

http://www.omniglot.com/soundfiles/blog/quiz170324.mp3Here’s a clue: this language is spoken in Peru and Ecuador.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Soninke (Sooninkanxanne), a Mande language spoken mainly in Mali, and other parts of West Africa.

In this week’s episode of the Celtic Pathways podcast, Horny Peaks we find Romance horns among Celtic peaks and mountains.

On the Celtiadur blog there’s a new post about words for Thin and Slender and related things, and I made improvements to the posts about words for Mountains and Roads.

I also made improvements to the Soninke language page.

By the way, Happy St. Patrick’s Day! / Lá fhéile Pádraig sona dhuit!

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

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.

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In this episode we find Romance horns among Celtic peaks and mountains.

In Proto-Celtic, the word bandā* means top, peak or horn, and benno means peak or top. They are thought to be related, and possibly come from the PIE bendʰ- (pin, point).

Related words in the modern Celtic languages include:

beann = horn, antler or fork prong in Irish
beann [bjaun̪ˠ] = horn, peak or top; and beinn [bein̪ʲ] = mountain or high hill in Scottish Gaelic
beinn = mountain, summit or pinnacle in Manx
ban [ban] = top, tip, summit or peak in Welsh
ban = prominence in Cornish
bann = rising, uphill, post or column in Breton

Words from the same Celtic roots include ben (mountain, hill) in Scots, as in Ben Nevis (Beinn Nibheis), etc, banya (horn) and banyut (horned, unfaithful) in Catalan, and bana (horn) in Occitan [source].

Words same PIE roots include peak and pin in English, pinne (chopstick, perch, point) in Swedish, pind (stick, perch, peg) in Danish, and pin (peg, pin) in Dutch [source].

More about words for Peaks 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.

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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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot.

There are new language pages about:

Andoque (Paasi-ahá), a language isolate or a Witotoan language spoken in southern Colombia.
Berom (Cèn Bèrom), a Benue-Congo language spoken in the north of Plateau State in central Nigeria.
Hdi (xdí), a Chadic language spoken mainly in the Far North Region of Cameroon

New constructed script: Wind-and-Leaf Script, an alphabet invented by Kitsune Sobo as the native script of the Gods of Ooseyard (“God World”) in the Rhodinoverse (a fictional multiverse).

New fictional script: Neo-Chakobsa, a constructed script and language developed by American linguist David J. Peterson for the Dune film series.

New numbers pages:

Berom (Cèn Bèrom), a Benue-Congo language spoken in the north of Plateau State in central Nigeria.
Hdi (xdí), a Chadic language spoken mainly in the Far North Region of Cameroon.

There’s a new Omniglot blog post entitled Clinking Hardware about the French word quincaillerie (hardware store, hardware, junk), and there’s the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:

http://www.omniglot.com/soundfiles/blog/quiz100324.mp3Here’s a clue: this language is spoken mainly in Mali, and also in other parts of West Africa.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Paicî, a New Caledonian language spoken in the North Province of New Caledonia. From YouTube.

In this week’s Adventure in Etymology, Shambling Shambles, we shamble around looking into the shambolic origins of the words shamble and shambles.

On the Celtiadur blog there’s a new post about words for Thin and Slender and related things.

I also made improvements to the Southern Ndebele, Northern Ndebele, Swati, Tswa and Tsonga language pages.

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

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.

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In this Adventure in Etymology we’re looking into the origins of the word shamble (and shambles).

The Shambles in York

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.

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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot.

There are new language pages about:

Tumulung Sisaala (Sisaaliŋ Tumuluŋ), a Gur language spoken in the Upper West Region of northern Ghana.
Paasaal (Pasaale Sisaala), a Gur language spoken in the Upper West Region of northern Ghana
Sisaali, a Gur language spoken in the provinces of Sissili and Ioba in southern Burkina Faso.

New numbers pages:

Tumulung Sisaala (Sisaaliŋ Tumuluŋ), a Gur language spoken in the Upper West Region in northern Ghana.
Sisaali, a Gur language spoken in Sissili and Ioba in southern Burkina Faso.
Aari (አፋን፡ኣሪ፡ / Áfan ārí), a South Omotic language spoken in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples’ region of southern Ethiopia.

On the Omniglot blog we look into the origins of the words Pen and Pencil, which are not related, and there’s the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:

http://www.omniglot.com/soundfiles/blog/quiz100923.mp3Here’s a clue: this language is spoken in southern China, but isn’t related to Chinese.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Erzya (эрзянь кель), a Mordvinic language spoken in the Republic of Mordovia in the west of the Russian Federation.

There’s a new Celtiadur post called Take Note! about words meaning note and related things in Celtic languages,.

In this week’s Adventure in Etymology we’re going down the rabbit hole and unearthing the origins of the word down and related things.

I also made improvements to pages about Japanese Kanji and the Bench language.

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

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.

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In this adventure we’re going down the rabbit hole and unearthing the origins of the word down. Down has various meanings, each of which has different roots. First let’s look at down that means ‘from a higher position to a lower one; facing downwards, to knock down; a negative aspect’, and various other things. This […]

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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot. There are new language pages about: Buol (Apadu Vuolo), a Gorontalic language spoken in the Buol Regency in the north of Central Sulawesi Province in Indonesia. Talaud, a North Sangiric language spoken in the Talaud Islands in North Sulawesi Province in Indonesia. Blaan (B’laan), a South […]

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In this episode we’re delving into Celtic words for hollow and related things.

The Proto-Celtic word tullos* means pierced, perforated or hole, and comes from Proto-Indo-European tewk- (to push, press, beat, pierce, perforate), from (s)tew- (to push, hit) [source].

Descendents in the modern Celtic languages include:

toll [t̪ˠoːl̪ˠ] = hole, hollow, posterior, piereced, empty in Irish.
toll [tɔul̪ˠ] = hole, penetration, hole, hold (of a ship) in Scottish Gaelic
towl = aperture, bore, cavity, crater, hole, hollow in Manx
twll [tʊɬ] = hole, aperture, dimple, hollow, pit, cave, burrow, den, orifice in Welsh.
toll = burrow, hollow, hole, opening, orifice in Cornish
toull [ˈtulː] = holed, pierced, hole, entrance in Breton

Words from the same Proto-Celtic root in other languages include tollo (hole in the ground where hunters hide, puddle) in Spanish, toll (pool, puddle) in Catalan, and tol (ditch, dam) in Galician [source].

Words from the same PIE root possibly include tkát (to weave) in Czech, тъка [tɐˈkɤ] (to spin, plait, entwine, weave) in Bulgarian and tkać (to weave, stick, tuck) in Polish [source]. Also stoke in English, stoken (to poke, stoke, light a fire, stir up) in Dutch, and estoquer (to impale) in French [source]

You can find more details of words for hollows, holes, caves and related things 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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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot. There are new language pages about: Iceve-Maci, a Tivoid language spoken in southwest Cameroon and southeast Nigeria. Esimbi, a Tivoid language spoken in the Northwest Province of Cameroon. Chaura (Sanënyö), a Nicobarese language spoken on Chowra (Chaura) Island in the Nicobar Islands, part of the Indian […]

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In this adventure we investigate the origins of the word crotchet and related things. A crotchet [ˈkɹɒtʃ.ɪt] is: A musical note one beat long in 4/4 time (♩), also known as a quarter note in the USA A forked support or crotch A square bracket [] Historically it meant: A sharp curve or crook; a […]

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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot. There are new language pages about: Nahavaq (Lhiimaqalhqamaꞌ), a Southern Oceanic spoken on Malekula Island in Malampa Province of Vanuatu. Noakhailla (নোয়াখাইল্লা), an eastern Indo-Aryan language spoken mainly in the southeast of Bangladesh, and also in the northeast of India Mamasa, a South Sulawesi language in […]

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In this episode we look into the possibly Celtic roots of the word phoney, and find out how it is connected to words for ring and related things. The Proto-Celtic word ānniyos means ring, and comes from Proto-Indo-European h₁eh₂no- (ring). [source]. Descendents in the modern Celtic languages include: fáinne [ˈfˠɑːɲə/ˈfˠæːn̠ʲə] = ring, circle, ringlet, curl […]

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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot. There are new language pages about: Huehuetla Tepehua (Lhiimaqalhqamaꞌ), a Totonacan spoken in central Mexico. Pááfang, a Micronesian language spoken in Chuuk State in the Federated States of Micronesia Tai Hongjin (Taj₄hong₆tjin₃), a Southwestern Tai language spoken mainly in Yunan Province in the southwest of China, […]

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In this adventure we investigate the origins of the word twilight. Twilight [ˈtwaɪˌlaɪt] means: The soft light in the sky seen before the rising and (especially) after the setting of the sun, occasioned by the illumination of the earth’s atmosphere by the direct rays of the sun and their reflection on the earth. The time […]

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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot. There are new language pages about: Thai Song (ꪩꪱꪫꪶꪎ꫁ꪉ / ลาวโซ่ง), a Southwestern Tai language spoken in central Thailand Oroko, a Bantu language spoken in southern Cameroon. Ninde, a Southern Oceanic language spoken in central Vanuatu. New fictional script: Sheikah, which is used to write English […]

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In this episode we look into the Celtic roots of the word cream. Cream comes from Middle English cre(i)me (cream, chrism [a mixture of oil and balsam]), from Old French cresme (cream), from Late Latin crāmum (cream), probably from Gaulish crama, from Proto-Celtic krammen (skin), from Proto-Indo-European (s)krama- [source]. Descendents in the modern Celtic languages […]

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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot. There are new language pages about: West Uvean (Fagauvéa), a Polynesian language spoken on the island of Uvea in New Caledonia. Krache (Krakye), a North Guang language spoken in eastern Ghana. Wayampi (Wajãpi), a Northern Tupí-Guarani language spoken in northern Brazil and the southeast of French […]

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In this Adventure we investigate the origins of the word busk. Busk [bʌsk] means: To solicit money by entertaining the public in the street or in public transport. To sell articles such as obscene books in public houses etc. (obsolete) To tack, cruise about (nautical) It possibly comes from French busquer (to seek, prowl, filch, […]

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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot. There’s a new writing system: Fox alphabet, which was used to write Fox, an Algonquian language spoken in parts of Oklahoma, Iowa, Kansas and Nebraska in the USA. There are new language pages about: Kyode (Gikyode), a North Guang language spoken in eastern Ghana. Emerillon (Teko), […]

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In this episode we look into the Celtic roots of English words like gob and beak. The Proto-Celtic word gobbos means muzzle, snout or beak. It comes from PIE ǵebʰ- (jaw, mouth) [source]. Descendents in the modern Celtic languages include: gob [ɡɔbˠ] = beak, bill, tip, point or projection in Irish. gob [ɡob] = beak, […]

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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot. There are new language pages about: Dharawal, a Pama-Nyungan language spoken in New South Wales in Australia. Chungli Ao (Chùnglì Ahw), a Kuki-Chin-Naga language spoken in Nagaland in the northeast of India. Chumburung (Kyo̱ŋbo̱ro̱ŋ), a North Guang language spoken in northern Ghana. New adapted script: Esperanturduo […]

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In this Adventure we look into the origins of the word fire. Fire [ˈfaɪ.ə/ˈfaɪ.əɹ] is: A (usually self-sustaining) chemical reaction involving the bonding of oxygen with carbon or other fuel, with the production of heat and the presence of flame or smouldering. An instance of this chemical reaction, especially when intentionally created and maintained in […]

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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot. There are new language pages about: Kafa (kafí noonoó / የከፋ-ቋንቋ), a North Omotic language spoken in the Keffa Zone in the south west of Ethiopia. she shashishalhem (She Sháshishálhem), a Coast Salishan language spoken in the southwest of British Columbia in Canada. Nooksack (Lhéchalosem), a […]

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In this episode we find out what links the words spear and beam in Celtic languages with words for sceptre and arrow in other languages. The Proto-Celtic word gaisos means spear. It comes from Proto-Germanic gaizaz [ˈɣɑi̯.zɑz] (spear, pike, javelin), from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰoysós (throwing spear), from ǵʰey- (to throw, impel) [source]. Descendents in the modern […]

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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot. New page: Armeno-Turkish (Էրմէնի խարֆլի Թիւրգչէ), a way to write Ottoman Turkish with the Armenian alphabet that was used in the Ottoman Empire until 1928. Պիւթիւն ինսանլար հիւր, հաեսիեէթ վէ հաքլար պաքըմընտան էշիթ տoղարլար. Աքըլ վէ վիճտանա սահիփթիրլէր վէ պիրպիրլէրինէ քարշը քարտէշլիք զիհնիեէթի իլէ հարէքէթ էթմէլիտիրլէր. […]

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In this Adventure we are uncovering the origins of the word chair. A chair [t͡ʃɛə(ɹ)/t͡ʃɛɚ] is: An item of furniture used to sit on or in, comprising a seat, legs or wheels, back, and sometimes arm rests, for use by one person. It comes from Middle English chayer/chaier(e) [ˈtʃɛi̯ər(ə)] (a comfortable seat, such as a […]

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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot. New writing system: Komering, a traditional script from the province of South Sumatra in Indonesia that was used to write Komering, a Lampungic language spoken along the Komering River. There are new language pages about: Yamdena (Yakw), a Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian spoken mainly on Yamdena and Selaru […]

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In this episode we find out what links the words hog and socket with words for pig, ploughshare and related things in Celtic languages. The Proto-Celtic word sukkos means a pig (snout) or ploughshare, presumably because ploughshares looked like pig’s snouts. It comes from the Proto-Indo-European *súH-s (pig, hog, swine) [source] Descendents in the modern […]

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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot. There are new language pages about: Fordata (vaidida), a Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian spoken in the Tanimbar archipelago in the province of Maluku in eastern Indonesia. Lamaholot, a Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian spoken on Flores, Solor and nearby islands in the province of East Nusa Tengara in eastern Indonesia. Alorese, […]

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In this Adventure we are investigating the fiery origins of the word bureau. A bureau [ˈbjʊɹ.əʊ/ˈbjʊɹ.oʊ] is: An administrative unit of government An organization or office for collecting or providing information or news. A desk, usually with a cover and compartments (mainly UK) A chest of drawers for clothes (mainly USA) It comes from French […]

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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot. There are new language pages about: Ngadha (Nââ kwényï), a Sumba-Flores language spoken on the island of Flores in eastern Indonesia. Kéo (sara kita / sara ndai), a Sumba-Flores language spoken on the island of Flores in eastern Indonesia. Palu’e (sara Lu’a), a Sumba-Flores language spoken […]

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In this episode we’re find out what links the word truant with words for beggar, wretch and related things in Celtic and other languages. Truant [ˈtɹʊənt/ˈtɹuː.ənt] means: Absent without permission, especially from school. Wandering from business or duty; straying; loitering; idle, and shirking duty One who is absent without permission, especially from school. It comes […]

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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot. There are new language pages about: Numèè (Nââ kwényï), a New Caledonian language spoken in the South Province of New Caledonia. Safaliba (Safale̱ba), a Northern Gur language spoken in northwestern Ghana. Western Sisaala (Isaalo), a Southern Gur language spoken in the Upper West Region of northern […]

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In this Adventure we find out what links the word friend with words like afraid, free and Friday.

A friend [fɹɛnd] is:

A person, typically someone other than a family member, spouse or lover, whose company one enjoys and towards whom one feels affection.
A person with whom one is vaguely or indirectly acquainted.

It comes from Middle English fre(e)nd [freːnd] (A friend or compatriot; a close associate; A patron, philanthropist, or supporter; A family member; one of one’s kin), from Old English frēond [fre͜oːnd] (friend, lover) from Proto-West-Germanic friund* (friend), from Proto-Germanic frijōndz (friend, loved one), from PIE preyH- (to love, to please) [source].

English words from the same roots include afraid, free, proper and possibly Friday [source].

Friday? It comes from Old English frīġedæġ [ˈfriː.jeˌdæj] (Friday), from Proto-Western-Germanic Frījā dag (Friday, “Frigg’s day”), a calque of the Latin diēs Veneris* (Friday, “day of Venus”). Frījā/Frigg was the Norse goddess of love, and associated with the Roman goddess Venus. Her name possibly comes from Proto-Germanic frijōną (to love, free, like), from frijaz (free), from PIE priHós* (dear, beloved, happy, free), from preyH-* (to love, to please) [source].

So you could say that Friday is the day of freedom, or friendship or love, or all three. Whichever you prefer.

Incidentally, the second syllables of the names Geoffrey/Jeffrey, Godfrey, Siegfried and Winfred come ultimately from PIE preyH-* as well [source]. However, the name Winifred comes from Welsh Gwenfrewi, from gwen (white, fair, blessed) and ffrwd** (brook, stream) [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.

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There are new language pages about:

ꞌAreꞌare, a Southeast Solomonic language spoken in Malaita Province in the Solomon Islands.
Bena (Kibena), a Northeast Bantu language spoken in southern Tanzania.
Kunda (Chikunda), a Bantu language spoken in mainly in Zimbabwe, and also in Zambia and Mozambique.

New adapted script: Skript Amażigħ (ⵙⴽⵉⵒⵜ ⴰⵎⴰⵥⵉⵖ), which is a way to write Maltese with the Neo-Tifinagh alphabet devised by Grunky Scripples.

New phrases page in Oʼodham (O’odham Ñeoki), an Uto-Aztecan language spoken mainly in Arizona in the USA, and also northern Mexico.

New numbers page: Old Breton, Middle Breton, Bena, Kunda and Middle Irish.

There’s a new Omniglot blog post entitled Joyful Delight about the Finnish word iloinen (happy, cheerful, glad, merry) and related words in Finnish and other languages, and the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:

Here’s a clue: this language is spoken mainly in Pakistan.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Sena, a Bantu language spoken in Mozamique and Malawi.

In this week’s Celtic Pathways podcast we uncover the Celtic origins of the word Beret.

There’s a new Celtiadur post called Quintuple about words for five and related things, and one called Short Cuts about words for short, cut and related things in Celtic languages.

In other news, I had an interesting discussion this week about writing systems with Tim Brookes, the man behind the Endangered Alphabets project, who was inspired by Omniglot.

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

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.

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In this episode we’re uncovering the Celtic origins of the word beret.

A beret [ˈbɛɹ.eɪ/bəˈɹeɪ] is:

A type of round, brimless cap with a soft top and a headband to secure it to the head; usually culturally associated with France.

It comes from the French béret (beret), from the Occitan (Gascon) berret (cap), from the Medieval Latin birretum (a kind of hat), from the Late Latin birrus (a large hooded cloak, a cloak to keep off rain, made of silk or wool), from the Gaulish birrus (a coarse kind of thick woollen cloth; a woollen cap or hood worn over the shoulders or head), from the Proto-Celtic *birros (short), the origins of which are not known [source]

Descendents in the modern Celtic languages include:

bearr [bˠɑːɾˠ] = to clip, cut, trim, shave, skim (milk), crop or pare (photos) in Irish.
beàrr [baːr̪ˠ] = to shave, cut (hair), clip, shear or prune in Scottish Gaelic
baarey = to bare, clip, cut, dress, poll, prune, shave or trimmed in Manx
byr [bɨ̞r/bɪr] = short, brief or concise in Welsh
berr [bɛɹ] = short or brief in Cornish
berr = short in Breton

Other words from the Proto-Celtic root birros*, via Latin and Gaulish, include biretta (a square cap worn by some Roman Catholic priests) and berretto (beanie, cap) in Italian, barrete (biretta, cap) in Portuguese, birrete (biretta) in French, and βίρρος** [ˈβir.ros] (a type of cloak or mantle) in Ancient Greek [source].

Words from the same Proto-Celtic root, via Gaulish and Latin, include biretta (a square cap worm by Roman Catholic priests) in English and Italian, berretto (beanie, cap) in Italian, barrete (biretta, cap) in Portuguese, birrete (biretta) in French, and βίρρος [ˈβir.ros] (a type of cloak or mantle) in Ancient Greek [source].

Incidentally, words from beret in Celtic languages include: bairéad (beret, biretta, cap, hat, bonnet) in Irish, beeray or bayrn Frangagh (“French cap/hat”) in Manx, bere(t)/bered in Welsh, and béret/bered/boned in Breton.

You can find more details of these words on the Celtiadur blog. I also write about words, etymology and other language-related topics on the Omniglot Blog.

Here’s a video I made of this information:

Video made with Doodly [afflilate link].

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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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot.

There are new language pages about:

Caac (Caaàc), a New Caledonian language spoken on the northeast coast of Grande Terre island in the North Province of New Caledonia.
Cèmuhî, a New Caledonian language spoken in the centre of the North Province of New Caledonia.
Chuwabu (kaáfîri), a Southern Bantu language spoken in Zambezia province in Mozambique.

New constructed script: Mawar Liarguwi, which was created by Eko Wahyu Darmansyah to write his constructed language, Darman.

New adapated script: Musraiu, a way to write Akkadian with the Coptic alphabet devised by Grunky Scripples.

New numbers page: Middle Cornish, Kabyle and Sardinian: Limba Sarda Comuna, Campidanese, Gallurese, Logudorese, Nuorese and Sassarese

New dates page in Korean

There’s a new Omniglot blog post about Desks, Discs and Discos and related words, and the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:

Here’s a clue: this language is spoken in Mozambique and Malawi.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Mortlockese (kapsen Mwoshulók), a Micronesian language spoken in the Mortlock Islands in Chuuk State, of the Federated States of Micronesia.

In this week’s Adventure in Etymology we unbottle the origins of the word Butler.

There are new Celtiadur posts entitled Threesome and Fourfold, which look at the numbers three and four, and related words, in Celtic languages.

I also made improvements to the phrases pages for Livvi-Karelian and Logudorese Sardinian, and there is now a separate page for Campidanese Sardinian phrases.

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

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.

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In this Adventure we’re unbottling the origins of the word butler.

A butler [ˈbʌt.lə(ɹ)/ˈbʌt.lɚ] is:

A manservant having charge of wines and liquors.
The chief male servant of a household who has charge of other employees, receives guests, directs the serving of meals, and performs various personal services.

It comes from Middle English boteler (the chief servant in charge of wine or other drink, the cupbearer of a king or nobleman), from Old French boteiller (one who takes care of the bottles), from boteille (bottle), possibly from Vulgar Latin buticla (bottle), from Late Latin butticula (bottle), from buttis* (cask, barrel) [source].

Words from the same roots include bottle, butt (large cask), and possibly boot in English, and bouteille (bottle, cylinder) and maybe botte (boot, bundle, bunch) in French.

Incidentally, another person involved with bottles and wine is a sommelier (a wine steward, waiter or server). It comes from French sommelier (originally, a person in charge of the beasts of burden carrying wine), from somme (pack), from Latin sagma (packsaddle) [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.

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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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot.

There are new language pages about:

Balantak (wurung Balantak), a Celebic language spoken in central Malekula Island in Vanuatu.
Tuamotuan (Reʻo Paʻumotu), a Polynesian language spoken in the Tuamotu archipelago in French Polynesia.
Lenakel (Netvaar), a Southern Oceanic language spoken mainly on Tanna Island in Tafea Province in southern Vanuatu.

There’s a new numbers pages in: Balantak, Tuamotuan, Warlpiri and Zaza(ki).

There’s a new Omniglot blog post about the French word Chez, as in chez moi and chez nous, and one about the phrase Teaching School, which sounds a bit strange to me, but apparently it’s normal in American English, and the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:

Here’s a clue: this language is spoken in Micronesia.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was: Shawnee (Sawanwa), a Central Algonquian language spoken in Oklahoma in the USA.

There’s a new Celtic Pathways podcast called Top Tips which looks into words for top, tip and related things in Celtic and other languages.

On the Celtiadur blog there’s a new post entitled A Pair of Twos about words for two and related things in Celtic languages.

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

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.

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In this episode we’re looking into words for top, tip and related things in Celtic languages.

The Proto-Celtic word *barros means top, point or peak. Descendents in the modern Celtic languages include:

barr [bˠɑːɾˠ] = tip, point, top, summit, upper part, surface, etc in Irish.
bàrr [baːr̪ˠ] = apex, crest, crown, summit, tip, top, zenith, surface, etc in Scottish Gaelic
baare = apex, cap, climax, end, point, summit, tip, top, crest (of a wave), etc n in Manx
bar [bar] = head, top, summit, crest, bush, tuft or branch in Welsh
barr = summit in Cornish
barr = summit, surface, access or paroxysm in Breton [source]

Words from the same Proto-Celtic roots, via Gaulish and Latin, include baràz (bramble) in Romansh, and barra (garret, loft, upper platform) in Galician [source].

Words from the same PIE roots include barley in English, farine (flour) in French, bara (bread) in Welsh, Cornish and Breton, bairín (loaf) in Irish, and related words in Celtic languages [source].

Incidentally, the unrelated Galician word barra (sandbank, bar, rod) possibly comes from a Gaulish word, via the Vulgar Latin barra [source].

You can find more details of these words 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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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot.

There are new language pages about:

Avava, a Southern Oceanic language spoken in central Malekula Island in Vanuatu.
Tokunoshima (シマユミィタ), an Amami-Okinawan language spoken on Tokunoshima in the Amami Islands in Kagoshima Prefecture of Japan

There’s a new adapated script: Alphabetum Gothorum, a way to write Latin with the Gothic alphabet devised by Xavier Merica.

There’s a new numbers pages in: Avava.

There’s a new phrases page in: Romanian Tatar (Tatarșa), a Kipchak Turkic language spoken in Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey, and some new phrases in Shawnee (Sawanwa), an Algonquian language spoken in Oklahoma in the USA.

There are new dates pages in: Scottish Gaelic, Welsh and Irish.

There’s a new Omniglot blog post entitled Beautifully Red, in which we find out what links the Finnish word kaunis (beautiful) with words like sheen in English and schoon (clean) in Dutch, and the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:

Here’s a clue: this language is spoken in Oklahoma in the USA.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Achomi (اچُمی), a Southwestern Iranian language spoken mainly in southwestern Iran, and also in Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq, Qatar and the UAE.

In this week’s Adventures in Etymology we’re telling tales about the origins of the word story.

On the Celtiadur blog there’s a new post about words for One Alone and related things in Celtic languages.

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

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.

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In this Adventure we’re telling tales about the origins of the word story.

A story [ˈstɔː.ɹi] is:

An account of real or fictional events.
A lie, fiction.
History (obsolete).

It comes from Middle English storie (story, history, quip), from Old French estoire (history, story, tale), from Latin historia [isˈtoɾja] (history, account, story), from Ancient Greek ἱστορία (historía – learning through research, narration of what is learned), from ἱστορέω (historéō – to learn through research, to inquire), from ἵστωρ (hístōr – the one who knows, the expert, the judge), from PIE wéydtōr* (knowner, wise person), from weyd-* (to see) [source].

English words from the same roots include guide, history, idea, idol, idyll, video, vision, visit, wise, wit and wizard [source].

In Old English the word for story was talu, which also meant tale, talk or account. It comes from Proto-West Germanic talu* (narration, report), from Proto-Germanic talō (narration, report), from PIE del- (to reckon, calculate) [source].

Words from the same roots include tale, talk and tell in English, taal (language) in Dutch, Zahl (number, numeral, figure) in German, and tala (to speak, tell, talk) in Swedish [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.

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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot. This is in fact the news for the past two weeks as I was away at The Language Event in Edinburgh last weekend and didn’t have time to record a newscast. More on that later.

There are new language pages about:

Romanian Tatar (Tatarșa), a variety of Crimean Tatar spoken mainly in the Dobrogea region in eastern Romania.
Namakura (Namakir) a Southern Oceanic language spoken in the Shepherd Islands in Shefa Province of Vanuatu.
Tirax (Resan Tirax), a Southern Oceanic language spoken in the north east of Malakula Island in Vanuatu.
Lewo, a Southern Oceanic language spoken on Epi Island in Shefa Province of Vanuatu.
Tarama (たらまふとぅ), a Southern Ryukyuan language spoken on Tarama and Minna, two of Miyako islands in Okinawa Prefecture in southern Japan

There are new numbers pages in: Romanian Tatar, Namakura, Tirax, Kaska and Lewo.

There’s a new page about How to write dates in Japanese.

On the Omniglot blog there are new posts about The Language Event I went to in Edinburgh, and about words for Cupboards, Cabinets and Closets, and the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:

Here’s a clue: this language is spoken mainly in southern Iran.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Tumak (bə̀g ɗə təmàgə́ə̀n), an East Chadic language spoken in the southwest of Chad.

The mystery language in the previous week’s language quiz was: Norman (Normaund), a Romance language spoken in Normandy in northern France.

There’s a new Celtic Pathways podcast about words for donkey and related beasts in Celtic and other languages.

On the Celtiadur blog there are new posts about Top Peaks and Scratching Scrapes, and improved posts about words for To Write, Book and Donkeys. I also made improvements to the Celtic cognates index page.

In other news, last weekend I had a good time at The Language Event in Edinburgh. There were some interesting talks about all sorts of language-related topics, I met old friends and made some new ones, and got to speak a variety of languages, including Welsh, Scottish Gaelic, Danish, Japanese, German and Spanish.

A reporter from BBC Alba (the Scottish Gaelic TV channel) was at the Event and filmed parts of it, including a short interview with me in Scottish Gaelic:

I forgot to mention in the recording, but I wrote a new song in Scottish Gaelic called Thoir An Aire! (Watch Out!), which was inpsired by my Gaelic lessons on Duolingo, and visits to Scotland. It goes something like this:

Simon Ager · Thoir An Aire (Watch Out)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

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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In this episode we’re looking into words for donkey and related beasts in Celtic languages.

There don’t appear to be any Proto-Celtic words for donkey. Instead, the Celtic languages borrowed words from Latin:

asal [ˈasˠəlˠ] = ass or donkey in Irish.
asal [asal̪ˠ] = ass or donkey in Scottish Gaelic
assyl = ass or donkey in Manx
asyn [ˈasɨ̞n / ˈasɪn] = (male) donkey / (he-)ass, or an absurd or stubborn person in Welsh
asen = ass or donkey in Cornish
azen = donkey in Breton [source]

The Brythonic words come from the Latin asina from asinus (donkey, ass), which is of unknown origin [source]. The Goidelic words come from the same root via the Latin asellus (young ass, donkey) [source].

The English word ass (donkey) was borrowed from an old Brythonic language, via the Middle English asse (ass, donkey) and the Old English assa and assen (she-ass) [source].

Other words from the same Latin roots include asinine (foolish, obstinate, donkeyish), asinicide (the killing of an idiot) in English [source], osel (donkey, ass, stupid person) in Czech, and osioł (male donkey) in Polish [source].

Incidentally, another word for donkey in Old English was esol [ˈe.zol], which came from Proto-West Germanic asil (donkey), from Latin asellus* (young ass, donkey) [source]. Related words in other Germanic languages include ezel (donkey, ass, fool, idiot, easel) in Dutch, Esel (ass, donkey, a stupid/stubborn person) in German, and æsel** (ass, donkey) in Danish [source].

The English word easel also comes from the same roots, via Dutch ezel and Proto-West Germanic *asil [source].

You can find more details of these words on the Celtiadur blog. I also write about words, etymology and other language-related topics on the Omniglot Blog.

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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot (for the past 3 weeks).

New writing system: Elymaic, a version of the Aramaic script that was used in Elymais, a state that existed in what is now southwestern Iran.

New writing system: Palmyrene, a version of the Aramaic script that was used in Palmyra and other parts of Syria.

New constructed script: Astanari, an alternative way to write Australian English created by Josh Holliday.

New constructed script: Inhglærantow, a different way to write British English invented by Robbie J N.

New constructed script: Arkaedian, an alternative way to write English invented by Mark Lyman.

There are new language pages about:

Ahamb (naujin sdrato), a Southern Oceanic language spoken on Akhamb and Malekula islands in Vanuatu.* Neve‘ei (Nabusian teget) a Southern Oceanic language spoken mainly on the west coast of Malekula Island in Vanuatu. * Batuley (Gwatle lir), an Aru language spoken in the Aru Islands in Indonesia. * Bunak (Bunaq), a West Bomerai language spoken in East Timor and Indonesia. * Ambai, a Malayo-Polynesian language spoken in Papua Province of Indonesia.

There are new numbers pages in: Ahamb, Neve‘ei, Daakaka, Batuley, Fiji Hindi and Bunak

On the Omniglot blog there’s a new post about my trip to the Isle of Skye and my Holidays, and the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:

Here’s a clue: this language is spoken in northern France, but isn’t French.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Carijona (Tsahá), a Cariban language spoken in southeastern Colombia.

There’s a new Adventure in Etymology about the word Ship, and related things.

On the Celtiadur blog we have new posts about Fatty Lard, Leaves, Roots and related things in Celtic languages.

There are no new Celtic Pathways podcasts – I didn’t have time to make them while I was away, and have decided to make one every other week. So this week we have a new Adventure in Etymology, and next week I’ll make a Celtic Pathways podcast, and videos to go with it.

In other news, I wrote a new song in Scottish Gaelic this week inspired by my Scottish Gaelic lessons on Duolingo, and my trip to Scotland, during which I learnt lots of Scottish Gaelic songs, and had a wonderful time. It goes something like this:

Here are the words and a translation:

Thoir An Aire (Watch Out)
Seist (Chorus)
Thoir an aire, thoir an aire (Watch out, watch out)
Thoir an aire, tha Iain a’ tighinn (Watch out, Iain is coming)
Thoir an aire, thoir an aire (Watch out, watch out)
Tha Iain rùisgte is tha e a’ tighinn (Iain is naked and he’s coming)

Ghoid Màiri a drathais (Mairi stole his underpants)
Ghoid Màiri a briogais (Mairi stole his trousers)
Ghoid Màiri a geansaidh gorm is geal (Mairi stole his blue and white jersey)
Ghoid Màiri a lèine (Mairi stole his shirt)
Ghoid Màiri a brògan (Mairi stole his shoes)
Ghoid Màiri aodach Iain gu lèir (Mairi stole all his clothes)

Ruith air falbh, ruith air falbh (Run away, run away)
Ruith air falbh tha Iain a’ tighinn (Run away, Iain is coming)
Ruith air falbh, ruith air falbh (Run away, run away)
Tha guga aige is tha e a’ tighinn (He has salted gannet and he’s coming)

Càit bheil Calum? (Where is Calum?)
Càit a bheil Coinneach? (Where is Kenneth?)
Càit a bheil Ceiteag? (Where is Katie?)
Am faca tu iad? (Have you seen them?)
Càit a bheil Mairead? (Where is Margaret?)
Càit a bheil Mòrag? (Where is Morag?)
Ruith iad air falbh (They ran away)
oir tha Iain a’ tighinn (because Iain is coming)

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

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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In this Adventure we’re uncovering the origins of the word ship.

A ship [ʃɪp] is:

A water-borne vessel generally larger than a boat.
A vessel which travels through any medium other than across land, such as an airship or spaceship.
A sailing vessel with three or more square-rigged masts. (archaic, nautical, formal)

It comes from Middle English s(c)hip [ʃip] (ship, boat), from Old English scip [ʃip] (ship), from Proto-West-Germanic skip* (ship), from Proto-Germanic skipą (ship), possibly from PIE skey- (to split, dissect) which originally meant a hollowed tree [source].

Words from the same roots include skipper in English, Schipp (ship) and Schiff (ship, nave, vessel, boiler) in German, schip (ship, nave) in Dutch, skepp (ship, nave) in Swedish, and sgioba (crew, team) in Scottish Gaelic [source].

The English word skiff (a small flat-bottomed open boat) also comes from the same roots, via Middle French esquif (skiff), Old Italian schifo (small boat, dingy), and Lombardic skif (ship, boat) [source].

Incidentally, the Scots word skiff (a light, fleeting shower of rain or snow; a gust of wind; to move in a light airy manner, barely touching the ground) does not come from the same roots. Instead, it probably has onomatopoeic origins. The English word skiffle (a type of folk music made using homemade or improvised instruments) was possibly borrowed from this Scots word [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.

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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot.

New writing system: Koch Script, which was developed by Day Chand Rangag in 2021 as a way to write Koch, a Sal language spoken in mainly northeastern India, and also in Bangladesh.

New constructed script: Qutdoiya Amexf Hazara, which was created by Emhahayef to write Maxyef Pas, a conlang he is also developing.

New English spelling system: SoundSpel, which was devised and advocated particularly by Edward “Ed” Rondthaler in the 1980s.

There are new language pages about:

North Efate, a Southern Oceanic language spoken in the north of Efate island in central Vanuatu.
Nafsan, a Southern Oceanic language spoken in the south of Efate island in central Vanuatu.
Koch, a Sal language spoken mainly in northeastern India, and also in Bangladesh.

New phraes page in Mini: The Minimal Language, an attempt to create the simplest naturalistic language for human communication conceived by S.C. Gruget in 2020.

There are new numbers pages in:

Jakaltek (Jab’xub’al / Popti’), a Mayan language spoken in western Guatemala and southern Mexico.
North Efate, a Southern Oceanic language spoken in the north of Efate island in central Vanuatu.
Nafsan, a Southern Oceanic language spoken in the south of Efate island in central Vanuatu.
Carrier / Dakelh (Dakeł / ᑕᗸᒡ), an Athabascan language spoken in central British Columbia in Canada.

On the Omniglot blog there’s a post called Rumbling Carts about some interesting Japanese and Chinese characters, and the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:

Here’s a clue: this language is spoken in northern Peru.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Meänkieli, a Finnic language spoken along the valley of the Torne River in northern Sweden, and also in neighbouring parts of Finland.

In this week’s Adventure in Etymology we’re unrolling the origins of the word wheel, and finding out how its linked to such words as pole, telephone, cult, collar and cycle.

On the Celtiadur blog we find out how words for Sweet and Gentle and related things in Celtic languages are linked to the name Kevin.

On the Celtic Pathways podcast we discover links between words for Surface and Skin and related things in Celtic languages and words like tonne/ton (weight) and tun (a kind of cask) in English, and words for tonne, barrel and cask in Catalan, Galician, French, Spanish and other languages.

Incidentally, I also created new logos for the different series on Radio Omniglot: Adventures in Etymology, Celtic Pathways and Omniglot News (click on these links to see larger versions of these logos):

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

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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In this Adventure in Etymology we’re unrolling the origins of the word wheel, and finding out how its linked to such words as pole, telephone, cult, collar and cycle.

A wheel [wiːl/ʍiːl/wil] is:

A circular device capable of rotating on its axis, facilitating movement or transportation or performing labour in machines.

It comes from Middle English whele [ʍeːl] (wheel), from Old English hwēol [xwe͜oːl] (wheel), from Proto-Germanic hwehwlą* [ˈxʷe.xʷlɑ̃] (wheel), from PIE kʷékʷlom (wheel) from kʷel- (to turn) [source].

Words from the same roots include pole, telephone, chakra, cult, collar and cycle in English, kolo (bicycle, wheel) in Czech, kakls (neck, throat) in Latvian, and चाक (cāk – wheel) and चक्र (cakra – circle, ring, wheel, cycle) in Hindi [source].

Incidentally, words for chariot or wheel in Sumerian (𒄑𒇀), Aramaic and Hebrew (גַּלְגַּל‎) and Chinese (軲轆) possibly come from the same PIE roots [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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In this episode we’re looking into words for surface, skin and related things in Celtic languages.

The Proto-Celtic tondā* means surface or skin and comes from the Proto-Indo-European tend-* (to cut off) [source].

Descendents in the modern Celtic language include:

tonn [t̪ˠɑun̪ˠ] = surface or skin in Irish.
tonn [tɔun̪ˠ] = skin or hide in Scottish Gaelic
ton [tɔn] = rind, crust, peel, turf, unploughed land or lawn in Welsh
ton = grass in Cornish
ton [tɔn] = rind or surface in Breton

There doesn’t appear to be a cognate in Manx.

The English word tonne/ton comes from the same Proto-Celtic root, via French, Latin and Gaulish [source]. Other words from the same Proto-Celtic root include tonne (tonne/ton) in French, tona (tun – a type of cask, ton/tonne) and tonya (a type of sweet bun) in Catalan, tona (surface, skin, bark) and tonel (barrel, tun) in Galician, and tonel (barrel) in Spanish [source].

Incidentally, the English word tun (a large cask, fermenting vat) probably comes from the same roots, via Middle English, Old English, Proto-Germanic, Latin and Gaulish, as does the German word Tonne (barrel, vat, tun, drum), the Dutch word ton (barrel, ton, large amount), and the Irish word tunna (cask), which was borrowed from Latin [source].
(A bit of bonus content that’s not included in the recording.)

You can find more details of these words on the Celtiadur blog. I also write about words, etymology and other language-related topics on the Omniglot Blog.

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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot.

New writing system: Marchen, an abudiga that developed from the Tibetan script in about the 7th century AD and was used until the 10th century to write Zhang-Zhung, an extinct Sino-Tibetan language that was spoken mainly in western Tibet.

New writing system: Hatran, an abudiga that was used in what is now northern Iraq to write Hatran Aramaic, a Middle Aramaic dialect that was spoken in northeastern Mesopotamia from about the 3rd Century BC to the 3rd Century AD.

New constructed script: Badlit Anituun, was created by Ace Paloma as an alternative way to write Filipino.

There are new language pages about:

Tajio, a Celebic language spoken in Central Sulawesi Province in Indonesia.
Jemez (Cáuijògà), a Tanoan language spoken in Jemez Pueblo in Sandoval County in the north of New Mexico in the south of the USA.

There are new numbers pages in:

Tajio, a Celebic language spoken in Central Sulawesi Province in Indonesia.
Nagaibak, a variety of Tatar spoken in the Chelyabinsk Oblast in the southwest of the Russian Federation.

On the Omniglot blog there’s a post about Script Families, about how writing systems can be grouped into families, and the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:

Here’s a clue: this language is spoken in northern Sweden and northern Finland.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was
Futunan (Fakafutuna), a Polynesian language spoken on the islands of Funtuna and Alofi in the French territory of Wallis and Futuna in the South-West Pacific Ocean.

In this week’s Adventure in Etymology we find out what links the words Kith and Kin with words like cunning, uncouth, gnome, gentle, genius and engine.

On the Celtiadur blog there’s a new post about words for Bright Lights and related things in Celtic languages.

There’s a new Celtic Pathways podcast about words for Shamrock and Clover and related things in Celtic languages.

I also made improvements to the The Bardic Alphabet (Coelbren y Beirdd) page.

I wrote a new song this week called Upside Down which goes something like this:

What do you do when the world’s all askew
and everything’s out of its place?
Nothing is right and try as you might
You just can’t stand the pace.

Chorus
Upside-down and downside up
Back to front and front to back
Inside out and outside in
It puts you in a spin.

What do you do when your life’s in a stew
and nothing is going your way?
It’s all too much to handle or touch
And you don’t know what to say.

What do you do when you’re feeling blue
and nothing makes any sense?
Maybe a song or a smile will help
to make you feel less tense.

I’ve written a chorus in Welsh as well, but haven’t recorded it yet:

Dibyn-dobyn, dobyn dibyn
ochr chwith ac ochr faes
miga-moga, igam-ogam
Mae popeth o ei le

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

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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In this episode we’re looking into words for shamrock, clover and related things in Celtic languages.

A shamrock is the trefoil leaf of any small clover, especially Trifolium repens, commonly used as a symbol of Ireland. The word comes from the Irish seamróg (shamrock), from the Old Irish semróc, a diminutive of semar (clover, shamrock), from Proto-Celtic semarā*, possibly from Proto-Indo-European semh₁r-/smeh₁r- [source].

Related words in the modern Celtic language include:

seamróg [ˈʃamˠɾˠoːɡ] = shamrok and semair = clover in Irish.
siumrag [ʃumərag] = clover, shamrock, wood sorel, and semair [ʃɛmɪrʲ] = shamrock, clover in Scottish Gaelic
shamrag = clover, shamrock, wood sorel in Manx
siamroc/samrog = shamrock in Welsh (borrowed from English)

Shamrock in Cornish teyrdelen (“three leaves”). In Breton it’s trefle, which was borrowed from the French trèfle (clover, shamrock); or melchonenn, which is cognate with the Cornish mellyon (clover), and the Welsh meillion (clover, trefoil, clubs (a suit in cards)). The origins of these words is not known.

You can be find more information about connections between Celtic languages on the Celtiadur blog. I also write about words, etymology and other language-related topics on the Omniglot Blog.

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In this Adventure we’re looking into the words kith and kin.

Kith [kɪθ] means:

Friends and acquaintances (archaic/obsolete)

It appears in the expression kith and kin (both friends and family) and comes from the Middle English kith (kinsmen, relations), from Old English cȳþþu [ˈkyːθ.θu] (knoweldge, native land, home) from Proto-Germanic kunþiþō* (knowledge, acquaintance), from PIE ǵneh₃-* (to know) [source].

Engish words from the same roots include can, cunning, gnome, know, noble, quaint and uncouth [source].

Kin [kɪn] means:

Race, family, breed, kind
Persons of the same race or family, kindred
One or more relatives

It comes from Middle English kyn (family, native, tribe, clan), from Old English cynn (kind, tribe, race, species, family), from Proto-West-Germanic kuni* (family, kin), from Proto-Germanic kunją (kin, family, clan) from PIE ǵenh₁- (to beget, give birth) [source]

Engish words from the same roots include cognate, engine, gene, genius, gentle, kind and nature [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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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot.

There are new language pages about:

Picuris, a Tanoan language spoken in Picuris Pueblo in northern New Mexico in the USA.
Kiowa (Cáuijògà), a Tanoan language spoken in the southwest of Oklahoma in the USA.
Turka (cuuramã), a Southern Gur language spoken in the Cascades Region in the southwest of Burkina Faso.

There are new numbers pages in:

Llanito, a mixed language spoken in Gibraltar made up mainly of Andalusian Spanish and British English.
Ch’ol, (Lakty’añ), a Cholan Mayan language spoken in Chiapas in southern Mexico.
Karata, (кӏкӏирлӏи), an Avar-Andic language spoken in southern Dagestan in the Russian Federation.
Kaitag, (хайдакьан кув), a Northeast Caucasian language spoken in Dagestan in the Russian Federation.

On the Omniglot blog there’s a post about the word kiki and other popular slang words in the USA, and the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:

Here’s a clue: this language is spoken on a couple of islands in the southern Pacific.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was
Yao (chiYao), a Bantu language spoken in Malawi, Tanzania, Mozambique and Zambia.

In this week’s Adventure in Etymology we find out what links the word Caboodle with words like booth, bothy and bosky.

On the Celtiadur blog there’s a new post about words for Mighty Abilities and related things in Celtic languages.

There’s a new Celtic Pathways podcast about words for Towns and Beehives and related things in Celtic languages.

I also made improvements to the Caucasian Albanian, Toto and Avoiuli script pages, and to the Towns and Tribes, Houses, Towns & Villages and Houses and Dwellings Celtiadur posts.

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

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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In this Adventure we’re looking into the word caboodle.

A caboodle (also written kaboodle) is:

Any large collection of things or people.

It appears in the US slang expressions the (whole) kit and caboodle and the whole caboodle and means “everything entirely; the whole lot; all together; as one” It first appeared in writing in the 1830s as the whole boodle, and as the whole caboodle in 1848 [source].

Caboodle/kaboodle comes from boodle,which originally meant a crowd, and later phony money or swag, from Dutch boedel [ˈbu.dəl] (property, riches), from Proto-West-Germanic bōþl (house, dwelling, property), from Proto-Germanic bōþlą* [ˈbɔːθ.lɑ̃] (house, dwelling), possibly from PIE bʰuH-* (to become, appear, grow) [source]

Words from the same roots include baile (home, place, town, city) in Irish and Scottish Gaelic, balley (town, village, farm) in Manx, ból (dwelling, abode, home, lair, bed) in Icelandic, and bosky (bushy, bristling) in English [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.

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In this episode we’re finding out how words for towns and related things in Celtic languages are linked to words for beehives in other languages.

The Proto-Celtic word trebā* means dwelling, and comes from the Proto-Indo-European treb-* (dwelling, settlement) [source].

Related words in the modern Celtic language include:

treibh [ˈtʲɾʲɛv] = house, homestead, farmstead, household, family, tribe or race in Irish.
treubh [treːv] = tribe, family, clan or kin, and possibly treabh [tro] = farming village in Scottish Gaelic
tre(f) [treː(v)] = town; town centre; dwelling(-place), habitation, residence, home; house (and surrounding land), homestead or farm in Welsh
tre = [trɛ:/tre:] = farmstead, home, town or village in Cornish
trev = town in Breton

There doesn’t appear to be a cognate word in Manx.

Words from the same Proto-Celtic root (via Latin) possibly include trobo (beehive, skep) in Galician, and truébanu (beehive, barrel, basket) in Asturian [source].

The archaic English word thorp(e) (a group of houses standing together in the country; a hamlet; a village), which appears in place names such as Milnthorpe and Scunthorpe, comes from the same PIE roots [source].

Other words from the same PIE roots include Dorf (hamlet, village, town) in German, torp (farm, cottage, croft) in Swedish, þorp (village, farm) in Icelandic, and trevë (country, region, village) in Albanian [source].

You can be find more details of words for Towns and Tribes in Celtic languages 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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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot.

There are new writing systems pages about:

Chorasmian, which was used to write Khwarezmian, an extinct East Iranian language that was spoken in what is now northern Uzbekistan, and parts of Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan until 1200 AD.
North Arabian, the collective name for a group of scripts that were used in north and central Arabia and southern Syria from about the 8th Century BC until the 4th century AD.

There are new language pages about:

Mongsen Ao, a Kuki–Chin–Naga language spoken in Nagaland in the northeast India.
Tewa, a Tanoan language spoken mainly in the Rio Grande valley in New Mexico, and also in Arizona, in the USA.
Northern Birifor (Bɩrfʋɔr), a Gur language spoken mainly in the southwest of Burkina Faso.

New constructed script: Tenrái, which was created by Judah Kapulare to write Khasi, a Khasi-Palaungic language spoken mainly in Meghalaya state in the northeast of India.

There are new numbers pages in:

Manipuri, (ꯃꯩꯇꯩꯂꯣꯟ / Miteilon), a Kukish language spoken in Manipur in the northeast of India.
Mavea, a Southern Oceanic language spoken on Mavea island in Vanuatu.

On the Omniglot blog we investigating the origins of the phrase ‘the apple never falls far from the tree’ in a post called Falling Apples, and the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:

Here’s a clue: this language is spoken in southern Africa.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Squamish (Sḵwx̱wú7mesh sníchim), a Central Salishan language spoken in the southwest of British Columbia in Canada.

In this week’s Adventure in Etymology we’re finding out what links the word Herb with words like gray, graze, green and grow.

By the way, this is the 100th episode of Adventures in Etymology – if you’d like to see a list of all the words covered so far, head on over to Radio Omniglot. If you’d like me to look into any words that I haven’t already covered, in English or other languages, you can leave your suggestions there as well.

On the Celtiadur blog there’s a new post about words for Revenge and related things in Celtic languages.

There’s a new Celtic Pathways podcast about words for Heights and related things in Celtic languages.

I also made improvements to the South Arabian, Siddham, Sogdian script pages, and the Celtiadur post about words for High, Elevated, Noble and related things

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

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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In this Adventure we’re digging up the origins of the word herb.

A herb [hɜːb/(h)ɝb] is:

Any green, leafy plant, or parts thereof, used to flavour or season food.
A plant whose roots, leaves or seeds, etc. are used in medicine.

It comes from Middle English herbe [ˈhɛ(ː)rb(ə)] (a herbaceous plant, herbage, woody plant, tree), from Old French erbe [ˈɛr.bə] (grass, herb), from Latin herba [ˈher.ba] (grass, herbage, herb, weeds, plant), from Proto-Indo-European *gʰreh₁- (to grow, become green) [source].

The initial h sound in herb disappeared at some point, and was restored during the 15th century based on the Latin spelling. However, it wasn’t pronounced by many people until the 19th century, and still isn’t by many speakers, especially in North America.

Words from the same roots include grow, green, graze, gray/grey in English, herbe (grass) in French, erba (grass, herb) in Italian, and hierba (herb, grass) in Spanish [source].

Incidentally, this is the 100th episode of this series, which started in March 2021. You can find a list of all the words covered on Radio Omniglot. If you would like me to look into any words that I haven’t already covered, in English or other languages, you can leave your suggestions there as well.

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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In this episode we’re looking up words for high and related things.

The Proto-Celtic word ardwos* means high, and comes from the Proto-Indo-European h₃r̥dʰwós., from h₃erdʰ- (to increase, grow; upright, high) [Source].

Related words in the modern Celtic language include:

ard [ɑːɾˠd̪ˠ/æːɾˠd̪ˠ] = height, hillock, top, high part; high, tall, loud, ambitious, chief, excellent, noble or advanced in Irish.
àrd [aːr̪ˠd] = high, lofty, tall; great; loud; chief, eminent, superior or supreme in Scottish Gaelic
ard = high, towering, tall, big, loud, height, high place, fell, incline, district, region, direction, compass point or pole in Manx
ardd [arð] = hill, highland, top, high or upland in Welsh
ardh = height or high place in Cornish
arz = high or elevated in Breton

The Ardennes, a region of forests and hills in mainly in Belgium, Luxembourg, and also in France and Germany, was known as Arduenna Silva in Latin. The first part of the Latin name probably comes from the Gaulish arduenna (high), or from the Latin arduus* (lofty, high, steep, tall), which comes from the same PIE root [source].

Other words from the same PIE roots include arbor, arduous, orthodox and orthography in English, arbre (tree) in French, árbol (tree, mast) in Spanish, and рост [rost] (growth, increase, rise, height, stature) in Russian [source].

You can be find more details of words for High, Elevated, Noble and related things in Celtic languages 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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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot.

New writing system: Basahan, a version of Baybayin script that was used to write Bikol languages until the mid-19th century.

There are new language pages about:

Mavea, a Southern Oceanic language spoken on the island of Mavea in northern Vanuatu.
Ske, a Southern Oceanic language spoken in the southwest of Pentecost Island in Vanuatu.
Lo-Toga, a Southern Oceanic language spoken on the islands of Lo and Toga, which are part of the Torres group of islands in northern Vanuatu.

New page about: Medefaidrin, a language and script that was created in the 1930s by two church leaders in a congregation of Ibibio speakers in southern Nigeria.

Aksara Naon, which was created by Ahmad Syibli as an alternative way to write Sundanese and Indonesian.

New constructed script: Semanggi, which was created by Pardomuan Harahap as an alternative way to write Indonesian.

There are new numbers pages in:

Lo-Toga, a Southern Oceanic language spoken on the islands of Lo and Toga in northern Vanuatu.
Lakon, a Southern Oceanic language spoken on Gaua island in Vanuatu.

On the Omniglot blog there’s a post about the Dutch word Ietsiepietsie, which means a little, a little bit, or a teeny tiny bit, and the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:

Here’s a clue: this language is spoken in Canada.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was
She (Ho Ne), a Hmong-Mien language spoken in Guangdong Province in southern China.

In this week’s Adventure in Etymology we’re unraveling the origins of the word Wicker.

On the Celtiadur blog there’s a new post about words for Baskets and related things in Celtic languages.

There’s a new Celtic Pathways podcast about words for Hurdles and related things in Celtic languages.

I also made improvements to the Dives Akuru page.

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

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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In this Adventure we’re unravelling the origins of the word wicker.

Wicker [ˈwɪkə(ɹ)/ˈwɪkɚ] is:

A flexible branch or twig of a plant such as willow, used in weaving baskets and furniture.

It comes from Middle English wiker (wickerwork), possibly from Old Norse veikr (pliant, weak), from Proto-Germanic waikwaz* [ˈwɑi̯.kʷɑz] (weak, soft, pliable), from wīkwaną [ˈwiː.kʷɑ.nɑ̃] (to yield, fold, retreat) from Proto-Indo-European weyk- (to bend, curve, divide) [source].

Words from the same PIE roots include week, weak, province and cervix in English; Wechsel (change, bill of exchange) in German; växel (change, bill of exchange, switch, gear) in Swedish; fois (time) in French; and vez (time, instance, place, turn) in Spanish [source].

Incidentally, the Middle English word woke [wɔːk/wɑːk], which meant weak, feeble, helpless, unimportant or bendable, comes from the same roots, as did the word wocnesse [ˈwɔːknɛs] (vulnerability to sin or iniquity, lack of fighting skill) [source].

They are not related to the modern usage of woke, which is an abbreviation woken (up), and originated in African-American vernacular as meaning awake, conscious, alert, well-informed, especially in racial and other social justice issues. It is often used in a dergatory way about anyone who holds views that are disliked by the person using it [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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In this episode we’re looking into words for hurdle and related things.

The Proto-Celtic word klētā* means palisade or hurdle, and comes from the Proto-Indo-European ḱley-* (to lean) [Source].

Related words in the modern Celtic language include:

cliath [klʲiə] = wattled, latticed, frame, hurdle, phalanx, staff or a (musical) stave in Irish. Also found in Baile Átha Cliath, the Irish name for Dublin.
cliath [kliə] = grid, lattice, grate, grating, shoal (of fish), hurdle, harrow, stockade, or (musical) stave in Scottish Gaelic
cleeah = lattice, wicker, fret, darn, stave, staff, grid, stretcher, grate, grating, criss-cross or school of fish in Manx
clwyd [kluːɨ̯d] = movable hurdle, wattle, lattice, rack, crate, gate, door; protection, cover or defence in Welsh
kloos = fence or rack in Cornish
kloued = fence, barrier, gate, railings, grating or grid in Breton

Words from the same Proto-Celtic root, via Gaulish and Latin, include claie (wicker rack, trellis, hurdle) in French and cheda (wattled laterals at the base of a traditional cart) in Galician [source].

Words from the same PIE root include client, climate, clinic, incline and lean in English, leunen (to lean) in Dutch, lehnen (to lean) in German, chinàre (to bend) in Italian, and clemente (lenient) in Spanish [source], clé (left) and cleith (pole, cudgel, wattle) in Irish, cledd (left hand/side) in Welsh and related words in Celtic languages [more details].

You can be find more details of words for Hurdle Fences in Celtic languages 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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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot.

There are new language pages about:

Dorig (Dōrig), a Southern Oceanic language spoken on the island of Gaua in Vanuatu.
Siwu, a Kwa language spoken in the Volta Region in the southeast of Ghana.
Logba (Ikpana), a Kwa language spoken in the Volta Region in the southeast of Ghana.

New constructed script: Trunic, which was created by Andrew Shouldice as an alternative way to write English in the game Tunic.

There are new numbers pages in:

Dorig (Dōrig), a Southern Oceanic language spoken on the island of Gaua in Vanuatu.
Logba (Ikpana), a Kwa language spoken in the Volta Region in the southeast of Ghana.
Hiw, a Southern Oceanic language spoken on Hiw island in Vanuatu.

New family words page in Persian (Farsi)

On the Omniglot blog there’s a post about Valentine’s Day called Kissing Day, which is what it’s called in Scottish Gaelic (Là nam Pòg), and the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:

Here’s a clue: this language is spoken in southern China but isn’t Sinitic.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Tlapanec (Me̱ꞌpha̱a̱), an Oto-Manguean language spoken in the State of Guerrero in southern Mexico.

In this week’s Adventure in Etymology we’re giving Peace a chance, and finding out how it’s linked to words like pay, pact and fair.

On the Celtiadur blog there’s a new post about words for Early and Soon and related things in Celtic languages.

There’s a new Celtic Pathways podcast about words for Land and related things in Celtic languages.

I also made improvements to the page of Numerals in various writing systems, and the Celtiadur posts about Days, Cattle and Land, Parishes & Enclosures.

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

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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In this episode we’re looking into words for land and related things.

The Proto-Celtic word landā* means (open) land, and comes from the Proto-Indo-European lendʰ-* (land, heath) [Source].

Related words in Celtic language include:

lann [l̪ˠaun̪ˠ] = land, ground, site; building, house, church (obsolete/archaic) in Irish
lann [l̪ˠaun̪ˠ] = enclosure, enclosed area, precinct; repository, house or church in Scottish Gaelic
lann = enclosure, habitation in Manx
llan [ɬan] = (parish) church, monastery, heaven, churchyard, enclosure or yard in Welsh
lann [lan] = yard in Cornish
lann = moor, heath or moorland in Breton

Words from the same Proto-Celtic root, via Gaulish and Latin, include lande (moor, moorland, heath) in French, landa (a (sandy) plain) in Spanish, landa (country, field, piece of land) in Basque [source].

The (archaic) English word laund [lɔːnd] (a grassy plain or pasture, especially one surround by woodland; a glade) possibly comes from the same Proto-Celtic root, via Middle English, Old French, Latin and Gaulish, or from the Proto-Germanic *landą (land), which comes from the same PIE root [Source].

Other words from the same PIE root include land in English, land (land, country) in Dutch, Land (country, state, province, land) in German, land (land, country, nation, state, ground, earth) in Swedish, lado (uncultivated, wild land) in Czech and ледина [ˈlɛdina] (untilled land) in Macedonian [source].

Incidentally, the new theme tune is one I wrote recently called the Tower of Cats. You can here the whole of it on Instagram.

You can be find more details of words for Land, parishes and enclosures in Celtic languages 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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In this Adventure we’re giving peace a chance.

Peace [piːs] is:

A state of tranquility, quiet, and harmony; absence of violence.
A state free of oppressive and unpleasant thoughts and emotions
A state free of war

It comes from Middle English pees [pɛ(ː)s] (peace), from Anglo-Norman peis (peace), from Latin pāx (peace, rest quiet, ease, grace), from Proto-Indo-European péh₂ḱ-s* (peace) from peh₂ḱ* (to join, attach; agreement, setttlement) [source].

Words from the same PIE roots include pay, pact, fair (light in colour, just, equitable), and possibly fang in English; paix (peace), payer (to pay) and pacte (pact, deal) in French; paz (peace) and pagar (to pay) in Spanish, and pax (dibs – to claim a stake to something) in Swedish [source].

Other words from the same roots include the Irish póg, the Scottish Gaelic pòg and the Manx paag, all of which mean kiss and come, via Old Irish and Brythonic, from the Latin (dare) pācem (to give pace), which was originally a kiss used as a sign of peace during a mass [source].

In Old English there were different words for peace: sibb (peace, relationship), as in sibling, and friþ [friθ] (peace, refuge, sancutary), which is cognate with free in English, frid (peace, serenity) in Swedish, and vrede (peace, quiet, tranquility) in Dutch [source].

Incidentally, the band The Pogues were originally called Pogue Mahone, which is an anglicized version of the Irish expression póg mo thóin (kiss my arse) [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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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot.

There are new language pages about:

Chayuco Mixtec (tyehen ñi), a Mixtecan language spoken in Oaxaca in southern Mexico.
Anii, a Kwa language spoken mainly in Benin, and also in Togo and Ghana.
Hindko (ہندکو), a Northwestern Lahnda language spoken in the northwest of Pakistan.

New constructed script: Sulat Hiligaynon, which was invented by Julius Alfred Cordova as alternative to write Hiligaynon, which is spoken in the Western Visayas region of the Philippines.

New adapted script: Bhalabali (ᬪᬮᬩᬮᬶ), which is a way to write Zulu with the Balinese script devised by Allion Powell.

New constructed script: Machaq Aymar, which was created by TheDankBoi69 as an alternative way to write Aymara, a language spoken mainly in Bolivia and Peru.

New constructed language: Anglish, a version of English with words borrowed from other languages replaced by words from native roots.

All werely beings are born free and alike in worthiness and rights. They are gifted with reðe and inwit and should behave towards one another in a mindset of brotherhood.

There are new numbers pages in:

Anii, a Kwa language spoken mainly in Benin, and also in Togo and Ghana.
Chayuco Mixtec (tyehen ñi), a Mixtecan language spoken in Oaxaca in southern Mexico.
Chamorro (Finu’ Chamoru), a Malayo-Polynesian language spoken in Guam and in the Northern Mariana Islands.

On the Omniglot blog this week we’re having some Musical Fun with the Japanese word 曲 (kyoku), which means a tune or melody, and also enjoyment, fun, interest or pleasure, and there’s the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:

Here’s a clue: this language is spoken in Mexico.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was
Puyuma (Pinuyumayan), a Formosan language spoken in Taitung County in the southeast of Taiwan.

In this week’s Adventure in Etymology we’re unwrapping the origins of the word Bandana, snd discovering links to words like band, bend, bind, bond and tulip.

On the Celtiadur blog there are new post about words for Grave Ditches and related things in Celtic languages.

There’s a new Celtic Pathways podcast about words for Bulls and related beasts in Celtic languages.

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

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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In this episode we’re looking into bulls and related beasts.

The Proto-Celtic word tarwos* means bull, and comes from the Proto-Indo-European táwros (wild bull, aurochs), which possibly comes from or was borrowed into Proto-Semtic as ṯawr- (bull, ox), from which we get ثَوْر (ṯawr – bull, steer, ox, Taurus) in Arabic [Source].

Related words in Celtic language include:

tarbh [ˈt̪ˠaɾˠuː] = bull or Taurus in Irish
tarbh [tarav] = bull in Scottish Gaelic
tarroo = bull in Manx
tarw [ˈtaru] = bull, uncastrated male ox, papal bull or Taurus in Welsh
tarow = bull in Cornish
tarv = bull in Breton

The Old Irish Irish word for bull, tarb [tarv], was borrowed into Old Norse as tarfr, which became tarvur (bull, Taurus, womanizer) in Faroese, and tarfur (bull) in Icelandic [Source].

Words from the same PIE root include Taurus and steer in English, taureau (bull, Taurus) in French, toro (bull) in Spanish, and touro (bull) in Portuguese [Source].

You can be find more details of words for bulls and other cattle 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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In this Adventure we’re unwrapping the origins of the word bandana.

A bandana [bænˈdæn.ə] is:

A large kerchief, usually colourful and used either as headgear or as a handkerchief, neckerchief, bikini, or sweatband.
A style of calico printing.

It comes from Hindi बन्धन (bandhan – the act of binding, a bond), from Sanskrit बध्नाति (badhnāti – to bind, tether), from Proto-Indo-Iranian bʰadʰnáHti*, from Proto-Indo-European bʰn̥dʰ-néh₂-ti (to bind, tie), from bʰendʰ-* (to bind, bond) [source].

Words from the same PIE roots include band, bandage, bend, bind, bond, bonnet, bundle, funicular, tulip and turban in English, and Bund (alliance, federation, league) in German [source].

Words from the same roots, via Proto-Celtic bennā*, include ben (cart, wagon) in Welsh, buinne (circlet, bracelet, wickerwork) in Irish, benna (a kind of carriage) in Latin, benne (bin, skip, dump truck, barrow, cable car) in French, bin in English, and benna** (bucket, grab) in Italian [source].

Incidentally, before I discovered the origins of the word bandana, I would have guessed that it came from Spanish, and was possibly borrowed from an indigenous language of the Americas, like barbecue, canoe, hammock, tuna and papaya, all of which come from Taíno, an Arawakan language that was spoken across the Caribbean [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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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot.

There are new language pages about:

Tchaman, a Kwa language spoken in southern Ivory Coast / Côte d’Ivoire
Mbato (Nghlwa), a Kwa language spoken in the southeast of Ivory Coast.
Adele (Gɩdɩrɛ), a Kwa language spoken in central Togo and southeastern Ghana.

New constructed script: Tamiki, which was created by Damian Izrullah Bin Abdullah to write Tamiki, Adaki and Yusrian-Animan, which are constructed languages he is also creating

There are new numbers pages in:

Eastern Pwo Karen (ဖၠုံ‎), a Karenic language spoken in Myanmar and Thailand.
Kanakanavu, a Southern Tsouic language spoken in Namasia District of Kaohsiung in southern Taiwan.
Eyak (dAXunhyuuga’), a Na-Déné language that was once spoken in south eastern Alaska and which is being revived.

New Tower of Babel translations

Wamey, a Senegambian language spoken in Guinea and Senegal.
Baka, a Central Sudanic language spoken in South Sudan.
Bahnar, a North Bahnaric language spoken in Vietnam.
Gagauz, Turkic language spoken mainly in southern Moldova, southwestern Ukraine and northeastern Bulgaria.

On the Omniglot blog this week we have a post about Gossipy Cancans, and the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:

Here’s a clue: this language is spoken in East Africa.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was
Puyuma (Pinuyumayan), a Formosan language spoken in Taitung County in the southeast of Taiwan.

In this week’s Adventure in Etymology we’re getting all trivial and petty and looking into the origins of the word Quibble.

On the Celtiadur blog there are new post about Burdensome Loads and Fees and Charges.

There’s a new Celtic Pathways podcast about words for Baskets and related things in Celtic languages.

I also made improvements to the Western Apache language page.

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

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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In this episode we’re looking into baskets, bundles and related things.

The Proto-Celtic word baskis* means a bundle or load, and comes from the Proto-Indo-European bʰask-* (bandle, band) [Source].

Related words in Celtic language include:

basc = circular necklet or neckband in Middle Irish
basc = round, red, scarlet in Scottish Gaelic
baich [bai̯χ] = burden, heavy load, labour, duty, sin, sorrow, woe, responsibility, a load or a dry measure in Welsh
begh = burden, load in Cornish
bec’h = difficulty, effort in Breton

Words from the same Proto-Celtic root include bascauda (woven mat or vessel to hold basketwork) in Late Latin, bâche (tarpaulin, canvas sheet, cover) in French, vascullo (broom, bundle of straw) in Galician, basket in English, فَشْقَار (fašqār – a heap of sheaves) in Arabic.

Incidentally, the Irish word bascaed, the Scottish Gaelic basgaid, the Manx basca(i)d/baskad, the Welsh word basged and the Cornish basket, all of which mean basket, were borrowed from English. The Breton word for basket, paner, was borrowed from the French panier (basket), from the Latin pānārium (breadbasket), from pānis (bread, loaf) [source].

Other words from the PIE root bʰask- include fascis* (bundle, burden, load, high office) in Latin, and possibly bast (fibre made from certain plants used for matting and cord) in English, bast (bast, raffia) in Danish, bast (inner bark, velvet, skin, hide) in Dutch, and bashkë** (together, simultaneously) in Albanian [source].

You can be find more details of words for Burdensome Loads 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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In this Adventure we getting all trivial and petty and looking into the origins of the word quibble.

Quibble [ˈkwɪbəl] means:

A pun (rare. from 17th century)
An objection or argument based on an ambiguity of wording or similar trivial circumstance; a minor complaint.
To complain or argue in a trivial or petty manner.
To contest, especially some trivial issue in a petty manner.

It comes from quib (a quip or gibe), probably from Latin quibus (in what respect, how?), which appeared frequently in legal documents and came to be suggestive of the verbosity and petty argumentation found therein. [source].

Quibus comes from quī/quis (who, that, which, any), from Proto-Italic kʷoi* (who, what), from Proto-Indo-European kʷós/kʷís (who, what, which, that) [source].

Words from the same roots include what, who, why, when, which, how in English, and similar question words in other Indo-European languages [source].

Incidentally, the word quip (a smart, sarcastic turn or jest; a taunt; a severe retort or comeback) possibly comes from Latin quippe (indeed, since, after all, why), from quid (what, why, well), from PIE kʷid, a form of kʷís* (who, what, which) [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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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot.

There are new language pages about:

Dangme, a Kwa language spoken in southeastern Ghana.
Foodo (Fóodo), a Kwa language spoken mainly in northern Benin.
Nkonya (Nkunyá), a Kwa language spoken in southeastern Ghana.

New constructed script: Harahap – Toge Na Rata, which was created by Pardomuan Harahap is an alternative way to write Batak languages, and also Indonesian and English.

New adapted script: Beomeouija (범어의자), a way to write Sanskrit using the Korean Hangeul script devised by Adnaan Mahmood.

There’s a new phrases page in: Dangme, a Kwa language spoken in the southeast of Ghana.

There are new numbers pages in:

Dangme, a Kwa language spoken in the southeast of Ghana.
Ottawa (Nishnaabemwin), a dialect of Ojibwe spoken in southern Ontario in Canada and northern Michigan in the USA.
Chinook Jargon (chinuk wawa), a pidgin/creole trade language that was used in the Pacific Northwest of the USA and Canada.

On the Omniglot blog this week we’re putting a Dampener things, and looking into the origins of the English word dampener and the French word gâcher (to spoil, ruin, waste), and there’s the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:

Here’s a clue: this language is spoken in Taiwan.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was
Sranan (Sranan Tongo), an English-based Creole spoken in Suriname.

In this week’s Adventure in Etymology we’re seeking a safe haven and other peaceful places.

On the Celtiadur blog there’s a new post about the words Region and Country and related things in Celtic languages.

There’s a new Celtic Pathways podcast about words for Rivers and related things in Celtic languages.

I also made improvements to the Limburgish numbers page.

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

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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In this episode we’re diving into words for river.

A Proto-Celtic word for river was abonā/abū, which comes from the Proto-Indo-European *h₂ep- (water, body of water) [Source].

Related words in Celtic language include:

abhainn [əunʲ/oːn̠ʲ] = river in Irish
abhainn [a.ɪn̪ʲ] = river or stream in Scottish
awin [ˈawənʲ] = river in Manx
afon [ˈavɔn] = river or stream in Welsh
avon [ˈavɔn] = river in Cornish
aven [ˈɑː.ven] = river in Breton

The names of the river Avon in England and the river A’an (Avon) in Scotland were borrowed from Proto-Brythonic the *aβon (river) [source].

Words from the same PIE roots include अप् (ap – water, Virgo) in Sanskrit, and possibly words for ape in English and other Germanic languages, which might have originally referred to a water sprite [source].

Another Proto-Celtic word for river was rēnos*, which comes from the Proto-Indo-European h₃reyH-* (to flow, stream) [source].

Related words in Celtic languages include:

rían [r͈ʲiːa̯n] = sea, ocean, path, course, way or manner in Old Irish
rian = course, path, mark, trace, track or vigour in modern Irish
rian [r̪ʲian] = method, mode, system, arrangement, control, management, order or sense in Scottish Gaelic
rane = stanza, track or verse in Manx

Names for the river Rhine in many languages come from the same roots, via the Latin Rhēnus and/or Gaulish Rēnos. For example, the English word Rhein comes from Middle English Rine/Ryne, from Old English Rīn, from Middle/Old High German Rīn, from Proto-West Germanic Rīn*, from Proto-Germanic Rīnaz, from Gaulish Rēnos* [source].

The Latin word rīvus (small stream, brook, rivulet) comes from the same PIE roots, and is the root of river-related words in Romance languages, such as rio in Italian and Portuguese, and ruisseau (stream, brook, creek) in French [source].

Incidentally, the English word river comes from Middle English ryver/river(e), from Anglo-Norman rivere, from Old French riviere, from Vulgar Latin rīpāria (riverbank, seashore, river), from Latin rīpārius (of a riverbank), from Latin rīpa* (river bank), from PIE h₁reyp-* (to scratch, tear, cut) [source].

You can be find more details of Celtic words for river 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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In this Adventure we’re finding a safe haven and other peaceful places.

A haven [ˈheɪvən] is:

A harbour or anchorage protected from the sea
A place of safety
A peaceful place

It comes from Middle English haven(e), from Old English hæfen [ˈxæ.fen] (inlet, harbour, port), from Proto-Germanic hab(a)nō* [ˈxɑ.βɑ.nɔː] (harbour, haven), from PIE kh₂p(ó)neh₂, from keh₂p- (to take, seize, grasp) [source].

The English word abra, which means a narrow mountain pass, was borrowed from Spanish abra (small bay, inlet, glade, clearing), which comes from French havre (haven), and comes ultimately from Proto-Germanic *hab(a)nō via Middle Dutch, Old Dutch and Proto-West-Germanic, or Old Danish and Old Norse [source].

Other words from the same Proto-Germanic roots include Hafen (harbour, port, haven) in German, haven (harbour, port) in Dutch, hamn (harbour) in Swedish, and havn (harbour, haven) in Danish [source].

Incidentally, the word heaven doesn’t come from the same roots as haven. Instead it comes from Middle English heven(e) [ˈhɛv(ə)nə] (heaven, the heavens), from Old English heofon [ˈxe͜o.fon] (sky, heaven), from Proto-West-Germanic *hebun (sky, heaven), the roots of which are uncertain [source].

In case you’re interested, here details of the origins of the word harbour.

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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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot.

New constructed script: Ukaliq, a universal alphabet created by Henrik Theling that could be used to write any language.

New adapted script: Nasema (ߣߊߛߍߡߊ), a method of writing Swahili with the N’Ko alphabet devised by Allison Powell.

There are new language pages about:

Abidji, a Kwa language spoken in the south of Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast).
Nyabwa (Nyabobɔgʋ), a Western Kru language spoken in the south of Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast).
Wobé (Wɛɛ), a Western Kru language spoken in the west of Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast).

There are new numbers pages in:

Gamilaraay, a Pama-Nyungan language spoken in New South Wales in Australia.
Sgaw Karen (ကညီကျိာ်), a Karenic language spoken in southern Myannmar and northwestern Thailand.
Waray Warary, a Bisayan language spoken mainly in the Eastern Visayas Region of the Philippines.

There’s a new family words page in: Tamil (தமிழ்), a Dravidian language spoken in southern India, Sri Lanka and Singapore.

On the Omniglot blog there’s a post about words for Hooks, and one about the Japanese word 建築 (kenchiku), which means architecture or construction and just appeals to my ears, and there’s the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:

Here’s a clue: this is a Creole language spoken in South America.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was
Surigaonon, a Bisayan language spoken in the Caraga region in the north of Mindanao island in the southern Philippines.

In this week’s Adventure in Etymology we are uncovering the origins of word Chemise and related items of clothing.

On the Celtiadur blog there’s a new post about words for Scotland, and I made improvements to the post about Shirts.

There’s a new Celtic Pathways podcast about words for Fields and Quays and related things in Celtic languages.

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

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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In this episode we are looking into words for field, quay and related things.

The Proto-Celtic word kagyom* means a pen or enclosure. It comes from the Proto-Indo-European kagʰyóm* (enclosure) [Source].

Related words in modern Celtic language include:

cai [ˈalˠə] = field, orchard or crop in Old Irish
cae [ˈalarχ/ˈaːlarχ] = hedge, hedgerow, fence; field, enclosure; circle, sphere; barrier or obstruction in Welsh
ke = hedge or fence in Cornish
kae = hedge or quay in Breton

The English word quay in English, was borrowed from the French word quai (quay, wharf, platfrom), which comes from the Latin caium (storehouse, shop, workshop, quay, wharf), from the Gaulish cagiíun/kagyom, from the Proto-Celtic kagyom. The Portuguese word cais (quay, wharf, pier) comes from the same roots [Source].

Other words from the same roots include:

cé [kʲeː] = quay in Irish
cidhe [kʲi.ə] = quay in Scottish Gaelic
keiy = jetty or quay(side) in Manx
cei [kei̯] = quay in Welsh
kay = quay in Cornish

The Irish, Scottish Gaelic and Manx words for quay come from the same Proto-Celtic root, via the Anglo-Norman kay, cail (quay, wharf) and Gaulish [source]. The Welsh and Cornish words for quay also come from the same Proto-Celtic root, via Middle English, Old French and Gaulish [source].

There are quite a few other words for Fields, Meadows and Pastures in Celtic languages. You can be find more details 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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In this Adventure we are uncovering the origins of the word chemise and related items of clothing.

A chemise [ʃəˈmiːz] is:

A short nightdress, or similar piece of lingerie
A woman’s dress that fits loosely
A wall that lines the face of a bank or earthwork
A loose shirtlike undergarment, especially for women (historical)

It comes from French chemise (shirt, folder, chemise (wall-enforcing earthwork)), from Old French chemise, from Late Latin camīsia (shirt, nightgown), from Gaulish camisia (shirt), from Frankish chamithia* (shirt) from Proto-Germanic hamiþiją (shirt), from PIE ḱam- (to cover, conceal) [source].

Words from the same roots include shimmy in English, chemise (shirt, folder) in French, camisa (shirt) in Spanish, hemd (shirt, undershirt) in Dutch, Hemd (shirt) in German, and komża (surplice) in Polish [source].

The Arabic word قميص‎ (qamīṣ – shirt or robe) was probably borrowed from Latin camisia. It was also borrowed into English as kameez [kəˈmiːz], as in shalwar kameez (a loose shirt worn in some South Asian and Islamic countries), and into various languages in South Asia, via Urdu قَمِیْض (qamīz – shirt) [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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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot.

New constructed script: Verbeħen, which was created by EBT to write a constructed language being developed for fun. It was inspired by the roundness and curviness of Georgian Mkhedruli letters (მხედრული).

New adapted script: Maldivian Arabic, which is a way to write Maldivian (Dhivehi) with the Arabic script devised by Mohamed Naaif.

آ قَانُونُ ٱلْأَسَاسِيُّڮٔ حِمَايَة لِبِڮٔنْ سِيَاسِي حِزْبُتَاّْ هِنْڮٞنٔ طَرِيقَاة تَه هَمَجٔهِفَي نُڣَانَمَ أ قَانـُونُڮٔه مِثَالَكِي اَلِفَانْ رُاڣَجَّنَمَ سَلاَمَة ڣَانٔ سِڋِاَكُ نٔيْه أتَكٔه بُرِيڮٔ عِمَارَاتُڮٔه مِثَالٔكٔڣٔ.

There are new language pages about:

Ikwerre (Gu-jingarliya), an Igboid language spoken in Rivers State in southern Nigeria.
Ogba (Ọgba), an Igboid language spoken in Rivers States in southern Nigeria
Ayizo (Ayizɔ-ko), a Gbe language spoken in southern Benin.

There are new numbers pages in:

Ikwerre, an Igboid language spoken in Rivers State in southern Nigeria.
Jeju (제주말), a Koreanic language spoken in Jeju Province of South Korea.
Nuer (Thok Naath), a Western Nilotic language spoken in South Sudan and western Ethiopia.

There are new family words pages in:

Telugu (తెలుగు), a Dravidian language spoken mainly in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana in southern India.
Marathi (मराठी), a Southern Indo-Aryan language spoken mainly in the Indian state of Maharashtra.

On the Omniglot blog we’re telling Half a Story about words for excuse me and related things in Gaelic languages, and there’s the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:

Here’s a clue: this is language is spoken in the Philippines.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was
Xiang / Hunanese (湘语/湖南语), a Sinitic language spoken mainly in Hunan Province in southern China.

In this week’s Adventure in Etymology we are being indirect and circuitous and looking at some Obtuse Pronking.

On the Celtiadur blog there’s a post about words for Taking Hold and related things in Celtic languages.

There’s a new Celtic Pathways podcast about words for Swans and related birds in Celtic languages.

Improved pages: Digaro Mishmi language, Digaro Mishmi numbers, Muscogee (Creek-Seminole) phrases.

In other news, my learning streak on Duolingo reached 2,000 days this week (2,003 today)! I’m currently studying languages for around 10 hours a week, and am focusing on Japanese, Scottish Gaelic and Spanish.

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

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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In this Adventure we are being indirect and circuitous and looking for an angle on the word obtuse.

Obtuse [əbˈtjuːs] means:

Blunt, pointed or acute in form
More than 90° and less than 180°
Intellectually dull or dim-witted
Deadened, muffled or mutted (sound)
Indirect or circuitous

Obtuse comes from Middle French obtus (obtuse, boring, dull, lifeless), from the Latin obtūsus (blunt, dull, obtuse), from obtundō (to batter, beat, strike, blunt, dull), from ob- (against) and tundō (to beat, strike, bruise, crush, pound), from PIE *(s)tewd- (to push, hit) [source].

Words from the same roots include student, study and studio in English, and tundir (to shear, mow) in Spanish [source].

Also from the same roots we get the word stot, which means a leap using all four legs at once. This is what springboks, Thomson’s gazelles, pronghorns and other species do as a way to show predators that they would be difficult to catch (see below) [source].

Stotting is also known as pronking or pronging, which come from Afrikaans pronk (to show off, strut or prance), from Dutch pronken (to display, show off) [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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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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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot.

There are new language pages about:

Burarra (Gu-jingarliya), an Arnhem language spoken in Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory of Australia.
Limbum, an Eastern Grassfields language spoken mainly in Cameroon, and also in Nigeria
Yankunytjatjara, a Pama-Nyungan language spoken in South Australia.

There are new numbers pages in:

Maldivian / Dhivehi (ދިވެހި), an Indo-Aryan language spoken mainly in the Maldives.
Venetian (vèneto), a Romance language spoken mainly in Venice and surrounding areas of Italy.
Dagbani (Dagbanli), a Gur language spoken mainly in northern Ghana.

On the Omniglot blog there’s a new post entitled Cave Paintings Deciphered?, about recent news of the possible decoding of certain symbols found in cave paintings, and there’s the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:

Here’s a clue: this is language is spoken in China, but isn’t Mandarin

The mystery language in this week’s language quiz was Wendat (Waⁿdat), an Iroquoian language formerly spoken in parts of Oklahoma in the USA and Quebec in Canada which is being revived.

In this week’s Adventure in Etymology we’re Harbouring Harbingers, and finding out what links the words harbinger and harbour.

On the Celtiadur blog there’s a post about words for Halves and Sides and related things in Celtic languages.

I forgot to mention on the recording, but there’s also a new Celtic Pathways podcast about the words New & Year in Celtic languages.

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

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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In this Adventure we find out what connects the words harbinger and harbour.

A harbinger [ˈhɑːbɪndʒə/ˈhɑɹbɪnd͡ʒəɹ] is:

One that indicates or foreshadows what is to come;
A person sent in advance of a royal party or army to obtain lodgings for them (obsolete)

Harbinger is used most often in particular phrases: it can be negative, as in a harbinger of doom, or positive, as in a harbinger of Spring [source].

It comes from Middle English herberjour [ˌ(h)ɛrbi(r)ˈd͡ʒuːr] (a host, one who provides accommodation or hospitality, a person sent in advance (of an army) to arrange lodgings), from Old French herbergeor (innkeeper, host), from herbergier (to set up camp, to (take) shelter), via Frankish, from Proto-West-Germanic harjabergu* (army camp, barracks, refuge, shelter), from hari (army) and bergu (protection) [source].

Words from the same roots include harbour in English, Herberge (hostel, inn) in German, herberg (inn, lodging) in Dutch, härbärge (a place to stay, homeless shelter) in Swedish, herbergi (room, apartment) in Icelandic, and auberge (hostel) in French [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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In this episode we are looking into words for new and year in Celtic languages.

One Proto-Celtic word for new is nouyos*, which comes from the Proto-Indo-European néw(y)os* (new), from which most words for new in Indo-European languages are descended [Source].

Related words in modern Celtic language include:

nua [n̪ˠuə / n̪ˠuː] = new, fresh, recent, novel; newness, new thing in Irish
nuadh [nuəɣ] = new, fresh, recent, novel, modern, unfamiliar in Scottish Gaelic
noa = fresh, modern, new, novel, original, recent, unused in Manx
newydd [ˈnɛu̯.ɨ̞ð] = new, recent, newly-grown, modern, late, novel, changed, fresh in Welsh
nowydh = fresh, new, novel, newly, just in Cornish
nevez [ˈne.ve] = new in Breton

The town of Noia in A Coruña in Galicia in the northwest of Spain probably gets its name from the same Proto-Celtic root, possibly via the Celtiberian nouiza [Source].

Another Proto-Celtic word for new is ɸūros*, which comes from the Proto-Indo-European puHrós (wheat), possibly from pewH- (to be clean, pure) [Source].

Related words in modern Celtic language include:

úr [uːɾˠ] = fresh; free, liberal, moist in Irish
ùr [uːr] = new, fresh in Scottish Gaelic
oor = new, sweet, novel, sappy, crisp, span, fresh, hour, raw in Manx
ir [iːr] = verdant, green, juicy, sappy, moist, succulent in Welsh
yr [ɪ:r/iːr] = fresh in Cornish

Words from the same PIE roots include pure in English, პური (ṗuri – bread, wheat) in Georgian, and պուրի (puri – a type of Georgian bread) in Armenian [Source].

In Proto-Celtic words for year were blēdanī/bleido. which possibly come from the Proto-Indo-European *bʰloyd- (pale) [source].

Related words in modern Celtic language include:

bliain [bʲlʲiənʲ] = year in Irish
bliadhna [bliən̪ˠə] = year, vintage in Scottish Gaelic
blein = [blʲeːnʲ / blʲiᵈn] = year, twelvemonth in Manx
blwyddyn [ˈblʊɨ̯ðɨ̞n] = year, a long time, ages; lifetime, life in Welsh
bledhen = year in Cornish
bloavezh = year in Breton

Words from the same PIE root include бледный (pale) in Russian, бледен (pale, pallied, insignificant) in Bulgarian, and bledý (pale) in Czech [source].

More details of new and year-related words 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.

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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Here’s the latest news for the last two weeks from the world of Omniglot.

There are new language pages about:

Cheke Holo, an Oceanic language spoken on Santa Isabel Island in Isabel Province of the Solomon Islands
Isoko, a Southwestern Edoid language spoken in Delta State in southern Nigeria.
Tigak, a Western Oceanic language spoken in New Ireland Province of Papua New Guinea.
Urhobo, a Southwestern Edoid language spoken in the states of Delta, Bayelsa and Edo in southern Nigeria.

New adapted script: Hokkien Imji / 漳泉音字 (쟝좐ˆ임찌), which is a why to write Hokkien with the Korean Hangeul script created by Lee Chun Hoe.

New adapated script: Ko Āwherika Māori (ꗛ ꕉ:ꗱꔸꕪ ꕮ:ꖺꔸ), a way to write Māori with the Vai script devised by Xavier Merica.

ꗛ ꗳ ꕪꗋꕉ ꖺ ꕋ ꕚꕋꕚ ꔤ ꗳ ꕘꕯꖕꕋꕚꕋ ꕮꔤ ꗡ ꕎꗳꕉ ꕉꕯ ꔤ ꕋ ꗤꗸ ꕪꗋꕉ; ꗡ ꕚꖕꔸꗳꔸꗳ ꕉꕯ ꖽꕃ ꕋ ꕮꕯ ꘈ ꕋ ꔳꕪ. ꗡ ꕘꕪꔱꔱꕉ ꕉꕯ ꖽꕃ ꕃ ꕉ ꕟꗋꖕ ꗳ ꕋꕪꖕ ꕘꔤ ꕘꕪꕉꗐ ꘈ ꗳ ꔦꘉꕋꗐ ꗞꔦꖺ ꕃ ꗳ ꔳꕪ ꘈ ꗳ ꗤ, ꕉ ꗡ ꔳꕪ ꕉꕯ ꕃꕉ ꘈꔤꕋ ꗳ ꕮꔦ ꕉ ꗳꕚꔦ ꘈ ꕮ ꗐꗋ ꕉꖤ ꔤ ꗳ ꕎꔤꖩꕉ ꖺ ꗳ ꗟꖽ ꕚꔦ, ꕉꗟ ꗤ ꗳꔤꕯ ꗤ ꖤꕉꕪꕯ ꔤ ꔸꕋ ꔤ ꗳ ꕘꕪꕉꗐ ꗛꕚꔦ.

There are new numbers pages in:

Kara, an Oceanic language spoken in the Kavieng District of New Ireland Province in Papua New Guinea.
Cheke Holo, an Oceanic language spoken on Santa Isabel Island in Isabel Province of the Solomon Islands
Isoko, a Southwestern Edoid language spoken in Delta State in southern Nigeria.
Tigak, a Western Oceanic language spoken in New Ireland Province of Papua New Guinea.
Papapana, a Western Oceanic language spoken in Bougainville Province in Papua New Guinea.
Urhobo, a Southwestern Edoid language spoken in the states of Delta, Bayelsa and Edo in southern Nigeria.

New Tower of Babel translations: Aruamu, Gapapaiwa and Urhobo.

On the Omniglot blog there are posts entitled Seeding Discord, Eve and Werifesteria, and there’s the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:

Here’s a clue: this is language was spoken in parts of the USA and Canada, and is currently being revived.

Here are the answers to last week’s Christmas quiz:

Japan – this tradtion started as a result of a festive marketing campaign by KFC in 1974
Venezuela, specifically in Caracas, the capital
Sweden – the Yule Goat (Julbock) tradition goes back to at least the 11th century.

Source: https://www.holidayextras.com/travel-blog/wanderlust/unusual-christmas-traditions.html

The mystery language in the previous week’s language quiz was Isoko, an Edoid language spoken in Delta State in the south of Nigeria.

In this week’s Adventure in Etymology we investigate the origins of the words Amok and Havoc.

On the Celtiadur blog there’s a post about words for Magic and Spells and related things in Celtic languages. I also made improvements to posts on the Celtiadur about words for Fresh & New and Years.

In other news, I spent Christmas with my family in Lancashire in the northwest of England. It was the first we had all been together in the same place for over 3 years, and was fun. I noticed that my Russian sister-in-law often speaks Russian to her children, but they usually reply in English. My nine-year-old niece understands everything and sometimes speaks Russian, but my six-year-old nephew doesn’t seem to understand as much and rarely if ever speaks Russian.

A Multilingual Happy New Year to you all!

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

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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In this Adventure we’re looking into the origins of the words amok and havoc. It’s a double bill this week as I had a break for Christmas last week.

Amok [əˈmɒk/əˈmʌk] means:

Out of control, especially when armed and dangerous.
In a frenzy of violence, or on a killing spree; berserk.

It usually appears in the phrase to run amok, which means to go on a rampage, to be in an uncontrollable rage, to go beserk, to go postal or to wreak havoc [source].

Amok comes from the Portuguese amouco (amok), from the Malay amuk (to go on a killing spree, to run amok), from the Proto-Malayo-Polynesian hamuk*. The Tagalog word hamok (fierce fighting, brawl) and the Māori word amo** (to charge, attack) come from the same roots [source].

Other English words derived from Malay include bamboo, camphor, cassowary, cockatoo, compound (as in an enclousure), gecko, gingham, gong and orangutan [source].

The word havoc [ˈhævək] means:

Widespread devastation and destruction, mayhem
to pillage, cause havoc

It comes from the Middle English havok (plunder, pillage), from the Old French havok, from havot (pillaging, looting) [source].

It appears in the phrase to wreak havoc, which means to cause damage, disruption or destruction [source]. Incidentally, I wrote about the word wreak on the Omniglot blog this week.

In Middle English it was used in the phrases crien havok (to give the signal for general plundering, and maken havok (to plunder thoroughly and indscriminately) [source]. The phrase, to cry havoc (to give an army the order to plunder) was and possibly still is used in modern English [source].

Here’s a video I made of this information:

Video made with Doodly [afflilate link].

I chose these words because I spent Christmas with my family (see below), including my niece and nephews, who are all under 10. While they didn’t exactly run amok or wreak havoc, a house full of young children can be a bit chaotic.

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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I’m taking a break from making podcasts and videos over Christmas. Radio Omniglot will return soon.

Silverdale School, where my brother, sister and I all went

In the meantime, I’m spending Christmas with my mum, brother, sister and their families in the wilds of Lancashire in the north west of England. This is the first time I’ve seen them all for 3 years, and the first time I’ve been outside Wales.

A Multilingual Merry Christmas to all of you who celebrate it.

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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot.

There’s a new writing system called the Naasioi Otomaung Alphabet, which was created by Chief Peter Karatapi to write Naasioi, a language spoken on the island of Bougainville in Papua New Guinea.

There are new language pages about:

Ghari, an Oceanic language spoken in Vaturanga in the northwest of Guadalcanal Island in the Solomon Islands.
Naasioi, a South Bougainville language spoken Kieta District of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville in Papua New Guinea.
Selaru (tel Masylarkwe), a Malayo-Polynesian language spoken in the Tanimbar Islands in the Maluku Tenggara Barat Regency of Maluku Province in the south of Malaysia.

New adapted script: Malay Shavian (𐑳𐑚𐑡𐑳𐑛 𐑥𐑩𐑤𐑳𐑘𐑫 𐑖𐑳𐑢𐑦), which was devised by Damian Izrullah bin Abdullah as an alternative way to write Malay, Indonesian and other Austronesian languages with the Shavian alphabet.

New adapated script: Magyargari (मजगरि), a way to write Hungarian with the Devanagari script devised by Xavier Merica.

मिन्देन् एम्बेरि लैण् सबदोन् सिुलेतिक् ऐश् एजेन्लिै मैल्तशाग ऐश् योग वन्। अस़् एम्बेरेक्, ऐश्सेल् ऐश् लेल्किइश्मेरेत्तेल् बिर्वान्, एज्माश्शल् सेम्बेन् तेश्त्वैरि सेल्लेम्बेन् केल्ल् होज् विशेल्तेश्शेनेक्।

There are new numbers pages in:

Ghari, an Oceanic language spoken in Vaturanga in the northwest of Guadalcanal Island in the Solomon Islands.
Selaru (tel Masylarkwe), a Malayo-Polynesian language spoken in the Tanimbar Islands in the Maluku Tenggara Barat Regency of Maluku Province in the south of Malaysia.
Ida’an, a North Bornean language spoken in Sabah, Malaysia.

There are new translations of the Tower of Babel story in Roviana, Ghari, Cheke Holo, Central Sinama, Nigerian Pidgin, Western Bolivian Guaraní and Selaru.

On the Omniglot blog there’s a new post about the Japanese expression 歩行者天国 (hokōsha tengoku), which means a pedestrianised area, or literally “Pedestrian Paradise”, and there’s the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:

Here’s a clue: this is language is spoken in Nigeria.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Bakhtiari Luri (بختیاری), a Western Iranian language spoken mainly in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province in southwestern Iran.

On the Celtiadur blog we’re looking at words for Speckled and Spotted and related things in Celtic languages.

In this week’s Adventure in Etymology we snuffle around the origins of the word Snort.

On the Celtic Pathways podcast we find out what links the word Javelin with words for fork and related things.

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

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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In this episode we’re getting to grips with the word javelin.

A javelin is a light spear thrown with the hand and used as a weapon, or a metal-tipped spear thrown for distance in an athletic field event. It comes from the Old French javelline (javelin), a diminutive of javelot (javelin), from the Vulgar Latin gabalottus* (spear), from the Gaulish gabalos (fork), from the Proto-Celtic gablā- (fork, forked branch), from Proto-Indo-European gʰabʰlos (fork, branch of tree) [source].

Related words in modern Celtic language include:

gabhal [ɡoːəl̪ˠ] = bifurcation, fork, crotch, junction in Irish
gobhal [ɡoːəl̪ˠ] = bifurcation, fork, crotch, junction in Scottish Gaelic
goal = fork, branch, crotch, crutch, junction, perineum in Manx
gafl [gafl] = fork, stride, lap, inner part of the thigh, groin, angle, nook in Welsh
gowl = crotch, fork in Cornish
goal = fork in Breton

The English word gable comes from the same Gaulish root, via the Old French gable [source], while the English word gaffle (a lever used to bend a crossbow) possibly comes from the same Gaulish root, via Middle English gaffolle, the Middle Dutch gaf(f)el (fork) and the Proto-West Germanic *gabulu (fork) [source].

Words in other languages from the same Gaulish root include Gaffel (gaff) in German, gaffel (fork) in Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, and kahveli (gaff, fork) in Finnish
[source].

More details of fork-related words 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.

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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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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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot.

There are new language pages about:

Bola (Bola-Bakovi), a Western Oceanic language spoken in West New Britain province of Papua New Guinea.

New constructed script: Geolmgeul (걺글), which is an alternative way to write Korean created by Heesu Kim, and was inspired by Korean handwriting and Japanese hiragana.

New adapated script: Latvian Runes (ᛚᚨᛏᚡᛁᛃᚨᛊ ᚱᚤᚾᚨᛊ / Latvijas Rūnas) (걺글), a way to write Latvian with Runes devised by Xavier Merica.

There are new numbers pages in:

Wiradjuri, a Pama-Nyungan language spoken in New South Wales in Australia.
bola.htm”>Bola (Bola-Bakovi), a Western Oceanic language spoken in West New Britain province of Papua New Guinea.
Kwara’ae, an Oceanic language spoken mainly on Malaita Island in the Solomon Islands.

There are new translations of the Tower of Babel story in Gonja and Kwara’ae

On the Omniglot blog there’s a new post about the latest UK Census, which shows a fall in the number of Welsh speakers, and there’s the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:

Here’s a clue: this is language is spoken in parts of Iran.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Tombulu (a.k.a. Minahasan), a Philippine language spoken in the Minahasa Regency of North Sulawesi Province in Indonesia.

On the Celtiadur blog we unlock words for Prison, Coracles in Celtic languages.

Continuing the prison theme, this week’s Adventure in Etymology looks into the origins of the word Jail/Gaol.

On the Celtic Pathways podcast about the word Coracle.

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

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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In this episode we’re getting out onto the river to look into the word coracle.

A coracle is a small, rounded, lightweight boat traditionally used in Wales, in parts of the West Country of England. in Ireland and in Scotland. It is made of a framework of split and interwoven willow rods, tied with willow bark and traditionally covered with an animal skin such as horse or bullock hide, with a thin layer of tar to waterproof it. These days calico, canvas or fibreglass are used instead of animal hide [source].

They are also known as currachs/curraghs in Ireland and Scotland, and these words were all borrowed from Celtic languages: coracle from Welsh, currach/curragh from Irish or Scottish Gaelic.

Related words in Celtic language include:

curach [kəˈɾˠax] = currach, coracle in Irish
curach [kurəx] = coracle, curragh, frame (of a coracle or an animal) in Scottish Gaelic
curragh [ˈkɔrʊɡ(i)] = coracle, canoe in Manx
corwg(l) = coracle, skiff; vessel, drinking vessel in Welsh
koroug = coracle in Cornish
korac’h = coracle in Breton

These words comes from the Proto-Celtic korukos (leather boat), probably from the PIE (s)koro- (leather), from *(s)ker- (to cut off) [source].

Words from the same PIE roots include cuir (leather) in French, cuero (leather, animal skin, hide) in Spanish and couro (leather, hide) in Portuguese [source].

More details of shoe– and trouser-related words 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.

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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In this Adventure we unlock the origins of the word jail / gaol.

A jail / gaol [d͡ʒeɪ(ə)l] is:

A place of confinement for persons held in lawful custody.

Gaol was the standard spelling in the UK and Australia until about the 1930s, when apparently the game Monopoly popularised the jail spelling. It comes from the Middle English gai(o)le (jail, prison, birdcage), from the Old North French gaiole (cave, prison), from the Medieval Latin gabiola (cage) from the Late Latin caveola, a diminuative of cavea (hollow, cavity, cage), from cavus (hollow, concave) [source].

Jail comes from the Middle English jaile (jail, prison, birdcage), from the Old French jaiole (cage, prison), from the same Latin roots as gaol. Both words come from the Proto-Italic kawos*, and possibly from the PIE ḱowh₁ós (hollow), from ḱewh₁- (to swell) [source].

English words from the same roots include cave, cavern, cavity, cage and church [source].

Apparently in the USA a jail is under the jurisdiction of a local government (such as a county) and is used to confine people awaiting trail or those convicted of minor crimes [source], while a prison is under state jurisdiction and is used to confine those convicted of serious crimes [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.

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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot.

There are new language pages about:

Akkala Sámi (Аһккэла саамь киилл), an Eastern Sámi language that was spoken on the Kola Peninsula in the Murmansk Oblast in the northwest of Russia.
East (James Bay) Cree (ᐄᔨᔫ ᐊᔨᒨᓐ / Îyiyû Ayimûn), a Cree language spoken around James Bay in northern Quebec in Canada.
Vitu, a Western Oceanic language spoken on the islands of Big Vitu (Garove) and Mudua in West New Britain Province in Papua New Guinea.

New constructed script: Ladowshand, which was created by Arcee Gonepike as an alternative way to write English

There are new numbers pages in:

Vitu, a Western Oceanic language spoken in West New Britain Province in Papua New Guinea.
Yelmek, a Bulaka River language spoken in West Papua in Indonesia.
Biak (wós Vyak), a Malayo-Polynesian language spoken in the Biak Islands in Papua Province in eastern Indonesia.
Kelabit (karuh Kelabit), a North Bornean language spoken in Sarawak in Malaysia.

There a new translation of the Tower of Babel story in Eastern Arrernte, a Pama-Nyungan language spoken in Central Australia.

On the Omniglot blog there’s a new post about idiomatic ways to say you’re happy in English and Scottish Gaelic called As Happy As A Shoe, and there’s the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:

Here’s a clue: this is a Phippine language, but isn’t spoken in the Philippines

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Susu (Sosoxui), a Western Mande language spoken in Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Senegal and Sierra Leone in West Africa.

There’s a Celtiadur post about words for Boots and Shoes and one about Foreheads and related things in Celtic languages.

This week we have a joint Adventures in Etymology and Celtic Pathways podcast about the word brogue.

I also made improvements to the Klallam and Koasati language pages.

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

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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In this episode we’re look into the tangled origins of the word brogue. I decided to make this a joint Adventures in Etymology / Celtic Pathways episode rather doing two separate ones. I hope you don’t mind.

The word brogue in English refers to a type of shoe, or a strong accent, particularly a strong Irish accent when speaking English, although it originally referred to Irish spoken with a strong English accent, or a heavy shoe of untanned leather.

It comes from the Irish word bróg (boot, shoe), from the Old Irish bróc [broːɡ] (shoe, sandal, greave), from the Old Norse brók (trousers, breeches) or the Old English brōc (underpants), both of which come from the Proto-Germanic brōks* (rear end, rump, leggings, pants, trousers), from the PIE bʰreg-* (to break, crack, split) [source].

Related words in other Celtic languages include:

bròg [brɔːg] = shoe, boot, hoof in Scottish Gaelic
braag = brogue, shoe in Manx
brog = brogue (shoe) in Welsh

Brogue in the sense of accent might come from the Irish word barróg (hug, wrestling grip, brogue, impediment of speech) [source], which comes from the Old Irish barróc (fast hold, tight grip, embrace, gripe, stitch) [source],

Other words from the Proto-Germanic root brōks* include breeches/britches in English, brók (trousers, underpants) in Icelandic and Faroese, brok (trousers) in Swedish and Norwegian, and broek** (trousers) in Dutch [source].

The Irish word bríste (trousers), the Manx word breeçhyn (breeches) and the Welsh word brits/britsh (breeches) were borrowed from the English word breeches. The Scottish Gaelic word briogais (trousers) comes from the Scots breeks (trousers, breeches), from the Middle English breke, from the Old English brēċ [breːt͡ʃ] (underpants) [source].

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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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot. There are new language pages about: Aneityum (Anejom̃), a Southern Oceanic language spoken on Aneityum Island in Tafea Province in the south of Vanuatu. Kokota (Ooe Kokota), a Western Oceanic language spoken on Santa Isabel Island in Isabel Province in the Solomon Islands. Nobonob, a Madang […]

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In this Adventure we investigate the origins of the word quiver. A quiver [ˈkwɪvə / ˈkwɪvɚ] is: A portable case for holding arrows A collection or store To quiver means: To shake with a slight, rapid, tremulous movement To tremble, as from cold or strong emotion. Quiver as an adjective means: fast, speedy, rapid energetic, […]

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In this episode we’re look into words for flowers and related things. In Proto-Celtic, the word blātus meant flower of blossom. It comes from the Proto-Indo-European root bʰleh₃- (bloom, flower) [source]. Descendents in the modern Celtic languages include: bláth [bˠl̪ˠɑː/bˠl̪ˠaː] = blossom, flower; bloom, beauty, prime; prosperity or abundance in Irish blàth [bl̪ˠaː] = bloom, […]

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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot. There are new language pages about: Taiwanese Hakka (Thòi-vân Hak-fa), a group of Hakka dialects spoken in Taiwan. Samogitian (žemaitiu kalba), an Eastern Baltic language spoken in the Samogitia region in the west of Lithuania. Ughele, an Oceanic language spoken on Rendova Island, one of the […]

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In this episode we’re rounding up some words for mutton, sheep and related things. In Proto-Celtic, the word moltos meant a ram or wether (castrated ram). It possibly comes from the Proto-Indo-European word (h₂)moldus (crooked) [source]. Descendents in the modern Celtic languages include: molt = wether, sulky, morose person in Irish molt [mul̪ˠt̪ˠ] = wether […]

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In this Adventure we’re calmly looking into the origins of the word nonchalant. Nonchalant [ˈnɒn.ʃəl.ənt / ˌnɑn.ʃəˈlɑnt] means: casually calm and relaxed indifferent, unconcerned, behaving as if detached It comes from the French nonchalant (indolent, cool, relaxed) from the Old French nonchaloir (to have no importance, indifference), from non- (not) and chaloir (to heat, bother, […]

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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot. There are new language pages about: Nengone (p’ene nengone), a Southern Oceanic language spoken mainly on Maré and Tiga islands, which are part Loyalty Islands Province in New Caledonia. Daakaka, a Southern Oceanic language spoken in the southwest of Ambrym Island in Malampa Province of Vanuatu […]

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In this Adventure in Etymology we are getting perplexed and confused by the origins of the word befuddle. Befuddle [bɪˈfʌdl] means: to perplex or confuse (sb) to stupefy (sb), especially with alcohol It comes from be- (a prefix) and fuddle (to confuse, intoxicate, get drunk; intoxication, a muddle or confusion) [source], possibly from the Low […]

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In this episode we’re looking at some crooked and twisted words. In Proto-Celtic, the word kambos meant twisted, crooked or bent. It comes from the Proto-Indo-European word kh₂em- (to arch, bend, curve), from *(s)ḱh₂embos (crooked) [source]. Descendents in the modern Celtic languages include: cam [kaumˠ] = bend, bent, crooked, crookedness, fraud; to bend, crook, distort […]

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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot. There are new language pages about: Big Numbas (V’ënen Taut), an Oceanic language spoken in the Big Numbas region in the northwest of Malekula Island in Malampa Province of Vanuatu. Neverver, a Southern Oceanic language spoken on Malekula Island in Malampa Province of Vanuatu. Tamambo (Tamabo), […]

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There’s some building work going on at my house, so in this Adventure we’re digging into the origins of the word rubble. Rubble [ˈɹʌb.əl] is: the broken remains of an object, usually rock or masonry rough, irregular stones broken from larger masses, esp. waste fragments from the demolition of a building, etc. It comes from […]

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In this episode we’re looking into the Celtic roots of the words slogan and slew. In English the word slogan means a distinctive phrase of a person or group of people, a motto, a catchphrase, and formerly, a battle cry used by the Irish or by Scottish highlanders [source]. In the past it was written […]

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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot. There are new language pages about: Batak Angkola, a Southern Batak language spoken in the province of North Sumatra in Indonesia Batak Dairi (Kata Pakpak), a Northern Batak language spoken in the provinces of Aceh and North Sumatra in Indonesia. Batak Karo (cakap Karo), a Northern […]

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As it’s near the end of October, in this Adventure in Etymology we’re investigating the origins of the word hallow, as in Halloween. Hallow [ˈhæləʊ / ˈhæloʊ] is an old word that means: A saint; a holy person; an apostle. (plural) The relics or shrines of saints or non-Christian gods. It comes from the Middle […]

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In this episode we’re looking a the word clan and related things in Celtic languages. The word clan in English means a group of people descended from a common ancestor, a traditional social group of families in the Scottish Highlands having a common hereditary chieftain, or any group defined by family ties with some sort […]

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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot. There are new language pages about: Wapishana (Wapixana), a Northern Arawakan language spoken in Guyana and Brazil. Ketengban, an Eastern Mek language spoken in Highland Papua Province in Indonesia. New constructed script: High Gavellian, which was created in 2020 by the developers of the Minecraft MMORPG […]

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Today we’re telling tales about the origins of the word spell. Spell [spɛl] means: Words or a formula supposed to have magical powers. A magical effect or influence induced by an incantation or formula To put under the influence of a spell, to affect by a spell, to bewitch, fascinate, charm Spell used to mean […]

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In this episode we are looking into the origins of words for sacks, bags and bellys in Celtic languages. The Proto-Celtic word bolgos means sack, bag or stomach. It comes from the Proto-Indo-European bʰólǵʰ-o-s (skin bag, bolster), from *bʰelǵʰ- (to swell) [source]. Descendants in the Celtic languages include: bolg [ˈbˠɔlˠəɡ] = belly, stomach, abdomen; bag; […]

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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot. There are new language pages about: Löyöp, an Oceanic language spoken in the east of Ureparapara Island in northern Vanuatu. Lehali (Loli), an Oceanic language spoken in the west of Ureparapara Island in northern Vanuatu. Mao (Emela), an Angami-Pochuri language spoken in Manipur and Nagaland the […]

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Today we are uncovering the origins of the word jelly. Jelly [ˈd͡ʒɛl.i] is: a dessert made by boiling gelatin(e), sugar and some flavouring (often derived from fruit) and allowing it to set (In the UK, Australia and NZ) – known as jello in North America (see below) A clear or translucent fruit preserve, made from […]

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In this episode we are tracking the origins of the word step. The Proto-Celtic word for step is kanxsman. It comes from the Proto-Celtic kengeti (to step), from the Proto-Indo-European *(s)keng- (to limp, walk lamely) [source]. Descendants in the Celtic languages include: céim [ceːmʲ] = step, degree, rank, pass, ravine, difficulty in Irish ceum [kʲeːm] […]

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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 […]

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Today we are looking into, examining, scrutinizing and underseeking the origins of the word investigate. Investigate [ɪnˈves.tɪ.ɡeɪt/ɪnˈves.tə.ɡeɪt] means: to inquire into or study in order to ascertain facts or information. to examine, look into, or scrutinize in order to discover something hidden or secret. to conduct an inquiry or examination. It comes from investigation, from […]

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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 […]

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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot. There are new language pages about: Hiw, a Southern Oceanic language spoken on the island of Hiw, one of the Torres Islands in Torba province of Vanuatu. Rapa (Reo Rapa), an Eastern Polynesian language spoken on Rapa Iti, one of the Austral Islands in French Polynesia, […]

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In this episode we are teasing out the origins of the word wool. The Proto-Celtic word for wool is wlanā. It comes from the Proto-Indo-European h₂wĺ̥h₁neh₂ (wool), from *h₂welh₁- (hair, wool) [source]. Descendants in the Celtic languages include: olann [ˈɔlˠən̪ˠ] = wool, woolly hair, mop of hair; woollen in Irish olann [ˈɔl̪ˠən̪ˠ] = wool (usually […]

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Today we are unloading the origins of the word quay. A quay [kiː/keɪ] is: a stone or concrete structure on navigable water used for loading and unloading vessels; a wharf. It comes from the Middle English key(e) [ˈkɛi̯(ə)] (quay), from the Old French kay / cail (quay, wharf), from the Gaulish kagyum / cagiíum (enclosure), […]

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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot. There are new language pages about: Gourmanchéma (gùlmàncéma), a Gur language spoken mainly in Burkina Faso, and also in Togo, Niger and Benin. Konkomba (Likpakpaln), a Gur language spoken mainly in northern Ghana, and also in northern Togo. Moba (Muaba), a Gur language spoken mainly in […]

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Today we are burrowing into the origins of the word rabbit. A rabbit [ˈɹæbɪt] is: a mammal of the family Leporidae, with long ears, long hind legs and a short, fluffy tail. It comes from the Middle English rabet(te) (young rabbit), from the Middle French *robotte/rabotte or the Anglo-Latin rabettus, from the Old French rabotte, […]

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In this episode we are investigating words for beer and related things. In Proto-Celtic beer was kormi or kurman, which comes from the Proto-Indo-European kremH- (to burn), or from ḱr̥h₃-m- (porridge, soup), or from *ḱh₁erh₂- (to mix) [source]. Descendants in the Celtic languages include: coirm [kɞɾʲəmʲ] = ale, drinking-party, feast, banquet in Irish cuirm [kurʲum] […]

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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot. There are new language pages about: Bedawi Arabic (بدوي‎), a variety of Arabic spoken mainly in Egypt and Jordan, and also in Israel, Syria and Palestine. Midland Mixe (Ayüük), a Mixe-Zoque language spoken in the Sierra Norte Region in Oaxaca in southern Mexico. Berba (Byali), a […]

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Today we are exploring origins of the word campus. A campus [ˈkæmpəs / ˈkæmpʊs] is: The grounds or property of a school, college, university, business, church, or hospital, often understood to include buildings and other structures. It comes from the Latin campus (field. plain), from the Proto-Italic kampos, from the Proto-Indo-European kh₂ém-po-s, from *kh₂emp- (to […]

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In this episode we’re looking at words for bells, clocks and related things.. The Proto-Celtic word for bell was klokkos, which comes either from the Proto-Indo-European klēg-/klōg- (onomatopoeia), or from kleg- (to cry, sound) [source]. Descendants in the modern Celtic languages include: clog [klˠɔɡ] = bell, clock in Irish clag [kl̪ˠag] = bell; crash, loud […]

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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot. There are new language pages about: Isthmus Mixe (Ayüük), a Mixe-Zoque language spoken in Oaxaca in southern Mexico. Isan (อีสาน), a Lao-Phuthai language spoken in the Isan region in northeastern Thailand. There are new numbers pages in: Isthmus Mixe (Ayüük) Isan (อีสาน) Hmong Dau / White […]

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Today we are delving into the origins of the word nostril, as requested by Sculley_volley on Tiktok A nostril [ˈnɒstɹɪl / ˈnɒstɹəl] is: either of the two orifices located on the nose (or on the beak of a bird); used as a passage for air and other gases to travel the nasal passages. It comes […]

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In this episode we’re looking at words for wagons, carts and related vehicles. One Proto-Celtic word for wagon was karros, which comes from the Proto-Indo-European ḱr̥sós (vehicle), from ḱers- (to run) [source]. Descendants in the Celtic languages include: karros = wagon in Gaulish carr [kɑːɾˠ / kæːɾˠ] = car in Irish càr [kar] = car, […]

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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot. There are new language pages about: Gulf Arabic (خليجي‎), a variety of Arabic spoken mainly around the Persian Gulf in the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Egypt, Saudi Arabic, Oman, Qatar and other countries. Kusaal (Kʋsaal), a Gur language spoken mainly in northern Ghana, and also in […]

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Today we are uncovering the origins of the word hat. A hat [hæt / hat] is: a covering for the head, often in the approximate form of a cone, dome or cylinder closed at its top end, and sometimes having a brim and other decoration a particular role or capacity that a person might fill. […]

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In this episode we’re looking at words for horses and related beasts. One Proto-Celtic word for horse was kaballos, which possibly comes from an Asiatic source, and may ultimately come from the Proto-Indo-European kebʰ- (worn-out horse, nag) [source]. Descendants in the Celtic languages include: *caballos = horse in Gaulish capall [ˈkapˠəl̪ˠ] = horse, mare in […]

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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot. We have some new adapted and constructed scripts this week: Tiukigul (튜키글), a way to write Turkish with the Korean Hangul script created by Adiljan Barat. Göktürkçe, an alternative way to write modern Turkish with the Old Turkish (Göktürk) alphabet devised by Gökbey Uluç. Scorapice Shorthand, […]

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Shankland Reading Room, Bangor University. Photo by Richard Simcott Today we are unpeeling the origins of the word library. A library [ˈlaɪbɹi / ˈlaɪbɹəɹi] is: a building, room, or organization that has a collection of books, documents, music, and sometimes things such as tools or artwork, for people to borrow, usually without payment. It comes […]

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In this episode we’re looking at words for servants and related people. The Proto-Celtic word ambaxtos means servant and comes from ambi- (around),‎ ageti (to drive) and‎ -os, from the Proto-Indo-European word *h₂m̥bʰi-h₂eǵ- (drive around) [source]. It became ambaxtos (vassal, high-ranking servant) in Gaulish, amaeth [ˈameɨ̯θ / ˈamei̯θ] (ploughman, husbandman, farmer, agriculture) in Welsh, ammeth […]

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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot. We have several new adapted and constructed scripts this week: Compact Morse Code, a way to write Morse Code in a condensed way devised by Zmitro Lapcionak. Swedish Runes (ᛋᚡᛂᚿᛋᚴᛆ᛫ᚱᚢᚿᚮᚱ), a way to write Swedish with medieval runes devised by Sven Salvenson. ᛂᚿ᛫ᛑᛆᚵ᛫ᛒᚯᚱᚤᛆᛑᛂ᛫ᛋᚮᛚᛂᚿ᛫ᚮᚴ᛫ᚡᛁᚿᛑᛂᚿ᛫ᛒᚱᚰᚴᛆ᛫ᚮᛉ᛫ᚡᛂᛉ᛫ᛆᚠ᛫ᛑᛂᛉ᛫ᛋᚮᛉ᛫ᚠᛆᚱ᛫ᛋᛐᛆᚱᚴᛆᛋᛐ᛬ᛑᛂ᛫ᚴᚢᚿᛑᛂ᛫ᛁᚿᛐᛂ᛫ᛂᚿᛆᛋ᛫ᛋᚰ᛫ᛑᛂ᛫ᛒᛂᛋᛐᛅᛉᛑᛂ᛫ᛋᛁᛦ᛫ᚠᚯᚱ᛫ᛆᛐ᛫ᚢᛚᛉᛆᚿᛆ᛫ᚡᛆᚱᛆᚿᛑᚱᛆ᛫ᛔᚰ᛫ᛂᚿ᛫ᛚᛁᛐᛂᚿ᛫ᛐᛅᚡᛚᛁᚿᚵ᛬”ᛋᛂᚱ᛫ᛑᚢ᛫ᛉᛆᚿᛂᚿ᛫ᛑᛅᚱ᛫ᚿᛂᚱᛂX”ᛋᛆᛑᛂ᛫ᚡᛁᚿᛑᛂᚿ ᛐᛁᛚ᛫ᛋᚮᛚᛂᚿ᛬”ᛚᚰᛐ᛫ᚮᛋ᛫ᛋᛂ᛫ᚡᛂᛉ᛫ᛋᚮᛉ᛫ᚴᛆᚿ᛫ᛋᛚᛁᛐᛆ᛫ᛆᚡ᛫ᛡᚮᚿᚮᛉ᛫ᚱᚮᚴᛂᚿ᛫ᛋᚿᛆᛒᚿᛋᛐ᛬” Goulsse, a […]

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Do you sometimes sneeze when you see the sun or when you are exposed to another bright light? If so, you, like me, might have: photoptarmosis [ˈfəʊ.tə.tɑɹ.məʊsɪs / ˈfoʊ.tə.tɑː.moʊsɪs]: an inherited and congenital autosomal dominant reflex condition that causes sneezing in response to numerous stimuli, such as looking at bright lights. It comes from the […]

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In this episode we’re looking at words for druids and related people. The Proto-Celtic druwits means priest or druid, and comes from the Proto-Celtic daru (oak) and wid-/windeti (to know, to see), from the Proto-Indo-European dóru (tree) and weyd (to see, know) [source]. Descendants in the modern Celtic languages include: draoi [d̪ˠɾˠiː] = druid, wizard, […]

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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot. This week there are new language pages about: Ambel (galí Ambél), a Malayo-Polynesian language spoken on the island of Waigeo, which is part of the Raja Ampat Regency in West Papua Province in eastern Indonesia. North Marquesan (Te èo ènana), an Eastern Polynesian language spoken in […]

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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 […]

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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] = […]

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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot. This week we have a new page about General Chinese (Tungdzih) a way to write all major varieties of Chinese with the Roman alphabet, or using Chinese characters syllabically. It was invented by 趙元任 (Zhào Yuánrèn) in the early 20th century, and he also invented Gwoyeu […]

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Last weekend I went to Aberystwyth to see a friend, which was nice, and also why I didn’t manage to record a new Adventure in Etymology. Unfortunately one souvenir I brought back was a dose of Corona virus. I felt quite feverish earlier this week, so today we’re uncovering the origins of the word fever. […]

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In this episode we’re looking at words for family, tribe and related things. In Proto-Celtic a word for family or kindred was wenyā, which comes from the Proto-Indo-European wenh₁- (to wish, seek, desire, love, win) [source]. Descendents in the modern Celtic languages include: fine [ˈfʲɪnʲə] = family, kin, clan, tribe, race in Irish fine [finə] […]

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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot. This week there are new language pages about: Hadza (Hadzane), a language isolate spoken around Lake Eyasi in northern Tanzania Hejazi Arabic (حجازي), a variety of Arabic spoken mainly in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia. There are new numbers pages in: Budukh (Будад мез), […]

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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot. This week there are new language pages about: Porohanon, a Central Bisayan language spoken in the Camotes Islands in Cebu province in the Philippines. Athpare (आठपहरिया‎), an Eastern Kiranti language spoken in the Dhankuta District in eastern Nepal. Bukusu (Lubukusu), a Bantu language spoken in southwestern […]

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Today we’re investigating the origins of the word dean. A dean [diːn] is: A senior official in a college or university, who may be in charge of a division or faculty. A dignitary or presiding officer in certain church bodies. The senior member of some group of people It comes from the Middle English de(e)n […]

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In this episode we’re looking at words for person, human and related things. In Proto-Celtic a word for person was gdonyos, which comes from the Proto-Indo-European dʰéǵʰom-yo- (earthling, human), from *dʰéǵʰōm (earth, human) [source]. Descendents in the modern Celtic languages include: duine [ˈd̪ˠɪnʲə] = human, man, mankind, person in Irish duine [dɯn̪ʲə] = fellow, person, […]

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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot. This week there are new language pages about: Haroi, a Chamic language spoken in southern Vietnam. Palikúr (Pa’ikwaki), a Northern Arawakan language spoken in Brazil and French Guiana. Suwawa, a Philippine language spoken in the district of Suwawa in the Bone Bolango Regency in Gorontalo Province […]

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Today we’re uncovering the mysterious and puzzling origins of the word riddle. A riddle [ˈɹɪdəl] is: A verbal puzzle, mystery, or other problem of an intellectual nature. To riddle is: To speak ambiguously or enigmatically. To solve, answer, or explicate a riddle or question. It comes from the Middle English rēdels (riddle, problem, enigma), from […]

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Celtic Pathways is a new series on Radio Omniglot that will be exploring connections between Celtic languages, and looking for Celtic roots in other languages. The Six Celtic languages currently spoken are all members of the insular branch of the Celtic language family, which is part of the Indo-European language family. They can be divided […]

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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot. This week there are new language pages about: Sayula Popoluca (yamay ajw), a Mixe language spoken in the southern Veracruz in southeastern Mexico. Oluta Popoluca (Yaak’awü), a Mixe language spoken in the southern Veracruz in southeastern Mexico. Dominican Creole (kwéyòl), a French-based creole spoken in the […]

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Today we’re playing with the word daff. A Daff [dæf] is: A fool, idiot or blockhead It comes from the Middle English daf(fe) (fool, idiot), from the Old Norse daufr (deaf, stupid), from the Proto-Germanic daubaz [ˈdɑu̯.βɑz] (stunned, deaf), from the PIE dʰewbʰ- (hazy, unclear, dark, smoke, obscure) [source]. In northern dialects of English and […]

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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot. This week there are new language pages about: Lhowa (ॱलोवा), a Central Bodish language spoken in Gandaki Province in central Nepal Yola (Yola Taalke), an Anglic language that was spoken in County Wexford in the southeast of Ireland until 1998, and which is currently being revived. […]

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Today we’re exploring the origins of the word puffin. A puffin [ˈpʌfɪn] is: Any of the various small seabirds of the genera Fratercula and Lunda that are black and white with a brightly-coloured beak, such as the Atlantic or common puffin (Fratercula arctica). It comes from the Middle English poffon / poffin / puffon (puffin […]

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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot. This week there are new language pages about: Mamaindê (Mamainsahai’gidu), a Nambikwaran language spoken in Mato Grosso State in western Brazil. Bolyu (Pɔ₃₃lju₁₃), a Pankanic language spoken in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in southern China. New constructed script Jigul, a phonetic script that can be used […]

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Today we’re exploring the origins of the word secret. A secret [ˈsiːkɹɪt / ˈsiːkɹət] is: A piece of knowledge that is hidden and intended to be kept hidden. The key or principle by which something is made clear; the knack. Something not understood or known. It comes from the Middle English secrette (secret), from the […]

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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot. This week there are new language pages about: Santiagueño Quechua (Arhintina runasimi), a Southern Quechua language spoken in northern Argentina. Gawar, a Chadic language spoken in the Far North Region of Cameroon. Wambule (वाम्बुले‎), a Kiranti language spoken in parts of eastern of Nepal. Sabanê, a […]

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Today we’re looking into the origins of the word butter. Butter [ˈbʌtə / ˈbʌɾɚ] is: A soft, fatty foodstuff made by churning the cream of milk (generally cow’s milk) Any of various foodstuffs made from other foods or oils, similar in consistency to, eaten like or intended as a substitute for butter, such as peanut […]

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This week there are new language pages about: Gawar Bati (گواربتی بݰہ), a Dardic language spoken in northeastern Afghanistan and northwestern Pakistan. Huaylla Wanca Quechua (Wanka Nunashimi), a Central Quechua language spoken in central Peru. Sakaizaya, an East Formosan language spoken in northeastern Taiwan. There’s a new constructed script called Arwo Wanco, which is based […]

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Today we’re exploring the origins of the word roof. A roof [ɹuːf / ɹʊf] is: the cover of a building material used for a roof the highest point an upper limit the vaulted upper boundary of the mouth It comes from the Middle English rof [roːf] (roof, house, top of the mouth), or from the […]

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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot. This week there are new language pages about: Dhatki (धाटकी / ڍاٽڪي), a Western Rajasthani language spoken in southern Pakistan and northeasten India. Penobscot (pαnawαhpskewi), an Eastern Abenaki language spoken Penobscot County in Maine in the USA. Moose Cree (ᐃᓕᓖᒧᐧᐃᓐ / ililîmowin), a central Algonquian language […]

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Today we’re looking into the origins of the word circus. A circus [ˈsɜːkəs/ˈsɝkəs] is: A traveling company of performers that may include acrobats, clowns, trained animals, and other novelty acts, that gives shows usually in a circular tent. A round open space in a town or city where multiple streets meet. A spectacle; a noisy […]

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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot. This week we have new language pages about: Swampy Cree (ᓀᐦᐃᓇᐍᐏᐣ / nêhinawêwin), a Central Algonquian language spoken Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Ontario in Canada. Bilua, a language isolate spoken on Vella Lavella Island in the Western Province of the Solomon Islands. Cajamarca Quechua (Kashamarka qichwa), a […]

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Today we’re exploring the origins of the word tat. tat [tæt] is: cheap, tasteless, useless goods; trinkets. tatty articles or a tatty condition a tangled mass an abbreviation of tattoo It comes from the Hindi टाट (ṭāṭ – burlap, gunny, hessian, sackcloth, sacking), or from tatty (worn out, shabby, tawdry, unkempt), which comes from tatter […]

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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot. The new language pages this week are about: Western Pwo (ဖျိၩ့), a Karenic language spoken in southern Myanmar. Sümi, a Sino-Tibetan language spoken mainly in Nagaland in the northeast of India. Tai Laing (တႆးလꧥင်ꩽ), a southwestern Tai language spoken in northern Myanmar. Northern Pwo (พลอง), a […]

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Today we’re delving into the origins of the word lead. lead [lɛd] is: a soft, heavy, metallic element with atomic number 82 found mostly in combination and used especially in alloys, batteries, and shields against sound, vibration, or radiation. a thin strip of metal used to separate lines of type in printing. It comes from […]

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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot. The new language pages this week are about: Manumanaw Karen, a Central Karen language spoken in the southwest of Kayah State in eastern Myanmar. Pa’O (ပအိုဝ်ႏ), a Karen language spoken in Shan, Kayin, Kayah and Mon states in eastern Myanmar. Huallaga Quechua (Wallaqa Runashimi), a Central […]

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Today we’re looking into the origins of the word quiet. Quiet [ˈkwaɪ.ɪt / ˈkwaɪ.ət] means: making little or no noise or sound free or comparatively free of noise silent restrained in speech or manner free from disturbance or tumult; peaceful It comes from the Middle English quiete (peace, rest, gentleness), from the Old French quiet(e) […]

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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot. The new language pages this week are about: Bagri (बागड़ी), a Rajasthani language spoken in the northwest of India and in eastern and southern Pakistan. Mewari (मेवाड़ी), a Rahashtani language spoken mainly in northwestern and central India, and also in southern Pakistan. Eastern Pwo Karen (ဖၠုံ‎), […]

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Today we find out what links frolics and frogs. Frolic [ˈfɹɒlɪk] means: full of fun a playful or mischievous action an occasion or scene of fun to play and run about happily It comes from the Dutch vrolijk [ˈvroːˌlək] (cheerful, happy, merry), via the Middle Dutch vrolijc and the Old Dutch frōlīk, from the Proto-Germanic […]

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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot. The new language pages this week are about: Eton (Ìtón), a Bantu language spoken in central Cameroon. Ancash Quechua (Anqas Qichwa), a variety of Quechua spoken in the Department of Ancash in northwestern Peru. Kamba (Kikamba), a Bantu language spoken in southern Kenya and northern Tanzania. […]

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Today we’re looking into the origins of the word nepotism. Nepotism [ˈnɛp.ə.tɪ.zəm] is: The favoring of relatives or personal friends because of their relationship rather than because of their abilities. Patronage bestowed or favoritism shown on the basis of family relationship, as in business and politics. It comes from the French népotisme [ne.pɔ.tism] (nepotism), from […]

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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot. This week there are new language pages about: Haya (OluHaya), a Bantu language spoken in the Kagera region of northern Tanzania. Ili Turki (İlı turkeşi), a Turkic language spoken in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in the northwest of China. Nyukyusa (Kɨnyakyʉsa), a Bantu language spoken […]

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Today we’re exploring the origins of the word technology. Technology [tɛkˈnɒlədʒi / tɛkˈnɑlədʒi] is: The organization of knowledge for practical purposes. All the different and usable technologies developed by a culture or people. Any useful skill or mechanism that was developed or invented. It comes from the Ancient Greek τεχνολογία [te.xno.loˈɣi.a] (systematic treatment of grammar), […]

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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot. This week there are new language pages about: Belhare (आठपहरिया / aṭhpariya), a Kiranti language spoken in Province No. 1 in eastern Nepal. Bantayanon, a Central Bisayan language spoken mainly on Bantayan Island in Cebu Province the Philippines. Pumi (prēn mì), a Qiangic language spoken in […]

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Today we’re exploring the origins of the word pique. Pique [piːk / pik] means: to affect with sharp irritation and resentment, especially by some wound to pride to wound (the pride, vanity, etc.) to excite (interest, curiosity, etc.) a feeling of irritation or resentment It comes from the French piquer (to prick, sting, annoy, get […]

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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot. This week there are new pages about: Gogo (Cigogo), a Bantu language spoken mainly in the Dodoma Region in central Tanzania. Kuria (Igikuria), a Bantu language spoken in Tanzania and Kenya. Gusii (EkeGusii), a Bantu language spoken mainly in Kenya and also in Tanzania. There are […]

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Here is the latest news from Omniglot.

The new language pages this week are:

Galo (`Galoo), a Tani language spoken in the states of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam in the northeast of India.
Songe (Kisonge), a Bantu language spoken in the south of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Goral (Górolski), a group of West Slavic dialects spoken in the Goral Lands in southern Poland, northern Slovakia and northeastern Czechia.

There are a new numbers pages in: Southern Ndebele (isiNdebele), Luganda (Oluganda), Comorian (shiKomori) and Tsonga (Xitsonga), which are all Bantu languages.

New page about telling the time and other time-related expressions in: Basque (euskera).

There are new constructed scripts: Siekoo and Quadoo, which are tactile alphabets developed by Alexander Fakoó.

Siekoo

Quadoo

There’s new Omniglot blog post entitled Sleeve Monkeys, which is about Dutch and English idioms related to monkeys, sleeves, cats and bags, and the usual Language Quiz – see if you can guess what language this is.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Gciriku (Rumanyo), a Bantu language spoken in Namibia, Bostwana and Angola.

The new Celtiadur posts this week are entitled Festive Feasts and Salt, and are about words for festivals, feasts, banquets, salt and related things in Celtic languages.

In the Adventure in Etymology this week we explore the origins of the English word salt, and discover that words such as salad, salami, salsa, sauce and sausage come from the same root.

I made improvements to the Greek, Basque and Vai language pages, and made a separate page about the Vai syllabary.

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

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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Today we’re looking into the origins of the word salt.

Salt [sɒlt / sɔlt / sɑlt] is:

a white powder or colourless crystalline solid, consisting mainly of sodium chloride and used for seasoning and preserving food

It comes from the Middle English salt(e) / se(a)lt [salt/sɛlt] (salt), from the Old English sealta [sæ͜ɑɫt] (salt, salty, salted), from the Proto-West-Germaic salt* (salty), from the Proto-Germanic saltaz [ˈsɑl.tɑz] (salty), from saltaną [ˈsɑl.tɑ.nɑ̃] (to salt, pickle) from the PIE *seh₂l- (salt) [source].

In most modern Indo-European languages, words for salt begin with an s and contain an l, including sel in French, sal in Catalan, Spanish, Galician, Portuguese and Spanish, sollan in Manx, and sól [sul] in Polish. [source].

Exceptions include sare [ˈsa.re] in Romanian, zout [zɑu̯t] in Dutch, αλάτι [aˈlati] in Greek, աղ [ɑʁ] in Armenian, halen in Welsh, and holen in Cornish and Breton [source].

The word salary, comes from the same PIE root, via Middle English salarie, Old French salaire and the Latin salārium (salary), from salārius (related to salt), from sal (salt). It is thought that salārium was an abbreviation of salārium argentum (salt money), as Roman soldiers were sometimes paid in salt. However, there is no evidence for this [source].

Other English words from the same PIE root include salad, salami, saline, salsa, sauce, sausage, silt and halogen [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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Here are details of the latest developments on Omniglot websites and blogs.

The new language pages this week are:

Punu (Yipunu), a Bantu language spoken mainly in southern Gabon, and also in south of the Republic of Congo.
Nyungwe (Cinyungwe), a Bantu language spoken in northern and central Mozambique.
Masaaba (Lumasaaba), a Bantu language spoken in the Eastern Region of Uganda.

There are a new numbers pages in: Punu, Makhuwa and

Nyungwe, which are all Bantu languages.

There a new constructed script: Fakoo, a tactile alphabet developed by Alexander Fakoó which can be read by blind and sighted people.

There’s a new adapated script: Cyringit (Сірінгіт), a way to write Tlingit with the Cyrillic alphabet devised by Marc Harder.

Чьъ йеь гогэьнкь ъьвэь ъ каӿ шокълисьоьӿ һа тлъгу ԟваьнӿьи адэь с ԟонугу йэь. Һа лілквь һъьс адэь йеь с йинейи йеь ъьвэь, дэ аь ъвтолхажи ъьт ъьвэь, аь һа ваԟкійъԟа. Ъьч ъьвэь къкъвтовъкэьль.

There are new Omniglot blog post titled Enlisted Fathers about the origins of the name Patrick, and the usual Language Quiz – see if you can guess what language this is.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Kaska (Dene Zágéʼ), a Northern Athabaskan language spoken in the Kaska Dena region, which is part of the Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Yukon, and Northwest Territories.

There’s a Celtiadur post about words for Yearning, longing and related things in Celtic languages.

In the Adventure in Etymology this week we explore the origins of the word sloom, which is found in English dialects, as well as Scots, and is related to the word slumber.

I also made improvements to the Makhuwa language page, and to the Toki Pona pages.

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

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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Today we’re looking into the origins of the word sloom.

In some dialects of English spoken in England sloom [sluːm] means:

A gentle sleep; slumber.
to doze, slumber
to become weak and flaccid (of plants)
to move or wander slowly or silently

In Scots sloom is:

A dreamy or sleepy state, a reverie, day-dream, a light sleep, slumber, an unsettled sleep
to sleep lightly, doze, slumber fitfully
to slip along easily and quietly, to glide smoothly
to make or become soft and flaccid as a result of frost, damp, etc

It comes from the Middle English sloum(b)e / slume, from the Old English slūma (sleep, slumber), from the Proto-Germaic slūm-* (slack, loose, limp, flabby), from the PIE (s)lew-* (slack, loose, limp, flabby) [source].

The English word slumber comes from the same Proto-Germanic root, as does the Dutch sluimeren (to slumber) and sloom (sluggish, lifeless), the German Schlummer (slumber) and schlummern (to doze, slumber), and the Danish slumre (to drowse) [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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Here are details of the latest developments on Omniglot websites and blogs.

This week we have new languages pages in Bantu and Bantoid languages, which are:

Tiv (dzwa Tiv), a Southern Bantoid language spoken mainly in Benue State in the southeast of Nigeria.
Nyamwezi (Kinyamwezi), a Bantu language spoken in western Tanzania
Luvale (Chiluvale), a Bantu language spoken in southern Angola and northern Zambia
Mbunda (Chimbúùnda), a Bantu language spoken in south west Angola and north west Zambia

There are a new phrases in Chokwe, a Bantu language spoken in Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia, and Tiv.

There are a new numbers pages in: Chokwe, Tiv, Luvale, Mbunda, and Shona, a Bantu language spoken mainly in Zimbabwe.

There are new Omniglot blog posts about Charlatan Snake Oil, and the Japanese word Perapera, and the usual Language Quiz – see if you can guess what language this is:

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Arrente (Arrernte angkentye), a Pama-Nyungan language spoken in and around Alice Springs in the Northern Territory of Australia.

There’s a Celtiadur post about words for roofs and related things in Celtic languages, in which we discover that English words such as protect, stegosaurus, thatch, tile and toga come from the same root as Welsh words for roof and house, among other things.

In the Adventure in Etymology this week we untangle the origins of the word knot, and find connections to such words as knit, node, nodule and noose, and the name Canute.

I also made improvements to the Greenlandic and Shona language pages.

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

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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Today we’re untangling the origins of the word knot .

A knot [nɒt/nɑt] is:

any of various fastenings formed by looping and tying a piece of rope, cord, etc, in upon itself, to another piece of rope, or to another object
a tangle
a small cluster or huddled group, e.g. ‘a knot of people’

It comes from the Middle English knotte [ˈknɔt(ə)] (knot, tie, binding), from the Old English cnotta [ˈknot.tɑ] (knot), from the Proto-Germaic knuttô* [ˈknut.tɔːː] (knot), from the PIE gnod-* (to bind) [source].

The Latin word nōdus (knot, knob, bond) comes from the same PIE root, and is the root of the English words such as noose, node and nodule [source].

The English word knit comes from the same PIE root, via Old English and Proto-Germanic, as does the name Canute, via the Old Norse Knútr, probably from the Old Norse word knútr (knot) [source].

A knot is also a unit of speed used by ships and aircraft that equal one nautical mile (1.85 km) per hour. This usage comes from a method of calculating the speed of a ship in use since at least the 16th century with a long rope with knots are regular intervals [More details].

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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Here are details of the latest developments on Omniglot websites and blogs.

This week the new language and numbers pages on Omniglot are all in Zapotecan languages, which belong to the Oto-Manguean language family and are spoken mainly in the state of Oaxaca in southern Mexico. The new language pages are:

San Dionisio Ocotepec Zapotec (Diza), which is spoken in the town of San Dionisio Ocotepec in Oaxaca.
Güilá Zapotec (Diza), which is spoken in the town of San Pablo Güilá in Oaxaca.
Choápam Zapotec (Diꞌidzaꞌ xidzaꞌ), which is spoken in Comaltepec in Oaxaxa, and in Arena and Playa Vincente in the state of Verzcruz.
Rincón Zapotec (Didza Xidza), which is spoken in the Villa Alta District of the Sierra Norte Region of Oaxaca.
Miahuatlán Zapotec (Diiste), which is spoken in the town of Santa Catarina Cuixtla in the Miahuatlán District in the south of the Sierra Sur Region of Oaxaca.
Zoogocho Zapotec (Diža’xon), which is spoken in the Villa Alta District of the Sierra Norte Region of Oaxaca, and also in Oaxaca City.

There are a new numbers pages in: Choápam Zapotec, Rincón Zapotec and Isthmus Zapotec, which is spoken in the southeast of Oaxaca.

There a new constructed script called Rahmat, which is a way to write English, Indonesian and other languages devised by Zackye Rahmat.

It looks something like this:

On the Omniglot blog this week there’s a post called Fiery Lakes about the French idiom Il n’y a pas le feu au lac (“There’s no fire on the lake”), and the usual Language Quiz – see if you can guess what language this is.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Otomi (Hñähñu), an Oto-Manguean language spoken in central Mexico.

There’s a Celtiadur post about words for keys and related things in Celtic languages.

In the Adventure in Etymology we explore the origins of the word deck.

I also made improvements to the Yiddish language and Yiddish phrases pages.

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

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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Today we’re exploring the origins of the word deck.

deck [dɛk] means:

Any raised flat surface that can be walked on: a balcony; a porch; a raised patio; a flat rooftop.
The floorlike covering of the horizontal sections, or compartments, of a ship.
A main aeroplane surface.

It comes from the Middle English dekke (the roof over any part of a boat or ship), from Middle Dutch dec (roof, covering), from decken (to roof, cover, protect), from Old Dutch thecken (to cover, roof), from Proto-West-Germanic þakkjan* (to cover), from Proto-Germanic þakjaną [ˈθɑk.jɑ.nɑ̃] (to cover), þaką (roof, cover), from PIE *(s)teg- (cover) [source].

Words from the same Proto-Germanic root (þaką*) include: thatch in English, dak (roof) and dekken [ˈdɛkə(n)] (to cover, set) in Dutch, Dach (roof) and decken (to cover, set) in German, tak (roof, ceiling) and täcka [tɛka] (to cover) in Swedish, and tag (roof) and tække** (to thatch) in Danish [source].

Words from the same PIE root ((s)teg-*) include: detect, protect, tile and toga in English, tŷ (house) in Welsh, and teach** (house) in Irish [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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Here are details of the latest developments on Omniglot websites and blogs.

This week there are new language pages in:

Nso (Lamnsɔ’), a Southern Bantoid language spoken in Western Cameroon.
Sirenik (Сиӷы́ных), an Eskimo-Aleut language that was spoken in and around Sireniki (Сиреники), a village in the Providensky District of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug in the Russian Far East region.
Molbog, a Philippine language spoken in the south of Palawan province in the Mimaropa region of the Philippines.

There are a new numbers pages in:

Central Siberian Yupik (Юпик), an Eskimo-Aleut language spoken along the coast of Chukotka Autonomous Okrug in the Russian Far East region, and on St Lawrence Island in Alasaka.
Central Alaskan Yup’ik (Yugtun), an Eskimo-Aleut language spoken in southwestern Alaska in the USA.
Yao (chiYao), a Bantu language spoken mainly in Malawai, Tanzania and Mozambique.

I created a separate page for the Hanifi Rohingya script, and made improvements to the Rohingya and Chittagonian language pages.

On the Omniglot blog this week there’s a post called Stellar Stars about some differences between Romance languages, and the usual Language Quiz – see if you can guess what language this is.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Western Cham (Chăm), a Chamic language spoken mainly in Cambodia, and also in Vietnam, Thailand and Laos.

There are Celtiadur posts about words for arrows and druids and related things in Celtic languages.

In the Adventure in Etymology we explore the origins of the word timber.

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

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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In this week’s Adventures in Etymology we’re exploring the origins of the word timber.

Timber [ˈtɪmbə/ˈtɪmbɚ] means:

Trees in a forest regarded as a source of wood.
Wood that has been pre-cut and is ready for use in construction.
A heavy wooden beam, generally a whole log that has been squared off and used to provide heavy support for something such as a roof.

It comes from the Middle English tymber/timber (timber), from the Old English timber [ˈtim.ber] (timber, a building, the act of building), from the Proto-Germanic timrą* [ˈtim.rɑ̃] (building, timber), from the PIE dem-* (to build) [source].

Words from the same Proto-Germanic root include timmeren (to build, put together) in Dutch, Zimmer [ˈt͡sɪmɐ] (room) in German, timmer (timber) in Swedish, and timbur (wood, timber) in Icelandic [source].

Words from the same PIE root include domus (house, home) in Latin, duomo [ˈdwɔ.mo] (cathedral) in Italian, дом [dom] (house, building, home) in Russian and most other Slavic languages, and dome, domestic and despot in English [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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Here are the latest developments on the Omniglot websites.

This week there are new language pages about:

Tawbuid (Batangan / Bangon), a South Mangyan language spoken in the centre of Mindoro Island in the Mimaropa region of the Philippines.
Ambala (Ayta Ambala), a Sambalic language spoken in the Central Luzon region of the Philippines.
Hatang Kayi, a Central Philippine language spoken in the provinces of Quezon and Rizal on the island of Luzon in the Philippines.

There’s a new adapated script: Greek Arabic (Αλ-γ̲αραπυιιατȣ λ-ιωνάνυιιαχ̌), a way to write Arabic with the Greek alphabet devised by Mohammad Shakeb Baig.

There are new numbers pages in:

Andi (къIaваннаб мицци), a Northeast Caucasian language spoken in Dagestan in the Russian Federation.
Kodava, (ಕೊಡವ ತಕ್ಕು), a Dravidian language spoken in Karnataka state in southern India.
Aheri Gondi, a South-Central Dravidian language spoken in the Indian states of Maharashtra and Telangan.

There’s a new article about Ancient language and extra-Indo-European language in Britain.

I wrote a new song – a lullaby called Lillilu, which is a Scots word for lullaby, inspired by this video by misspunnypennie on TikTok.

Simon Ager · Lillilu On the Omniglot blog we have a post about words for lullabys, a post about the Norfolk dialect word gadwaddick, which means to go on a pleasure trip or jaunt, or to gad about, and a new Language Quiz

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Dovahzul, or the Dragon Language, a constructed language that appears in some of the Elder Scrolls series of video games. The recording was from an original song called Vokul Fen Mah (Evil Will Fall) by Malukah, a wonderful singer-songwriter from Mexico.

Another version of this song with Malukah and Peter Hollens:

There are Celtiadur posts about words for smiths and walls and related things in Celtic languages.

The Adventure in Etymology this week tries to see the wood for the trees by looking into the origins of the word wood.

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

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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Today we’re trying to see the wood for the trees by looking at the origins of the word wood.

Wood [wʊd] is:

The substance making up the central part of the trunk and branches of a tree. Used as a material for construction, to manufacture various items, etc. or as fuel.
A forested or wooded area.

It comes from the Middle English wode [ˈwoːd(ə)] (wood), from the Old English wudu [ˈwu.du] (wood, forest, woods, tree), from the Proto-West-Germanic widu* (forest, tree, wood), from the Proto-Germanic widuz [ˈwi.ðuz] (wood), from the PIE h₁weydʰh₁ (wood, wilderness) [source].

Words from the same PIE root include ved (wood, firewood) in Swedish, Danish and Norwegian, gwŷdd [ɡwɨːð] (trees) in Welsh, fiodh [fʲɪ] (wood, timber) in Irish, and vidus (middle, centre) in Latvian [source].

How did a word meaning wood come to mean middle or centre in Latvian? Well, apparently the areas between villages were mainly forested in the past, and the meaning shifted from forest to area (between villages) to middle [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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The new language pages on Omniglot this week are:

Khorchin (ᠬᠣᠷᠴᠢᠨ), a variety of of Mongolian spoken in the Hinggan League in the east of Inner Mongolia in the north of China.
Bugan (Pakan), a Pakanic language spoken in the southeast of Yunnan province in the southwest China.
Khamnigan Mongol (ᠬᠠᠮᠨᠢᠭᠠᠨ), a Mongolic language spoken mainly in the Chen Baehru Banner of the Hulunbuir League in the northeast of Inner Mongolia in northern China.

There are two new adapated scripts:

Roenskrif (ᚱᚢᚾᛋᚲᚱᛌᚠ), a way to write Afrikaans with a version of the Elder Futhark runic alphabet devised by Luan Bierman
Nahuangul (나완글), a way to write Nahuatl with the Korean Hangeul alphabet.

There are new numbers pages in: Wa (Va), Nyah Kur (ญัฮกุ้ร) and Mon (ဘာသာ မန်), which are Austroasiatic languages spoken in Myanmar, Thailand and China.

On the Omniglot blog this week there’s a post about Language Politics, which discusses some criticisms that are often made of minority and endangered languages, and the usual Language Quiz.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Selkup (шӧльӄумыт әты), a Samoyedic language spoken along the River Taz in Siberia in northern Russia.

The Celtiadur post this week is about words for material and related things in Celtic languages.

In the Adventure in Etymology this week we look into the origins of the word paint.

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

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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Today we’re looking into the origins of the word paint.

Paint [peɪnt] is:

A substance that is applied as a liquid or paste, and dries into a solid coating that protects or adds colour to an object or surface to which it has been applied.

It comes from the Middle English peinten (to paint, portray, decorate), from the Old French peintier (to paint), from peindre (to paint), from the Latin pingere (to decorate, embellish, paint, tint, colour), from pingō (I decorate, embellish, etc) from PIE *peyḱ- (to hew, cut out, stitch, embroider, mark, paint, color) [source].

English words from the same Latin root include picture, depict, pigment and pint [source].

In Old English the word for paint was tēafor [ˈtæ͜ɑː.vor], which became tiver (a kind of ochre used for marking sheep in some parts of England). It comes from the Proto-Germanic taubrą* (magic, sorcery), which is the root of the German word Zauber** (magic, spell) [source].

Here’s a video I made of this information:

Video made with Doodly – an easy-to-use animated video creator [affiliate link].

I chose this word as my new studio is currently being painted.

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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Here are details of the latest developments on Omniglot websites and blogs.

This week we have three new language pages on Omniglot, which are:

Western Subanon (Sinubanon), a Philippine language spoken in the provinces of Zamboanga del Norte and Zamboanga Sibugay on the Zamboanga Peninsula in the Mindanao region in the south of the Philippines.
Mamanwa (Minamanwa), a Philippine language spoken on the island of Mindanao in provinces of Agusan del Norte and Surigao del Norte in the Caraga region of the southern Philippines
Bugkalot, a Philippine language spoken in the provinces of Nueva Vizcaya and Quirion in the north of Luzon in the Philippines.

There’s a new constructed script: Nkoma, an alternative way to write Lingala and other languages spoken in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) devised by Paoli Mbongo from Kinshasa.

There are a new numbers pages in: Muong (thiểng Mường) and Kri (meengq Kri), which are Vietic languages spoken in Vietnam and Laos, and Santali (ᱥᱟᱱᱛᱟᱲᱤ), a Munda language spoken in India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan.

On the Omniglot blog this week there’s a post about Chinese New Year – Year of the Tiger, a post about the word deuce – What the Deuce‽, and the usual Language Quiz.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Talian (taliàn), a variety of Venetian spoken in the state of Rio Grande do Sul in southern Brazil.

This week’s Celtiadur post is about words for Corners. and related things in Celtic languages.

In the Adventure in Etymology we looking into the various origins of the word veranda.

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

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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Today we’re looking at the various origins of the word veranda.

A veranda [vəˈɹæn.də] is:

A porch or balcony, usually roofed and often partly enclosed, extending along the outside of a building.

It comes from Hindi बरामदा [bə.ɾɑːm.d̪ɑː] (barāmdā – porch, veranda, gallery, balcony), from Portuguese varanda [vɐˈɾɐ̃.dɐ] (balcony, veranda, terrace, porch), possibly from Latin vāra (fork, tripod, easel), from vārus (bent outwards, bandy) from PIE *h₁weh₂- (separate) [source].

Alternatively veranda might be related to the Sanskrit word वरण्ड (varaṇḍa – barrier, partition) [source], and/or the Spanish word baranda (railing, banister, handrail, balustrade) [source].

English words that probably come from the same Latin root (vārus), include various, vary and variety [source].

Here’s a video I made of this information:

Video made with Doodly – an easy-to-use animated video creator [affiliate 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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Here are details of the latest developments on Omniglot websites and blogs.

There are four new language pages on Omniglot this week, which are:

Agutaynen, a Philippine language spoken in the Province of Palawan in the Mimaropa region in the east of the Philippines.
Jarud (ᠵᠠᠷᠤᠳ), a variety of Mongolian spoken in Jarud Banner in the east of Inner Mongolia in northern China.
Komering (Cawa Komering), a Lampungic language spoken in the Indonesian provinces of Lampung and South Sumatra in the south of Sumatra island.
Kaitag (хайдакьан гъай), a Northeast Caucasian language spoken in Dagestan in the south of the Russian Federation.

There’s a new constructed script: Jyutcitzi (粵切字), which is a way to write Cantonese using combinations of Chinese characters to represent sounds phonetically which was devised by the Cantonese Script Reform Society. It looks something like this:

There are a new numbers pages in: Chipewyan (Dënesųłıné), Sekani (Tse’khene) and Agutaynen, and there’s a new page about Cistercian Numbers, an interesting numeric system that was developed by Cisterican monks in the early 13th century.

On the Omniglot blog this week there’s a post about words from Britain in various languages called Britland, and the usual Language Quiz.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Kaitag (хайдакьан гъай), a Northeast Caucasian language spoken in Dagestan in the Russian Federation.

This week’s Celtiadur post is about words for wings and related things in Celtic languages.

I also made improvements to the Celtiadur post about verbs for To See & To Be.

In the Adventure in Etymology we find connections between the word champion and words such as camp, campus, campaign and champagne.

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

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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Today we’re looking into the origins of the word champion.

A champion [ˈtʃæmpiən] is:

An ongoing winner in a game or contest.
Someone who is chosen to represent a group of people in a contest.
Someone who fights for a cause or status.
Someone who fights on another’s behalf.

It comes from Middle English champioun [tʃampiˈuːn] (martial artist, soldier, guardian, promoter, winner), from Old French champion [ʃɑ̃.pjɔ̃] (champion), from Late Latin campiō(nem) (champion, fighter), from Frankish kampijō (fighter), from Latin campus* (flat level ground, plain, field), from Proto-West Germanic kampijan (to battle, campaign), from kamp (battle(field)) from PIE *kh₂emp- (to bend, curve) [source].

English words from the same Latin root include campus, camp, campaign and champagne [source].

The word cam/kamm (crooked, bent, false), which found in all the modern Celtic languages, comes from the same PIE root via Proto-Celtic *kambos (twisted, crooked, bent) [source].

Words from the same Proto-Celtic root include the obsolete English words kam (crooked, awry), from Welsh, and camous (flat/crooked (nose), depressed) via Middle English, French, Latin and Gaulish [source].

The French name Camus probably comes from the same Celtic root, as do the Scottish names Campbell (“crooked mouth”) and Cameron (“crooked nose”) via Scottish Gaelic [source].

Here’s a video I made of this information:

Video made with Doodly – an easy-to-use animated video creator [affiliate 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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Here are details of the latest developments on Omniglot websites and blogs.

The new languages on Omniglot this week are:

Lambya (Ichilambya), a Bantu language spoken in Malawi, Tanzania and Zambia.
Chakhar (ᠴᠠᠬᠠᠷ), a variety of Mongolian spoken in the central region of Inner Mongolia in northern China.
Barin (ᠪᠠᠭᠠᠷᠢᠨ), a variety of Mongolian spoken in the southeast of Inner Mongolia in northern China.
Nusu, a Loloish language spoken in southern China and northern Myanmar/Burma.

There’s a new numbers page in: Tsakonian (τσακώνικα), a variety of Greek spoken in the Tsakonian region of the Peloponnese in Greece.

On the Omniglot blog this week there’s a post about druids or Oak Knowers, a post about Playing Around which looks at ways to say ‘to play’ in English, Portuguese and Welsh, and the usual Language Quiz.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Lambya (Ichilambya), a Bantu language spoken in Malawi, Tanzania and Zambia.

On the Celtiadur this week there’s a post about words for knowledge and related things in Celtic languages.

In the Adventure in Etymology we find out how the word dust is related to words such as dusk, dune and fume.

I wrote a new song about dust, which goes something like this:

I also made improvements to the Russian, Krymchak and Thai language pages, the Theban alphabet page, and the Ukrainian numbers page

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

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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Today we’re looking into the origins of the word dust.

dust [dʌst] is:

earth or other matter in fine, dry particles.
a cloud of finely powdered earth or other matter in the air.
to wipe the dust from
to sprinkle with a powder or dust

It comes from the Middle English d(o)ust [du(ː)st] (dust, powder, dirt, grit), from the Old English dūst [duːst] (dust, powder), from the Proto-Germanic dunstą* [ˈdun.stɑ̃] (mist, haze, dust), from the Proto-Indo-European dʰewh₂-* (smoke, mist, haze) [source].

English words from the same PIE root include dew, dusk and dye (via Proto-Germanic), down (hill) and dune (via Proto-Celtic), and fume (via Latin) [source].

Here’s a video I made of this information:

Video made with Doodly – an easy-to-use animated video creator [affiliate link].

I also wrote a song about dust this week, which goes something like this:

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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Here are details of the latest developments on Omniglot websites and blogs.

The new languages on Omniglot this week are:

Southern Qiang (Rrmearr), a Qiangic language spoken in the north of Sichuan Province in the south west of China.
Kumzari (لاغة كمزاري), a Western Iranian language spoken mainly in northern Oman, and also in southern Iran.
Weitou (圍頭話), a variety of Yue Chinese spoken in southern China, particularly in Shenzhen, and the New Territories of Hong Kong.
Alasha (ᠠᠯᠠᠱᠠᠨ), a variety of Mongolian spoken in Inner Mongolia in northern China.

There’s a new constructed script – Featural Lojban Abjad, which is an alternative way to write Lojban devised by Punya Pranava Pasumarty.

There are new numbers pages in: Monguor and Santa and Kumzari.

On the Omniglot blog this week there’s a post about Jargon, and the usual Language Quiz.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Eyak (dAXunhyuuga’), a Na-Dené language that was spoken in south eastern Alaska in USA, and which is being currently being revived.

The Celtiadur post this week is called Mysterious Secrets and looks at words for secret and related things in Celtic languages.

In the Adventure in Etymology this week we’re looking into the strange and unusual origins of the word bizarre.

I also made improvements to the Vietnamese language page.

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

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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Today we’re looking into the strange and unusual origins of the word bizarre.

Bizarre [bɪˈzɑː/bəˈzɑɹ] means:

markedly unusual in appearance, style, or general character and often involving incongruous or unexpected elements
outrageously or whimsically strange
odd

It comes from the French bizarre [bi.zaʁ] (odd, peculiar, bizarre), either from the Basque bizar [bis̻ar] (beard), or from the Italian bizzarro [bidˈd͡zar.ro] (odd, queer, eccentric, bizarre, weird, frisky), possibly from bizza (tantrum), from the German beißen [ˈbaɪ̯sən] (to bite) [source].

In French backslang (Verlan), bizarre becomes zarbi [source] and features in the expression On est tous un peu zarbi(tes) (We’re all a little freaky), or as they as in northern England, There’s nowt so queer as folk [source].

Here’s a video I made of this information:

Video made with Doodly – an easy-to-use animated video creator [affiliate 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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Here are details of the latest developments on Omniglot websites and blogs.

The new languages on Omniglot this week are:

Bajaw (Bajo), a Sama-Bajaw language spoken in the southern Philippines, eastern Malaysia and eastern Indonesia.
Inabaknon, a Sama-Bajaw language spoken mainly in Eastern Visayas Region of the Philippines.
Baybayanon, a Central Bisayan language spoken mainly on the island of Leyte in Eastern Visayas Region of the Philippines.

There’s a new adapated script – Ermənbası (Երմէնբասը) – which is a way to write Azerbaijani with the Armenian alphabet devised by Lily Desputeaux.

There are new numbers pages in: Buryat and Daur, which are Mongolic languages, and in Khitan, an extinct Para-Mongolic language.

On the Omniglot blog this week there’s a post about Resolutions, and the usual Language Quiz.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Bajaw (Bajo), a Sama-Bajaw language spoken in Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines.

On the Celtiadur blog this week there are posts about words for Knives and Forks in Celtic languages.

In the Adventure in Etymology this week we’re delving into the secret and mysterious origins of the word rune.

I also made improvements to the Pohnpeian, Lun Bawang, Maguindanao, Pinyin and Melanau language pages, thanks to Wolfram Siegel.

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

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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Today we’re delving into the secret and mysterious origins of the word rune.

Rune [ɹuːn] means:

any of the characters of certain ancient alphabets of Germanic languages, esp. of Scandinavia and Britain, from about the 3rd to 13th centuries.
something written or inscribed in such characters.
something secret or mysterious.

It comes from Old Norse rún (secret, rune), from Proto-Norse ᚱᚢᚾᛟ [ˈruː.noː] (runo – secret, mystery, rune, inscription, message), from Proto-Germanic rūnō* [ˈruː.nɔː] (secret, mystery, rune), possibly from Proto-Celtic rūnā* (secret, mystery) [source].

Words for runes in Germanic languages come from the same Proto-Germanic root, including rune [ˈrynə] in Dutch, rune [rʉːnə] Norwegian, and runa in Swedish [source].

Words from the same Proto-Celtic root include rún (mystery, secret, intention, purpose, love, affection) in Irish, and rhin (secret, mystery, enchantment, virute, occult) in Welsh [source].

In Irish a rún is used as a term of affection meaning “my dear/darling”. It appears in the traditional song Siúil a Rún:

Here’s a video I made of this information:

Video made with Doodly – an easy-to-use animated video creator [affiliate 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.

Radio Omniglot: Recent Episodes

Simon Ager