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Radio Omniglot

Simon Ager

Podcasts about languages and words

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  • S1 · E264
    Sunday · 2 min

    Omniglot News (01/11/26)

    Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot. New language pages: Muyu (प्हगाल ङुर), a Greater Magaric language spoken in central Nepal, and Sikkim in the northeast of India. Ilianen (Iliyanen), a Central Manobo language spoken in Mindanao in the Philippines. New constructed script: Pallawa Myansatuyin, an alternative way to write Indonesian and other languages created by Reza Sumanda. New constructed script: Sastrama, which was created by Zafran al Fathan and can be used to write Chinese, Indonesian, Malay or Tagalog. New numbers page: Degema, an Edoid language spoken in Rivers states in southern Nigeria. Bauzi, an East Geelvink Bay language spoken in Papua Province in eastern Indonesia. In this week’s Adventure in Etymology we investigate some Impeccable Peccadillos. It’s also available on Instagram and TikTok. On the Omniglot blog this week we take a practical look at the Japanese word 実習 (jisshū) and the English word practicum in a post called Practical Practicums, and there’s the usual Language Quiz. See if you guess what language this is: Here’s a clue: this language is spoken northwestern Egypt and northeastern Libya. The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Pukupukan (Te Leo Wale), a Polynesian language spoken mainly in Pukapuka and Nassau in the northern Cook Islands. Source: https://youtube.com/shorts/Sz26XvTi4vs?si=9YWzietnHm-86Gcp On the Celtiadur blog this week there’s a new post entitled Pulling Hard about words for to pull, to press 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.

  • S1 · E211
    October 31 · 2 min

    Adventures in Etymology – Impeccable Peccadillos

    In this Adventure in Etymology we investigate some impeccable peccadillos. Pecadillos / Little Indulgences A peccadillo [ˌpɛ.kəˈdɪ.loʊ / ˌpɛ.kəˈdɪ.ləʊ] is a small flaw or sin, a petty offence, a minor misdemeanor, or an infraction of an ethical code. It comes from Spanish pecadillo [pe.kaˈð̞i.ʝo] (a minor sin or pecadillo), a diminutive of pecado (sin) from Old Spanish pecado, from Latin peccātum (sin, error, fault), from peccō (to sin, transgress, fail), from Proto-Italic *petkāō (to sin), possibly from PIE *ped- (to walk, fall, stumble) [source]. Words from the same Latin roots include pécher (to sin) in French, and peccare (to sin) in Italian, păcat (sin, imperfection) in Romanian, pechu (to sin, offend, hurt someone’s feelings) in Welsh, peaca (sin) in Irish, and bekatu (sin) in Basque [source]. The English words peccable (libable to sin, subject to transgress the divine law), impeccable (perfect, incapable of wrongdoing or sin, immaculate), and peccant (sinful, sinning, offensive) also come from the same roots [source]. Incidentally, the French word pécher (to sin) sounds just like the word pêcher (to fish), and someone who fishes, a pêcheur, sounds like pécheur (a sinner). The only difference is the accents on the e. These words come from different roots and should not be confused [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.

  • S1 · E263
    October 25 · 2 min

    Omniglot News (25/10/26)

    Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot. New writing system: Kharpa, which is used to write Bhujel (प्हगाल ङुर), a Greater Magaric language spoken in central Nepal, and Sikkim in northeast India. New language pages: Bhujel (प्हगाल ङुर), a Greater Magaric language spoken in central Nepal, and Sikkim in northeast India. Tera, a Chadic language spoken in Gomba and Borno states in northeastern Nigeria. Taeʼ (Basa Taeʼ), a Northern Toraja language spoken in South Sulawesi in Indonesia. New constructed script: Re:Zero, scripts for Japanese and English that appear in Re:Zero, a series of Japanese novels by Tappei Nagatsuki. New numbers page: Tontemboan,a North Minahasan language spoken in northern Sulawesi in Indonesia. In this week’s Adventure in Etymology, entitled Energetic Work, we find out what links the words energy and work. It’s also available on Instagram and TikTok. On the Omniglot blog this week we find out what links the word action to stocks and shares in in a post called Sharing Actions, and there’s the usual Language Quiz. See if you guess what language this is: Here’s a clue: this language is spoken mainly in the Cook Islands. The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Hui Chinese (徽語 / 徽语), a Sinitic language spoken in Huizhou Prefecture in southern Anhui Province, and also in Zhejiang and Jiangxi provinces in eastern China. On the Celtiadur blog this week there’s a new post entitled Sheltered Protection about words for shelter, protection and related things in Celtic languages. In other news, I’ve been asked to mention a project on Kickstarter called Scripts of Humanity: 54 Writing Systems in One Deck – A playable deck exploring 54 writing systems through their symbols, materials, stories, and history. This sounds like a interesting endeavour. 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.

  • S1 · E210
    October 24 · 2 min

    Adventures in Etymology – Energetic Work

    In this Adventure in Etymology we discover what connects the words energy, work. Meanings of energy [ˈɛnədʒi / ˈɛnɚdʒi] include the impetus behind all motion and all activity; the capacity to do work; a quantity that denotes the ability to do work (in physics), and so on. It comes from Middle French énergie (energy), from Late Latin energia (energy, efficiency), from Ancient Greek ἐνέργεια (enérgeia – activity), from *ἐνεργός (energós – active), from ἐν (en – to) and ἔργον (érgon – work) [source]. ἔργον (érgon – work) comes from Proto-Hellenic *wérgon (work), from Proto-Indo-European *wérǵom (work), from *werǵós (done), from *werǵ- (to make). Words from the same Ancient Greek roots include ergol (propellant) in French (and Italian), and έργο (érgo – work, project), εργάτης (ergátis – worker, labourer, servant), εργάζομαι (ergázomai – to work), εργασία (ergasía – job, profession) and εργοστάσιο (ergostásio – factory) in Greek [source]. Words starting with erg(o)- in English also come from the same Ancient Greek roots. These include ergonomics (the science of the design of equipment, especially so as to reduce operator fatigue, discomfort and injury), ergophobe (one who dislikes working) and ergology (the study of the psychological effects of work) [source], Words from the same PIE roots include gwneud (to do, to make) in Welsh, fearg (anger) and farraige (sea, billow, swell) in Irish, wirken (to function, be effective, work) in German, and allergy, organ, organic, surgery, work in English [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.

  • S1 · E262
    October 19 · 2 min

    Omniglot News (18/10/26)

    Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot. New language pages: Wawonii (Wowoni), a Celebic language spoken on Wawonii Island in Southeast Sulawesi Province in Indonesia. u̠t-Ma’in, a Northwest Kainji language spoken in the northwest of Nigeria. Karitiâna (Yjxa), a Tupian language spoken in Rondônia in the North Region of Brazil. New constructed script: Neo Tazaric, which was designed by Filipe Dos Reis as an alternative script for Portuguese, French, Tamil and other languages. New numbers pages: Wawonii (Wowoni), a Celebic language spoken on Wawonii Island in Southeast Sulawesi Province in Indonesia. Karitiâna (Yjxa), a Tupian language spoken in Rondônia in the North Region of Brazil. Mizo (Mizo ṭawng), a Central Kuki-Chin language spoken in India, Myanmar and Bangladesh. In this week’s Adventure in Etymology, entitled Spangled Spiders, we find out what links the words spider, spin and spangle. It’s also available on Instagram and TikTok. On the Omniglot blog this week we find out what links the word sort with magic spells in a post called Sorting Spells, and there’s the usual Language Quiz. See if you guess what language this is: Here’s a clue: this language is spoken in eastern China. The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Kaqchikel (Kaqchikel Ch’ab’äl), a Mayan language spoken in the Central Highlands of Guatemala. On the Celtiadur blog this week there’s a new post entitled Helpful Assistance about words for help, assistance, aid 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.

  • S1 · E209
    October 19 · 2 min

    Adventures in Etymology – Spangled Spiders

    In this Adventure in Etymology we discover what connects the words spider, spin and spangle. A spider [ˈspaɪ̯də / ˈspaɪ̯dɚ] is any of various eight-legged, predatory arthropods of the order Araneae, most of which spin webs to catch prey. (Other meanings are available). The verb to spider means to move like a spider, to cover a surface like a cobweb, or to follow links on the World Wide Web in order to gather information. Spider comes from Middle English spithre (spider), from Old English spīþra (spider), from Proto-West Germanic *spinþrijō (spider), from Proto-Germanic *spinnaną (to spin), from PIE *(s)penh₁- (to twist, weave) [source]. Words from the same roots include pinti (to weave, to plait) in Lithuanian, pīt (to braid, to plait, to weave) in Latvian, pnout (to twine around, to climb, to stretch) in Czech, spinnen (to spin) in Dutch, and spin and possibly spangle and pound, ponder and pendant in English [source]. In some dialects of English spoken in northern England, a word for spider is attercop, which can also mean a peevish or ill-natured person. An extinct spieces of arachnid gets it scientific name, Attercopus, from the same source [source]. Attercop comes from Middle English attercoppe (spider), from Old English ātorcoppe (spider), ātor (poison) and *coppe (sometime round), from Proto-West Germanic *kopp (vessel, bowl, hilltop, crown), from Proto-Germanic *kuppaz (round object, vessel, knoll, crown), possibly from PIE *gubʰ- (round object, knoll) [source]. Related words include edderkop (spider) in Danish, Kopf (head, crown, top) in German, kopp (cup) in Swedish, and cup and cop (spider – obsolete) in English [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.

  • S1 · E261
    October 11 · 2 min

    Omniglot News (11/10/26)

    Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot. New language pages: Bowili (Tuwuli), a Kwa language spoken in the Volta Region in southeastern Ghana. Alagwa (Alaagwa’isa), a South Cushitic language spoken in the Dodoma Region in central Tanzania. Lela (c’Lélà), a Northwest Kainji language spoken in the northwest of Nigeria. New constructed script: Phoenixian, which was created by Dave Kos to write the constructed Phoenixian language, and also English. New constructed script: Dual Tone, which was invented by Grace Sanon as a colour-based alphabet that can be used English and other languages. New numbers pages: Kulango (Nkuraeng), a Gur language spoken in Ivory Coast and Ghana. Musi (Basé Musi), a Malayic language spoken mainly in South Sumatra province in Indonesia. Mortlockese (kapsen Mwoshulók) a Micronesian language spoken mainly in the Mortlock Islands in Micronesia. In this week’s Adventure in Etymology, entitled Furnished Performance, we find out what connects the words furnish and perform. It’s also available on Instagram and TikTok. On the Omniglot blog this week we find out what connects pillows to dust in a post called Dusty Pillows, and there’s the usual Language Quiz. See if you guess what language this is: Here’s a clue: this language is spoken in Guatemala. The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Gagauz (Gagauz dili / Gagauzça), a Western Oghuz Turkic language spoken mainly in Moldova, Ukraine and Bulgaria. On the Celtiadur blog this week there’s a new post about words for Seaweed 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.

  • S1 · E208
    October 10 · 1 min

    Adventures in Etymology – Furnished Performance

    In this Adventure in Etymology we find out what connects the words furnish and perform. To furnish [ˈfɜːnɪʃ / ˈfɝnɪʃ] means to provide a place with furniture, or other equipment, to supply or give (something), or to supply (somebody) with something. It comes from Middle English furnishen (to fit out or equip, to provide or furnish), from Old French from fornir (to provide, carry out, discharge), from Frankish *frumjan (to accomplish, carry out), from Proto-Germanic *frumjaną (to perform, promote, accomplish), from PIE *promo- (front, forward), from *pro- (toward, forward) [source]. To perform means to do (something) in front of an audience, such as acting or music, often in order to entertain, to function, to work, to behave in certain ways, and various other things. It comes from the same Frankish and Proto-Germanic roots as furnish, via Middle English parformen (to execute, carry out, perform, effect, finish), Anglo-Norman parformir and Old French parfornir [source]. Other words from the some Proto-Germanic roots include fournir (to supply, provide, furnish) in French, Furnier (veneer) in German, фанера (fanera – plywood, sound track) in Russian, fornecer (to supply, provide, furnish) in Portuguese, and form and furniture in English [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.

  • S1 · E260
    October 4 · 2 min

    Omniglot News (04/10/26)

    Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot. New language pages: Kanembu (Kanembou / كَنٜݦُ), a Western Saharan language spoken in southeastern Chad. Teda (Tedaga), a Western Saharan language spoken in Chad, Libya and Niger. Afade (Afaɗə), a Chadic language spoken in northern Cameroon and northeastern Nigeria. New numbers page: Bowili (Tuwili), a Kwa language spoken in the Volta Region in southeastern Ghana. New: Time, Family words and Colours pages in Plains Cree (ᓀᐦᐃᔭᐍᐏᐣ / nēhiyawēwin), an Algonquian language spoken in Canada and the USA. New colours page: Polish (polski), a Western Slavic language spoken mainly in Poland. In this week’s Adventure in Etymology, entitled Tasteful Taxis, we find out what connects the words taxi, task, tax and taste. It’s also available on Instagram and TikTok. On the Omniglot blog this week we find out what links the European wryneck (a type of bird) with spells and charms in a post called Birds of Ill Omen, and there’s the usual Language Quiz. See if you guess what language this is: Here’s a clue: this language is spoken mainly in Moldova, Ukraine and Bulgaria. The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Suwawa, a Philippine language spoken in Gorontalo Province on Sulawesi Island in Indonesia. On the Celtiadur blog this week there’s a new post about words for Barley 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.

  • S1 · E207
    October 3 · 2 min

    Adventures in Etymology – Tasteful Taxis

    In this Adventure in Etymology we find out what connects the words taxi, task, tax and taste. A taxi [ˈtaksɪj / ˈtæksi] is a vehicle, usually a car, that may be hired for single journeys by members of the public, particularly one with an automated meter to calculate the fare. As a verb, to taxi means to move an aircraft on the ground under its own power, or to travel or transport by taxi. The aircraft moving sense comes from a slang term for training aircraft practicing ground operations, which appeared to move around like taxis. Taxi is an abbreviation of taximeter cab from French taximètre (taximeter), from German Taxameter (taximeter), from Medieval Latin taxa (tax, charge) and -meter (device to measure a certain property) [source]. A taximeter is a device installed in a taxi that calculates the fare based upon distance travelled and waiting time. It is often abbreviated to meter [source]. Taxa comes from Latin taxō (to feel, charge, rate, judge), from PIE *teh₂g- (to touch, grasp, take with the hand) [source]. A cabriolet (carriage) Cab is a clipping of cabriolet (a car or carriage with a retractable or folding top), which comes from French cabriolet (a convertible car, a cabriolet carriage), from Italian cabriola (horse caper), from Latin capreolus (a roe deer), from PIE *kápros (billy goat [source]. Words from the PIE root *teh₂g- (to touch, grasp, etc) possibly include tage (to take, get, catch, charge) in Danish, taxeren (to evaluate, appraise) in Dutch, taxa (fee, tax, rate) in Portuguese, teimlo (to feel, touch) in Welsh, and tack, tact, take, tangent, task, taste, tax and thwack in English [source]. Words from the PIE root *kápros (billy goat) possibly include gafr (goat) in Welsh, gabhar (goat) in Irish, hafur (billy goat) in Icelandic, kauris (deer) in Finnish, chevron (rafter) in French, and haver (to talk foolishly, to chatter) in Scots [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.

  • S1 · E259
    September 27 · 2 min

    Omniglot News (27/09/26)

    Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot. New language pages: Eipo (Lik Yuke), an Eastern Mek language spoken in the Highland Papua province in eastern Indonesian. Tontemboan, a North Minahasan language spoken in northern Sulawesi in Indonesia. Meru (Kĩmĩĩrũ), a Northeast Bantu language spoken in central Kenya. New adapted script: Cyrillic-Kiswahili (Кисирили-Кису’ахили), a way to write Swahili with the Cyrillic script devised by Myles Webley. New numbers pages: Michif, a mixed language combining Cree and French spoken in Canada and the USA. Meru (Kĩmĩĩrũ), a Northeast Bantu language spoken in central Kenya. New phrases pages: Michif, a mixed language combining Cree and French spoken in Canada and the USA. Meru (Kĩmĩĩrũ), a Northeast Bantu language spoken in central Kenya. New Tower of Babel translations: Meru (Kĩmĩĩrũ), a Northeast Bantu language spoken in central Kenya. Livvi-Karelian (livvin kieli), a Finnic language spoken in northwest Russia and southeast Finland. Eipo (Lik Yupe), an Eastern Mek language spoken in Highland Papua Province in eastern Indonesian. In this week’s Adventure in Etymology, entitled Wending One’s Way, we wend our way through the origins of the word wend and find out what links the Vandals with the Mediterranean Sea and Andalusia in Spain. It’s also available on Instagram and TikTok. On the Omniglot blog this week we find out what slow music has to do with being at ease in a post called At Ease, and there’s the usual language quiz. See if you guess what language this is: Here’s a clue: this language belongs to the Philippine language family, but isn’t spoken in the Philippines. The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Maliseet-Passamaquoddy, an Eastern Algonquian language spoken in New Brunswick in Canada and Maine in the USA. On the Celtiadur blog this week there’s a new post about words for Suction 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.

  • S1 · E206
    September 26 · 3 min

    Adventures in Etymology – Wending One’s Way

    In this Adventure in Etymology we wend our way through the origins of the word wend. Wend [wɛnd] means to direct (one’s way or course), to pursue one’s way, or to proceed upon some course or way, and used to mean to turn, to change, to adapt, to veer, to pass away, to disappear, to depart or to vanish. It usually appears in phrases like ‘to wend one’s way’, for example, We wended our weary way westward. The modern past tense form of wend is wended, however it used to be went, which became the past tense of the verb to go. Wend comes from Middle English wenden (to walk, to travel, to move, to leave, to sail), from Old English wendan (to turn, change, translate, go, depart, happen), from Proto-West Germanic *wandijan (to turn), from Proto-Germanic *wandijaną (to turn), from *windaną (to wind, wrap) from PIE *wendʰ- (to wind, turn) [source]. Words from the same roots include wandern (to hike, migrate, wander) in German, vende (to invite, call, welcome) in Danish, wędrować (to wander, roam) in Polish, vanne (hoop, band, rim) in Finnish, and guantlet, wand, to wander, to wind and possibly and vandal in English [source]. The word vandal (a person who needlessly destroys, defaces, or damages things, especially other people’s property), comes from the Vandals, a group of Germanic peoples who are known for sacking Rome in 455 AD/CE [source]. Their name comes from Proto-Germanic *wandilaz (to wander, a Vandal), from *wandōną (to wander), from PIE *wendʰ- (to wind, turn) [source]. Alternatively, Vandal may come from PIE *wanđ- (water), which is also the root of Old English name for the Mediterranean Sea: Wendelsǣ (“Vandal sea”) [source]. Andalusia, a region in southern Spain, might also get it’s name from the Vandals. It comes from Medieval Latin Andalusia, from Arabic الأندلس [al.ʔan.da.lus], possibly from Vulgar Latin *Vandalicia (“land of the Vandals”) or from Vandalic *Wandalitia / *Vandalitia (“land of the Vandals”) [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.

  • S1 · E258
    September 20 · 2 min

    Omniglot News (20/09/26)

    Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot. New language pages: Ahwai (indùn), a Plateau language spoken in Kaduna State in central Nigeria. Gokana (Gòkánà), an East Ogoni language spoken in Rivers State in southern Nigeria. Hasha (Hàshà), an Alumic language spoken in Nasarawa State in the North Central region of Nigeria. New constructed script: Aksara Varadun, an alternative way to write Indonesian created by Zafran Al Fathan. New numbers page: Gokana (Gòkánà), an East Ogoni language spoken in Rivers State in southern Nigeria. New phrases page Nyamwezi, a Bantu language spoken in western Tanzania. New Tower of Babel translations: Mongo (Ngiembɔɔn), a Bamileke language spoken in the West Region in southwestern Cameroon. Hanunoo (Hanunó’o), a South Mangyan language spoken in Mindoro in the Philippines. Loma (Löömàgòòi), a Southwestern Mande language spoken in northern Liberia Maiadomu, a Western Oceanic language spoken in Milne Bay Province in Papua New Guinea. Makhuwa (Emakhuwa), a Bantu language spoken in Mozambique and Tanzania. In this week’s Adventure in Etymology, entitled Gracefully Pleasing, we uncover the gratefully pleasing roots of the word grace. It’s also available on Instagram and TikTok. On the Omniglot blog this week we find out links a New World monkey, a type of cloak, an order of friars and a type of coffee in a post entitled Monks, Monkeys & Coffee, and there’s the usual language quiz. See if you guess what language this is: Here’s a clue: this language is spoken in Canada and the USA. The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Tacana, a Western Tacanan language spoken in La Paz Department in northwestern Bolivia. On the Celtiadur blog this week there’s a new post about words for Service 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.

  • S1 · E205
    September 19 · 2 min

    Adventures in Etymology – Gracefully Pleasing

    In this Adventure in Etymology we uncover the gratefully pleasing roots of the word grace. As a noun grace [ɡɹeɪs] can mean: Charming, pleasing qualities. A short prayer of thanks before or after a meal. Elegant movement; elegance of movement; balance or poise. Favor, sanction or beneficence. As a verb to grace can mean: To adorn; to decorate; to embellish and dignify. To dignify or raise by an act of favour; to honour. To supply with heavenly grace. It comes from Middle English grace [ˈɡraː(t)sə] (the grace of God, luck, destiny, niceness, goodwill), from Old French grace (grace, favour, elegance), from Latin grātia (grace, thankfulness, thanks, influnce), from grātus (pleasing, dear, grateful), from Proto-Italic *gʷrātos (grateful, thankful) from PIE *gʷr̥H-tó-s (praised), from *gʷerH- (to praise, elevate) [source]. Words from the same roots include grazie (thank you) in Italian, grish (to invite, call, welcome) in Albanian, barn (opinion, view, judgement) in Welsh, bràth (judgement, destruction) in Scottish Gaelic, and agreement, bard, congratulate, grateful, gratitude and gratuity in English [source]. Incidentally, there were several other words for grace in Middle English, which included: held(e) [ˈheːld(ə)] = favour, grace, good will, duty, which is related to the Dutch word houden (to keep, care for, hold, love, like), and hold in Modern English [source]. este [ˈɛːst(ə)] = grace, favour, pleasure, fun, delicacy, which is related to the Icelandic word ást (love) [source]. ore [ˈɔ̝ːr(ə)] (honour, respect, grace, favour, respite), which is related to the German word Ehre (honour, credit) [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.

  • S1 · E257
    September 13 · 2 min

    Omniglot News (13/09/26)

    Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot. New language pages: Koyra Chiini (koyra ciini / كࣷيْرَ ٺِينِ), a Songhay language spoken mainly in the Tombouctou Region in southern Mali. Korandje (Kwạṛa n dzyəy), a Northern Songhay language spoken in Béchar Province in the northwest of Algeria. Vagla, a Southern Gur language spoken in the Savannah Region in northern Ghana. New constructed script: Ayneha, an alphabet created by Mahamadou Issiaka Maiga for the Songhay languages of Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso and Benin. New constructed script: Pogi, an alternative way to write Indonesian, Malay and other languages created by Marcus Tzeng. New numbers page: Mpade, a Chadic language spoken in the northern Cameroon and western Chad. Vagla, a Southern Gur language spoken in the Savannah Region in northern Ghana. New Tower of Babel translations: Ngiemboon (Ngiembɔɔn), a Bamileke language spoken in the West Region in southwestern Cameroon. Bhunjia, an Eastern Indo-Aryan language spoken in Odisha and Chhattisgarh in eastern India. Nyamwezi (Kinyamwezi), a Bantu language spoken in the Kigoma, Rukwa and Tabora regions in western Tanzania. Vagla, a Southern Gur language spoken in the Savannah Region in northern Ghana. In this week’s Adventure in Etymology, entitled Beaming Trees, we discover what links the word beam with words for tree. It’s also available on Instagram and TikTok. On the Omniglot blog this week we find out what links a type of pastry with lightning, flashes and sparkles in a post entitled Lightning Pastries, and there’s the usual language quiz. See if you guess what language this is: Here’s a clue: this language is spoken in Bolivia. The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Tindi (Идараб мицци), a Northeast Caucasian language spoken in Dagestan in the Russian Republic. On the Celtiadur blog this week there’s a new post about words for He, She, It and related pronouns 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.

  • September 12 · 2 min

    Adventures in Etymology – Beaming Trees

    In this Adventure in Etymology we discover what links the word beam with words for tree. Meanings of beam [ˈbiːm] include any large piece of timber or iron long in proportion to its thickness, and prepared for use; one of the transverse members of a ship’s frame on which the decks are laid; a ray or collection of approximately parallel rays emitted from the sun or other luminous body. It comes from Middle English be(e)m [bɛ̝ːm] (beam, pole, antler, tree), from Old English bēam [bæɑːm] (tree, beam, gallows), from Proto-West Germanic *baum (tree, beam), from Proto-Germanic *bagmaz (tree, beam), possibly from PIE *bʰuH- (to become, grow, appear) [source]. Words from the same Proto-Germanic roots include Baum (tree, boom) and beamen (to beam, teleport, project) in German (borrowed from English, popularised by Star Trek), bom (bar, barrier, beam) in Danish, boom (tree, beam, mast) in Dutch, puomi (boom, barrier, pole) in Finnish, boom in English [source]. Incidentally, in Middle English there were several words for tree, including tre (tree, plants, wood), bem (beam, a set of scales, antler, tree) and arbre (tree). The first two come from Old English and Proto-Germanic, while arbre comes from Old French arbre (tree). Related words in English include arboretum (a place where many varieties of tree are grown for research, educational, and ornamental purposes), arboreal (tree-like, relating to trees) [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.

  • S1 · E256
    September 6 · 2 min

    Omniglot News (06/09/26)

    Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot. New language pages: Firan (Fɨràn), a West-Central Plateau language spoken in Plateau State in central Nigeria. Buli, a Gur language spoken in the Upper East Region in northern Ghana. Mpade (Mpadɨ), a Chadic language spoken in northern Cameroon and southwest Chad. New numbers page: Baoulé, a Kwa language spoken in Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast). Buli, a Gur language spoken in the Upper East Region in northern Ghana. Songe (Kisonge), a Bantu language spoken in the south of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. New phrases page: Buli, a Gur language spoken in the Upper East Region in northern Ghana. New Tower of Babel translations: Baoulé, a Kwa language spoken in Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast). Bilaspuri, a Western Pahari language spoken in Himachal Pradesh and Punjab in northern India. Ambai, a Malayo-Polynesian language spoken mainly on the Ambai Islands in Papua province in Indonesia. Anuak, a Malayo-Polynesian language spoken mainly on the Ambai Islands in Papua province in Indonesia. Apali, a Trans-New Guinea language spoken in Madang Province in Papua New Guinea. Buli, a Gur language spoken in the Upper East Region in northern Ghana. Gourmanchéma (gùlmàncéma), a Gur language spoken in Burkina Faso, Togo, Niger and Benin. Vidunda (Chividunda), a Bantu language spoken in southern Tanzania. Medumba (Mə̀dʉ̂mbɑ̀), a Bamileke language spoken in the West Region in southwestern Cameroon. In this week’s Adventure in Etymology, entitled Feeble Foibles, we discover what links the words feeble and foible with bleating and bells. It’s also available on Instagram and TikTok. On the Omniglot blog this week we investigate various words for Rice in Swahili, Chinese and Japanese, and there’s the usual language quiz. See if you guess what language this is: Here’s a clue: this language is spoken in Dagestan in Russia. The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Lenakel (Netvaar), a Southern Oceanic language spoken on Tanna Island in southern Vanuatu. On the Celtiadur blog this week there’s a new post about words for we, us and related pronouns entitled We Ourselves. 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.

  • S1 · E201
    September 5 · 2 min

    Adventures in Etymology – Feeble Foibles

    In this Adventure in Etymology we discover what links the words feeble and foible with bleating and bells. Feeble [ˈfiːbəl] means deficient in physical strength; lacking force, vigour or effectiveness in action or expression, or faint. It comes from Middle English feble [ˈfeːbəl / ˈfeːblə] (feeble, weak, insidious), from Anglo-Norman feble (weak, feeble), from Latin flēbilis (lamentable, doleful), from fleō (to weep, cry, lament), ultimately from PIE *bʰleh₁- (to bleat, cry), from *bʰel- (to sound, speak, roar, bark) [source]. Words from the same PIE roots include блеять (blejat’ – to bleat) in Russian, blaten (to bleat, to speak pointlessly) in Dutch, bjalla (bell, to be noisy, to call) in Icelandic, and bell, bleat and blatant in English [source]. Foible [ˈfɔɪbəl] means a quirk, idiosyncrasy, frailty or mannerism; an unusual habit that is slightly strange or silly, or a weakness or failing of character. It comes from Early Modern French foible (feeble, weak), from Old French feble / foible (weak, feeble), from Latin flēbilis (lamentable, doleful), and so on – the same root as feeble [source]. Words from the same Latin roots include feble (weak, feeble) in Catalan, flébil (tearful, fragile) in Portuguese, fäbless (penchant, fondness) in Swedish, and Faible (soft spot, weakness, craze) in German [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.

  • S1 · E255
    August 30 · 2 min

    Omniglot News (30/08/26)

    Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot. New language pages: Leonese (Llionés), a Ibero-Romance language spoken mainly in the northwest of Spain. Angaataha (Angaatɨha), a Trans-New Guinea language spoken in Morobe Province in Papua New Guinea. Northwest Gbaya (Làì / Kàrà), an Atlantic-Congo language spoken in Cameroon and the Central African Republic. New numbers page: Angaataha (Angaatɨha), a Trans-New Guinea language spoken in Morobe Province in Papua New Guinea. Nizaa (Nízɑɑ̀), a Mambiloid language spoken in the Adamawa Region in northern Cameroon. New adapted script: Turkish Shavian (·𐑖𐑨𐑝𐑰 𐑑𐑳𐑮𐑒𐑗𐑧 / Şavi Türkçe), a way to write Turkish with the Shavian alphabet devised by Ethan Ikediashi. New Tower of Babel translation: Abaza (абаза бызшва), a North West Caucasian language spoken in the Republics of Karachay-Cherkessia and Adygea in the southwest of Russia. If someone is described as having come-hither eyes, it means their eyes are seducitve or alluring. If you tell a horse to come hither though, what would you expect it to do? Find out in this blog post Hither & Thither, and there’s the usual language quiz. See if you guess what language this is: Here’s a clue: this language is spoken in southern Vanuatu. The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Umbundu (Úmbúndú), a Bantu language spoken in western Angola. On the Celtiadur blog this week there’s a new post about words for I, me and related pronouns entitled Me, Myself & I. 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.

  • S1 · E254
    August 23 · 2 min

    Omniglot News (23/08/26)

    Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot. New language pages: Upper Necaxa Totonac, a Central Totonac language spoken in Puebla in southeastern Mexico. Ngwo (Engwo), a Southern Bantoid language spoken in the North West Region of Cameroon. Nizaa (Nízɑɑ̀), a Mambiloid language spoken in the Adamawa Region in northern Cameroon. New numbers page: Upper Necaxa Totonac, a Central Totonac language spoken in Puebla in southeastern Mexico. Nizaa (Nízɑɑ̀), a Mambiloid language spoken in the Adamawa Region in northern Cameroon. Improved phrases page: Kichwa – now with translations and recordings of all the phrases. New Tower of Babel translations: Orokolo, a Western Eleman language spoken in Gulf Province in Papua New Guinea. Khakas (Хакас тілі), a Turkic language spoken in the Republic of Khakassia in southern Russia. In this week’s Adventure in Etymology, Yawning Hiatus, we discover what links the word hiatus with yawning. It’s also available on Instagram and TikTok. On the Omniglot blog we find out when a number is not a number in a post entitled Numbering Houses, and there’s the usual language quiz. See if you guess what language this is: Here’s a clue: this language is spoken in western Angola. The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Yidgha (یدغہ), an Eastern Iranian language spoken in northern Pakistan. On the Celtiadur blog this week there’s a new post about words for you and related things entitled You Yourself. 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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