Adventures in Etymology – Harmonious Reason

7th March 20267th March 2026 By Simon

Are the words harmony and reason connected? Let’s find out in this Adventure in Etymology.

Meanings of harmony [ˈhɑː.mə.ni] include:

Agreement or accord.
A pleasing combination of elements, or arrangement of sounds.
Two or more notes played simultaneously to produce a chord.

It comes from Middle English armonie (harmonious sounds, song, music, harmony), from Old French (h)armonie (harmony, musical instrument), from Latin harmonia (harmony, music, peace), from Ancient Greek ἁρμονία (harmonía – joint, union, agreement, concord of sounds), from or related to ἁρμόζω (harmózō – I fit together), from PIE *h₂er- (to join, fit, fix together) [source].

Meanings of reason [ˈɹiː.zən] include:

A cause.
A motive for an action or a determination.
Rational thinking.

It comes from Middle English reso(u)n (reason), from Anglo-Norman raisun (logic, logical reasoning), from Latin ratiō (reason, calculation, procedure), from reor (to reckon, calculate, think), from Proto-Italic rēōr (to reckon, calculate, think), from PIE *h₂reh₁- (to think, reason, arrange), from *h₂er- (to join, fit, fix together) [source].

Other words from the same roots possibly include arachnid, art, ordinary, ornament, ratio and read in English, Rede (stream, current, flow) in German, araña (spider, chandelier) in Spanish, arment (herd of cattle or horses) in Catalan, гармония [ɡɐrˈmonʲɪjə] (harmony) in Russian [source].

One word for harmony (and melody) in Old English was swinsung, which came from swinsian (to sing) from Proto-West Germanic *swinisōn, from Proto-Germanic *swinisōną, from Proto-Germanic *swin- (to sound), from PIE *swenh₂- (to sound) [source].

Words from the same roots include assonance, sonata, sonnet, sound and swan in English, seinn (to play [an instrument], sing, warble, chatter) in Irish, honni (to claim, assert) in Welsh, and dzon (bell) in Polish [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.

Adventures in Etymology – Plain Planes

21st February 202621st February 2026 By Simon

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Are the words plain, plane and plan related? Let’s find out in this Adventure in Etymology.

Plain [pleɪn] as an adjective can mean:

Simple, unaltered, ordinary, unsophisticated.
Obvious, evident.
Open, honest, candid.
Unattractive
Flat, level (rare, regional)

It comes from Middle English pleyn (clear, unambiguous), from Anglo-Norman pleyn (plain), from Old French plain (plain [flat area]), from Latin plānus (level, flat, even, intelligible, clear), from Proto-Italic *plānos, from PIE *pleh₂-no-s (flattened) from *pleh₂- (flat) [source].

As a noun, plain can mean:

An expanse of land with relatively low relief and few trees, especially a grassy expanse.
A broad, flat expanse in general, as of water.

This comes from the same roots as the adjective plain, but directly from Old French plain [source].

Words from the same roots include plane (flat surface), explain, plan, palm, piano, floor, flat and maybe plant and field in English, plan (map, plane, plan) in French, llano (even, flat, level, plain) in Spanish, flor (thin, transparent fabric) in Swedish, and llawr (floor, deck, stage, platform, cellar, ground) in Welsh [source].

The word clan (a group of people all descended from a common ancestor; a traditional social group of families in the Scottish Highlands having a common hereditary chieftain) possibly comes from the same roots via Irish clann (children, clan) or Scottish Gaelic clann (children, clan, tribe), both of which are from Old Irish cland (children, family, plant), from Old Welsh plant (children), from Latin planta (shoot, offspring), from PIE *pleh₂- (flat).

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.

Adventures in Etymology – Channelling Reeds

14th February 202614th February 2026 By Simon

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Are the words channel, canal and cane connected? Let find out in this Adventure in Etymology.

Meanings of channel [ˈtʃænəl] as a noun include:

The hollow bed of running waters.
The navigable part of a river.
A narrow body of water between two land masses.
A specific radio frequency or band of frequencies used for transmitting radio or television.

As a verb, to channel can mean:

To make or cut a channel or groove in.
To direct or guide along a desired course.
To serve as a medium for.

It comes from Middle English chanel (a river or sea bed, a navigable channel in a river, a gutter, drain or ditch), from Old French chenel (channel [of water]), from Latin canālis (pipe, spout, channel, gutter, groove), from canna (reed, cane), from Ancient Greek κάννα (kánna – reed, reed mat), from Akkadian 𒂵𒉡𒌑𒌝 (qanûm – reed) [source].

Alternatively, the Ancient Greek word κάννα (kánna – reed, reed mat) comes from Akkadian 𒄀 (qanû – reed), Sumerian 𒄀𒈾 (gi.na – reed), from 𒄀 (gi – reed, measuring reed, unit of length equal to 6 cubits) [source].

Words from the same roots include canal, cannula and cane in English, قَنَاة (qanāh – channel, canal, spear) in Arabic, canna (cane, barrel, rod, tube) in Italian, caneta (pen) in Portuguese, and canol (centre, middle) in Welsh [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.

Adventures in Etymology – Doomed Pride

7th February 20267th February 2026 By Simon

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

In this Adventure in Etymology we find out what links the word doom with words for judgement, courts and pride.

As a noun, doom [duːm] can mean:

Destiny, especially terrible
An undesirable fate
Dread; a feeling of danger

As a verb, to doom can mean:

To pronounce judgment or sentence on sb
To condem
To fix irrevocably the ill fate of sb

It comes from Middle English doom [doːm] (a judgement, [legal] decision, justice, authority), from Proto-West Germanic *dōm (judgement), from Proto-Germanic *dōmaz (judgement, fame, repute), from PIE *dʰóh₁mos (that which is put), from *dʰeh₁- (to do, put, place) [source].

English words from the same roots include deed, deem, defect and wisdom and other words ending in -dom [source].

Words in other languages from the same roots include doem (doom, condemnation, verdict, judgement) in Dutch, domare (judge, referee, umpire) in Swedish, domhus (courthouse) in Danish, дума (thought, meditation, duma [Russian legislature]) in Russian, duma (pride) in Polish, and dáil (tryst, betrothal, legislature) in Irish [source].

Incidentally, one word for court in Old English was dōmhūs (“judgement house”). It’s cognate with Danish domhus, and became dome-howse (a judgement hall) in Middle 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.

Adventures in Etymology – Strong Comfort

31st January 2026 By Simon

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

In this Adventure in Etymology we get comfortable and investigate the word comfort.

As a noun, comfort [ˈkʌm.fət / ˈkʌm.fɚt] can mean:

Contentment, ease
Something that offers comfort
Something relieving suffering or worry
A cause of relief or satisfaction

As a verb, to comfort can mean:

To relieve the distress or suffering of
To provide comfort to
(obsolete) To make strong, to invigorate; to assist, help or aid

Comfort is also a surname and a female given name, and the name of places in Minnesota, North Carolina, Texas, West Virginia and Wisconsin in the USA [source].

It comes from Middle English comforten [kumˈfɔrtən] (to comfort), from Old French conforter (to reassure, comfort), from Latin cōnfortō (to make stronger, strengthen, give courage), from con- (with) and fortis (strong, powerful, resolute, brave) [source].

Words from the same roots include confortare (to comfort, console) in Italian, confortar (to comfort) in Portuguese, confort (comfort) and conforter (to strengthen, reinforce, confirm) in French, konfor (comfort) in Turkish (borrowed from French), and confort (cosiness) in Romanian (borrowed from French) [source].

The Spanish word confort also comes from the same roots. It means comfort or ease, and in the colloquial Spanish of Chile, it can refer to toilet paper – the name comes from a brand of toilet paper [source].

In Old English, one word for comfort or consolation was frōfor [ˈfroː.for], which became frovre / frother in Middle English, and survives in some English dialects as frover / frother (to comfort, solace) [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.

Adventures in Etymology – Wholesome Health

24th January 202624th January 2026 By Simon

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

In this Adventure in Etymology we examine the origins of the word health and related things.

Meanings of health [hɛlθ] include:

The state of being free from physical or psychological disease, illness, or malfunction.
A state of well-being or balance, often physical but sometimes also mental and social.

It comes from Middle English helthe [ˈhɛlθ(ə)] (soundness, health, recovery, remedy), from Old English hǣlþ [xæːlθ] (health, healing, cure), from Proto-Germanic *hailiþō [ˈxɑi̯.li.θɔː] (wholeness, health), from *hailaz [ˈxɑi̯.lɑz] (whole, intact, entire, healthy), from PIE *kéh₂ilos (healthy, whole) [source].

Words from the same roots include heal, whole, wholesome, holy and hale in English, heel [ɦeːl] (complete, full, whole, very) in Dutch, hele (to heal) in Danish, целя [tsɛˈlʲa̟] (to heal, cure) in Bulgarian, cały [ˈtsa.wɘ] (whole, complete, entire) in Polish [source].

Health should not be confused with health, an obsolete English word meaning a warrior, hero or man, which comes from Proto-Germanic *haliþaz [ˈxɑ.li.θɑz] (hero), and is related to words such as Held [hɛlt] (hero, protagonist) in German, held [ɦɛlt] (hero) in Dutch, and hjälte [ˈjɛlˌtɛ] (hero, main male protagonist in a work of fiction) in Swedish [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.

Adventures in Etymology – Perilous Experience

10th January 202610th January 2026 By Simon

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

In this Adventure in Etymology we find what the word experience has to do with fear, peril and pirates.

Perilous Experiences

Meanings of experience [/ɪkˈspɪə.ɹɪəns] include:

Event(s) of which one is cognizant.
An activity which one has performed.
A collection of events and/or activities from which an individual or group may gather knowledge, opinions, and skills.

It comes from Middle English expērience (observation; an event which has affected one; to test, try, learn), from Old French esperience (experiment, proof, experience), from Latin experientia (a trial, proof, experiment, experience), from experīrī (to try, put to the test, undertake, undergo), from ex- (out) and perīrī (to go through), from PIE *per- (to attempt, try, risk) [source].

Words from the same roots include expert, experiment, peril and fear in English, Gefahr (danger, risk, threat) in German, pericolo (peril, danger) in Italian, perygl (danger, peril, risk) in Welsh, experimentar (to experience, feel, experiment) in Spanish [source].

The English word pirate also comes from the same roots, via Old French pirate, Latin pīrāta (sailor, sea robber), and Ancient Greek πειρατής (peiratēs – pirate, “one who attacks (ships)”), from πεῖρα (peira – trial, attempt, plot) [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.

Adventures in Etymology – Code Trees

3rd January 20263rd January 2026 By Simon

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

In this Adventure in Etymology, we find what the word code has to do with books and trees.

Code Trees

Meanings of code [kəʊd / koʊd] include:

A short textual designation, often with little relation to the item it represents.
A body of law, sanctioned by legislation.
Any system of principles, rules or regulations relating to one subject.
A message represented by rules intended to conceal its meaning.
Instructions for a computer.

It comes from Middle English code (a system of law), from Old French code (a system of law), from Latin cōdex (tree trunk; book, notebook), from caudex (tree trunk, block of woord, book), possibly from cūdō (I beat, strike), from PIE *kewh₂- (to hit, strike, forge) [source].

Words from the same roots include codex, codicil (an addition or supplement modifying any official document) in English, código (code) in Spanish, code (code) in French, kodex (code [of laws]) in Czech, and kütük (log [tree/computer], official register) in Turkish [source].

In Latin, caudex originally meant a tree trunk or block of wood. Later it came to refer to the wax tablets Romans used for writing on. From about the 1st Century AD/CE, scrolls were gradually replaced by codices, books made of stacks of paper bound together along one edge. The word cōdex was used to refer to such books [source].

In English, the word codex refers to an early manuscript book, that is, one bound by joining pages, as opposed to a rolled scroll. Specifically, it refers to hand-writing books made using parchment, vellum or papyrus rather than paper. It can also mean an official list of medicines and medicinal ingredients. [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.

Adventures in Etymology – Burning Focus 🔥🔍

22nd November 2025 By Simon

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

In this Adventure in Etymology we focus on the origins of the word focus.

Focus [ˈfəʊ.kəs / ˈfoʊ.kəs] as a noun can mean:

A point at which reflected or refracted rays of light converge.
The quality of the convergence of light on the photographic medium.
Something to which activity, attention or interest is primarily directed.

As an verb, focus can mean:

To cause (rays of light, etc) to converge at a single point.
To adjust (a lens, an optical instrument) in order to position an image with respect to the focal plane.
To direct attention, effort, or energy to a particular audience or task.
To concentrate one’s attention.

It comes from Latin focus (fireplace, hearth, brazier, house, family), possibly from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂- (to shine), or from PIE *dʰegʷʰ- (to burn) [source].

Words from the same roots include fuoco (fire, torment) in Italian, feu (fire, lighter) in French, fogo (fire, house, family, flame) in Portuguese, φουφού (foufoú – brazier) in Greek, Fokus (focus) in German, and curfew in English [source].

The English word fuel, also comes from the same Latin root, via Middle English fewell (fuel), Old French fouaille (firewood, kindling), and f(o)u / foc (fire), and Late Latin focus (fire) [source].

The Italian flatbread, focaccia, also gets its name from the same roots, via Late Latin focācia, the plural of focācium (bread baked under ash), from (panis) focācius ((bread) of the hearth), as does hogaza (loaf) in Spanish and pogača (cake) in Slovenian [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.

Adventures in Etymology – A Little Loitering

8th November 20258th November 2025 By Simon

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

In this Adventure in Etymology we look into the origins of the word loiter.

To loiter [ˈlɔɪtə(ɹ) / ˈlɔɪtɚ] can mean:

To stand about without any aim or purpose; to stand about idly.
To remain at a certain place instead of moving on.
(archaic) To stroll about without any aim or purpose, to ramble, to wander.

It comes from Middle English loitren (to idle away one’s time, to dawdle over one’s work, to linger or lurk idly in a place), from Middle Dutch loteren (to shake, wag, wobble), from Proto-Germanic *lūtaną (to bow down), from Proto-Indo-European *lewd- (to duck, crouch, cringe, become small) [source].

Words from the same roots include little, lout (a troublemaker, often violent) in English, luttel (little, few, mere) in Dutch, lude (lout, stoop) in Danish, луд (lud – crazy, mad, insane) in Bulgarian, liūdnas (sad, downhearted) in Lithuanian, and lut (to request, ask, plead, beg) in Albanian [source].

The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg (Lëtzebuerg in Luxembourgish) also gets its name partly from the same roots, via Proto-Germanic *lūtilaz (bent, crouching, little) and *burgz (fortification, stronghold, city) [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.

Radio Omniglot

Podcasts about languages and words

Category: Middle English (Englisch)

Adventures in Etymology – Harmonious Reason

Adventures in Etymology – Plain Planes

Adventures in Etymology – Channelling Reeds

Adventures in Etymology – Doomed Pride

Adventures in Etymology – Strong Comfort

Adventures in Etymology – Wholesome Health

Adventures in Etymology – Perilous Experience

Adventures in Etymology – Code Trees

Adventures in Etymology – Burning Focus 🔥🔍

Adventures in Etymology – A Little Loitering