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Your Greek Word On A Sunday
Emmanuela Lia
Bite size podcast. Every Sunday, Greek words used in the English language. Travelling words connecting cultures.
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22/06/2025

Episode 300: Crystal

Hello and welcome to our 300th episode! I know, right? I never thought I'd make it this far and it's all thanks to you! Have you entered the prize draw yet? Email me your favourite episode, your name and where you're listening from at [email protected] by July 1st , for a chance to win a personalised gift. I will announce the winner on the episode of July 6th! On with our Myth-Of course it's a myth!Hello, and welcome to Your Greek Word On A Sunday, a weekly, bite-size podcast for anyone curious on language, etymology and connections. I am your host, Emmanuela Lia and wherever you are in the world, if you want to entertain your brain for a few minutes, this is the podcast for you. Let's Go! The Phaeacians were a mythical tribe in Homer's Odyssey who helped Odysseus get back to Ithaca. When Poseidon wrecked Odysseus's ship in the shores of Scheria, some say that's ancient Atlantis,  he didn't anticipate Athena's and Aphrodite's determination to help our hero get back home. By transforming into several women and appearing in the Phaeacians' Princess dreams, they managed to make her help him get to King Alcinoous and ask for a ship. The Phaeacians were experts in sailing and navigating but they had a secret. A rock, clear in colour that came from the depths of the Ocean. It was said it held the knowledge of all the countries in the world and if you stuck a piece of it under your ship , it would not only make it indestructible but it would navigate itself by reading your mind about your destination and take you there safely. The word came to English the usual way, through Latin and French  in the late 14th century. A rock that has been formed in cold waters or on the surface by extreme cold is a ΚΡΥΣΤΑΛΛΟ/CRYSTALAudibleStep into another world! Listen to any audiobook with a month long free trial (cancel anytime)Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Instagram @yourgreeksunday ,Blue Sky @yourgreeksunday.bsky.socialemail [email protected]
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15/06/2025

Episode 299: Telegraph

Hi everyone! We are one episode away from our 300th one and I'm going to celebrate by giving to one of you out there, a little gift with your favourite Greek word from this podcast, written on it. This is how it works, email me your favourite word at [email protected] with your name and the country you're listening from and I'll do a hat-draw and announce the winner on Sunday July 6th. If you already know what your favourite episode is, great! Send me an email right away. If you need more time to revisit the episodes and decide later, you have two whole weeks to do so! The deadline is the 1st of July, That's a Tuesday. For now, on with our episode!Hello, and welcome to Your Greek Word On A Sunday, a weekly, bite-size podcast for anyone curious on language, etymology and connections. I am your host, Emmanuela Lia and wherever you are in the world, if you want to entertain your brain for a few minutes, this is the podcast for you. Let's Go! I honestly didn't expect to find so much interesting information about today's word. It's one of those that stayed intact since put together but the progress, inventiveness and global collaboration is outstanding! Τέλε (tele) in ancient Greek , meant 'something far away' . Γραφείν (grafin) is the ancient greek infinitive meaning  'to write'. The combined word means 'writing over distance' and it's a practice that started with smoke signals, fires on to wers, flags on ships and as we became more industrious we have: in 1791 the Chappe brothers of France inventing what was called a two-flag semaphore. A complex construction of small flags and poles to indicate letters and numbers that would be put on top of a tower and could be read from afar. Then in 1795, George Murray of England would invent a shutter system, where opening and closing six shutters in different ways, read as letters to the person watching from far away. That system took over America where there are still places called 'signal hill' where shutters used to be placed. And then, electricity got established and with it, an invention upgraded step by step by different people, in different places and if I may add, very quickly! In 1800 Alessandro Volta of Italy discovering the voltaic cell and how to power devices with electricity. Hans Christian Orsted of Denmark, in 1820 discovering the electric needle and how to carry electric current without depending on the weather being clear. William sturgeon of Britain, five years later, in 1825 discovering the multiturn electromagnet. In 1831 Michael Faraday of England with Joseph Henry from the states, refining and electromagnetic power to make it stable and possible to power devices. And lastly, Sir William Forthgill Cooke and Sir Charles Wheatstone obtaining the patent. So, you see, the word might have started as an idea in Greece and from Latin and French came to English but it took years of collaborations and building upon other people's ideas, carrying on inventing and perfecting until we had a working ΤΗΛΕΓΡΑΦΟΣ/TELEGRAPHAudibleStep into another world! Listen to any audiobook with a month long free trial (cancel anytime)Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Instagram @yourgreeksunday ,Blue Sky @yourgreeksunday.bsky.socialemail [email protected]
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08/06/2025

Episode 298: Talisman

Before we begin, a shout out to fellow Thespian Constanza Ruff who suggested the word to me. If you'd like to send me ideas, comments or questions about anything you hear in this podcast, you can reach me at [email protected]. On with our episode!Hello, and welcome to Your Greek Word On A Sunday, a weekly, bite-size podcast for anyone curious on language, etymology and connections. I am your host, Emmanuela Lia and wherever you are in the world, if you want to entertain your brain for a few minutes, this is the podcast for you. Let's Go! Τέλεσμα (telesma) in ancient Greek and Τελετή in modern means 'a ritual' . The word travelled to Arabic as Tilasm and meant 'enigma' or 'lucky charm'. Although, that would be our current interpretation of lucky charm. In the ancient world, it was more of a divine protection in the form of an inscription on clothes or a piece of paper one would always carry with them. Especially in battle. The word was picked up by the French through-possibly-Turkey in the mid 1600s according to French linguist Claudius Salmasius. And at the same time, appeared in English in the writings of English resident, German philologist, Franciscus Junius. It's worth saying here that, both men had French names but it was custom to adopt Latin names in order to publish work. Today, a symbol or a design that is used as protection from harm is a ΤΕΛΕΣΜΑ/TALISMANAudibleStep into another world! Listen to any audiobook with a month long free trial (cancel anytime)Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Instagram @yourgreeksunday ,Blue Sky @yourgreeksunday.bsky.socialemail [email protected]
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01/06/2025

Episode 297: Idol

Hello and welcome to Your Greek Word On A Sunday, a weekly, bite-size podcast for anyone curious on language, etymology and connections. I am your host, Emmanuela Lia and wherever you are in the world, if you want to entertain your brain for a few minutes, this is the podcast for you. Let's Go! Είδω (aedo) in Ancient Greek meant 'I know' but also 'I see', literally. Now, as if Greek spelling wasn't complicated enough, there are two ways to write this. Today we'll talk about the very first form that is still used today, but only in a handful of words. Ancient Greek philosophers used the noun 'είδωλον' (aedolon) to describe the formation of an image in one's head or an actual representation of that image; like a carving or a statue and more specifically, the image of one of the Gods.  So, a statue of Athena, would be an είδωλον (aedolon) of Athena. By the time the word passed into Latin, Christianity had started to rise and the word, in religious texts, was associated with Paganism and the 'false representation of God'. The spelling was simplified in Latin and the word arrived in English the 1300s with religious texts. One last addition was in 1590 where a person worshiped like a God was also called an ΕΙΔΩΛΟ/IDOLAudibleStep into another world! Listen to any audiobook with a month long free trial (cancel anytime)Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Instagram @yourgreeksunday ,Blue Sky @yourgreeksunday.bsky.socialemail [email protected]
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25/05/2025

Episode 296: Polytheism

(Piano music) Hello and welcome to Your Greek Word On A Sunday, a weekly, bite-size podcast for anyone curious on language, etymology and connections. I am your host, Emmanuela Lia and wherever you are in the world, if you want to entertain your brain for a few minutes, this is the podcast for you. Let's Go! Πολλοί (polloi) in both ancient and modern Greek means 'many' and Θεός (Theos) means 'God'. Philo of Alexandria was a Jewish philosopher that lived between 25BC and 50AD. In his writings he tried to harmonise the Tora with Ancient Greek Philosophy and particularly, Plato. He was the one wo spoke of the worship of many gods versus the one with many faces which was a meaning that would drive many religious debates for years to come. The term then vanishes and reappears in Jean Bodin's writings. A French, political philosopher and member of the French parliament who worked on the origins of religion in the 1500s. A hundred years later the term reappears in English this time, in the writings of traveller and English Anglican Cleric, Samuel Purches, who describes the religions of the places he visited. The meaning remained the same but the practice of worshiping many gods vanished in the west until the 1970s and the revival of paganism. Today, all around the world, there are people worshiping more than one god and that religion is called ΠΟΛΥΘΕΙΣΜΟΣ/POLYTHEISMAudibleStep into another world! Listen to any audiobook with a month long free trial (cancel anytime)Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Instagram @yourgreeksunday ,Blue Sky @yourgreeksunday.bsky.socialemail [email protected]
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18/05/2025

Episode 295: Tyrant

Before we begin, I'd like to remind you that you can go to the description of this episode, click on the word 'Audible' and claim your one month free trial and a free download of your choice. Send me a message and let me know what you chose!(Piano music) Hello and welcome to Your Greek Word On A Sunday, a weekly, bite-size podcast for anyone curious on language, etymology and connections. I am your host, Emmanuela Lia and wherever you are in the world, if you want to entertain your brain for a few minutes, this is the podcast for you. Let's Go! In Ancient Greece there was a form of government that peaked around the 6th and 7th century BC and saw many Greek states under it. One man that wasn't voted to rule but rather placed into power by his followers ignoring the public vote. A man that was popular and rich enough to not be challenged. He would assign high government officials that were family members, raise taxes for the majority of the population and make sure every decision was for the sake of his own profit. They were also extremely vain , some would benefit their states by backing the arts or building useful institutions but that was only because the competition with other states was high. And of course, they would pass on the ruling to their sons. There is no historical evidence that any Greek state had one family rule for more than three generations and although they loved to be called 'King' , Greek law had Kings abide to it, something these rulers completely ignored. The title word took a very nasty turn after Plato and Aristotle wrote about them and cemented the meaning that followed in Latin and spread across the world. A self-serving monarch that governs in vanity and greed is a ΤΥΡΑΝΝΟΣ/TYRANTAudibleStep into another world! Listen to any audiobook with a month long free trial (cancel anytime)Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Instagram @yourgreeksunday ,Blue Sky @yourgreeksunday.bsky.socialemail [email protected]
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27/04/2025

Episode 292: Sceptre

(Piano music) Hello and welcome to Your Greek Word On A Sunday, a weekly, bite-size podcast for anyone curious on language, etymology and connections. I am your host, Emmanuela Lia and wherever you are in the world, if you want to entertain your brain for a few minutes, this is the podcast for you. Let's Go! Today's word had two meanings in Ancient Greece and could also be used metaphorically. Σκήπτω (skipto) in Ancient Greek meant 'I lean on' something. Ambassadors and messengers were often put in difficult positions either negotiating for their state's interests or bringing bad news so, they carried a staff to protect themselves but later it became a symbol of someone who was protected so they were safe on sight. A staff was also present in public debates and held by the speaker. And lastly, in courts, it was held by judges. As a symbol of power a staff would be passed from father to son and some had an ornament on top, the equivalent of a family crest although, Zeus had an Eagle (he would, would he?). Metaphorically we find the word used in the Greek Tragedy Oedipus Rex where his children are described as the staff that carries light. And today, we refer to it as a symbol of power. The word went from Latin 'Sceptrum' to French 'Ceptre' and then English in the 1300s. ΣΚΗΠΤΡΟ/SCEPTREAudibleStep into another world! Listen to any audiobook with a month long free trial (cancel anytime)Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Instagram @yourgreeksunday ,Blue Sky @yourgreeksunday.bsky.socialemail [email protected]
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13/04/2025

Episode 290:Hilarious

Let me tell you what happens when you're your own producer, editor and, host. You spend a few hours of research and writing your episode then, you get into the booth, do a few takes so you have options, edit everything to an episode you  really like and when you're about to save it-at which point you've spend the better part of you afternoon-a message pops up telling you 'that episode already exists' and you remember that you've done that word two years ago! I think it's for the best as the word I found instead, fits perfectly that situation.(Intro & piano music)One of the Phrygian gods that arrived in Greece (because they didn't have enough apparently) was the maternal goddess Κυβέλη (Cybele). She was similar to the Geek 'Gaia'  and wasn't an instant hit but her myth is attached to Dionysus as she supposedly cured him from his madness so that made her more likable. Fast forward a few years and the Romans are in great distress by war, famine, failed harvest and a meteor shower! They feel the Empire might collapse so , they consult both the Roman and the Greek oracles and they decide to bring Κυβέλη to Rome. They rename her Magna Mater (The Great Mother) and soon after, the famine ends, the war is won and...it's Spring! They celebrated Magna Mater on March 25th, the Spring Equinox, and named that day (which became a whole festival)'Hilaria' from the Greek word for 'Joyous'. ΙΛΑΡΟΣ/HILARIOUS.AudibleStep into another world! Listen to any audiobook with a month long free trial (cancel anytime)Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Instagram @yourgreeksunday ,Blue Sky @yourgreeksunday.bsky.socialemail [email protected]
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09/03/2025

Episode 285: Cataclysm

Before we begin, if you haven't listened to last week's news, we have become an affiliate to Audible. If you like listening to podcasts and books go to the description of this episode, click on the word 'Audible' and get your one month, free trial to download any item you like. On with our episode!(Intro & piano music) Every ancient culture has a myth about a flood that wipes out humanity. And so did the ancient Greeks. When Zeus decided that humans were corrupt, he sent a flood to drown Greece but he saved two people he thought were worth saving; King Δευκαλιων (Defkalion) and his Queen Πύρρα (Pirra). They built a boat and travelled for nine days until they reached Delphi. There, they asked the oracle how they could rebuild humanity. The oracle said 'you have to cover your faces and throw the mother's intestines behind your backs' , Oh, they both understood, so they covered their faces and started walking, picking up stones from Mother Earth and throwing them behind them. Wherever a stone landed, a human appeared. And so, humanity was saved. Or that's how the myth goes anyway. Κατά (kata) is a preposition meaning 'downward' and κλυζείν (klizin) is the ancient Greek infinitive meaning 'to flood' . The combined word came to English through religious texts from France in the early 1600s. ΚΑΤΑΚΛΥΣΜΟΣ/CATACLYSMAudibleStep into another world! Listen to any audiobook with a month long free trial (cancel anytime)Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Instagram @yourgreeksunday ,Blue Sky @yourgreeksunday.bsky.socialemail [email protected]
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02/03/2025

Episode 284: Acoustics

Happy March, everyone!At the beginning of the year, I promised to keep this podcast Ad free and find another way to make it a profitable endeavour and today, I'm here to celebrate exactly that!I would like to welcome our new sponsor, Audible! A place where you can find thousands of audiobooks and download them, for your listening pleasure. Head to the description of this episode, click on the word 'Audible' and get your one month free-trial that you can cancel at anytime. And if you're wondering how this works for me, all the information can be found in the description as well. On with our episode!(Intro & piano music)Ακούω (akouo) in Greek means 'I hear'. The noun is ακουστική (akoustiki) and it means 'the audible' . Joseph Sauveur was a mathematician and physicist in the French court, during the enlightenment, and a member of the French Academy of Sciences. He grew up with a hearing and speech impairment and had to often rely on musicians' ears for his results. Among other fascinating subjects he delved into the vibrations of Greek, Roman, Arabic and Persian music to study the correlation between frequency and pitch and in 1701 he presented the results of his research to the Academy. It was then when he coined the term for his new found practice on what the author and librettist, Fontenelle, called  'The discovery of an unknown country' ΑΚΟΥΣΤΙΚΗ/ACOUSTICSAudibleStep into another world! Listen to any audiobook with a month long free trial (cancel anytime)Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Instagram @yourgreeksunday ,Blue Sky @yourgreeksunday.bsky.socialemail [email protected]
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02/02/2025

Episode 280: Diploma & Diplomat

(Intro & piano music) I usually get the question 'Where do you find all these words?' and most times the answer will be 'from all of you'. Whether you 've sent me a word asking if it's Greek that sends me down a rabbit hole and discover four more on the way or I'm having a chat with a friend and we both pause to the sound of a word they've just used and I jot it down for research or even if my friends directly ask 'have you looked that one up?' I guess, after all this time, we have build a system , you and me where you can find me by email or on my social media and suggest, ask or comment freely. Please, keep doing that. I love hearing from you! All the links on how to get in touch are on the description of every episode. Today's word however, falls under a different category. Me, watching television. There's this great series I'm watching and the title is the very word I'm taking about. Διπλούν (diploun) is an ancient Greek infinitive and it means 'to fold in two'. In modern Greek Διπλό (diplo) means 'double. Yes, that's the same root word. Ancient Greeks didn't use paper but papyrus so, no paper was folded. The Romans however, took that word and applied it to the official, folded in half, document needed to prove  you were a Roman citizen, an ID if you like. The word for that document travelled to England in the 1600s and despite the noun and the adjective getting different meanings with time, they both kept their attachment to something official. An official document folded in two is called a ΔΙΠΛΩΜΑ and someone appointed as a representative to a different country is called a ΔΙΠΛΩΜΑΤΗΣ. DIPLOMA and DIPLOMAT.Instagram @yourgreeksunday ,Blue Sky @yourgreeksunday.bsky.socialemail [email protected]
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24/11/2024

Episode 271: Tripod

Before we begin, I have an announcement; From December 1st our account on X will no longer exist. Instead we're moving into Blue Sky and I'll put the handle on the description so you can find us there. @yourgreeksunday.bsky.social . I think it's a much friendlier platform. If you don't have an account there, you can find us on Instagram @yourgreeksunday where I also post videos with additional information on specific episodes or, you can follow my acting page on Facebook : Emmanuela Lia, a place where I share all my work including this podcast. And finally, if you're not into social media, thank you for waiting to listen to today's word! Let's go!(Intro & piano music) Πους (pous) in ancient Greek and Πόδι (podi) in modern, means 'foot/leg'. Τρία (tria) means 'three'. From Ancient China to Ancient Greece we see many three- legged portable stands, cauldrons and vases. The first time the combination of those two words was recorded, was in the ancient syllabic alphabet used by the Mycenaeans and predating Ancient Greek, Linear B. The syllables read TI-RI-PO and of course nobody knows how they were pronounced but they were describing three-legged objects. The word was used in Ancient Greek and Latin and it came to English in 1603 in a translation of Plutarch's 'The Morals' by Philemon Holland and, a Latin pronunciation. ΤΡΙΠΟΔΟ/TRIPODInstagram @yourgreeksunday ,Blue Sky @yourgreeksunday.bsky.socialemail [email protected]
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06/10/2024

Episode 264: Mentor

Before we begin, I'd like to remind you that you can always email me with comments, questions or anything you want to say about what you hear in this podcast at [email protected] . You can also follow me on Instagram and X @yourgreeksunday and leave a review or a comment on the platform of your choice.(Intro & Piano music)Welcome to season 8! Wow! Although technically this is 7 and a bit, as I started season 1 on a January but who's counting, right? Well, this summer I realised how long I've been doing this because I got a few people asking me for advice on how to start a podcast and, I could answer; which also gave me the idea of our first word. Here we go! When Odysseus left Ithaca for Troy, he assigned his best friend to stand in for him for his son Telemachus; he would advise and protect the boy and occasionally be replaced by the Goddess Athena for some extra wisdom (because Gods did that!). His name became a character quality in 1699 (and much much much later, a job) after the publication of the French novel 'The adventures of Telemachus' by Francois Fenelon; which seems to have been very popular both in France and England and the book itself has a very interesting journey, have a look when you get a chance. So, for this magnificent human skill that comes with years of hard work, experience or divine intervention, we have one character in Homer's Odyssey to thank for and his name is ΜΕΝΤΟΡ/MENTORTwitter @yourgreeksunday , Instagram @yourgreeksunday ,email [email protected]
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