Etymoleon - Word History, the etymology podcast.
Word History is a podcast for people who enjoy words and history.
Each episode takes a small set of words linked to a theme. You'll hear what they mean, where they come from and which familiar words share the same linguistic roots, along with stories from the past related to their use.
Listen for words that sharpen expression, and brief histories that show how ideas and practices, as well as language, took shape. Across an archive of more than a hundred episodes, you'll find explanations of word, name and phrase origins.
The majority of etymologies featured return to Old English, Ancient Greek, Latin and Old French, providing a look into languages of the past that underpin English.
New episodes on Sundays.
Play the daily word game Derivety: https://derivety.com
Get in touch: https://etymoleon.com
Etymoleon - Word History, the etymology podcast.
41. Gestures
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This episode uncovers various theories behind why and how we use certain non-verbal gestures to communicate, along with the origins of the terms that describe them. Discover the surprising history behind gestures like the high-five, said to be popularised by American baseball, and elbow touching, first suggested by the World Health Organization in 2006. The word smirk, once meant "to smile," before the emergence of the word smile itself. We also look into gestures like kissing the teeth, shaking hands, nodding the head and blowing out birthday candles.