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.
Get in touch: https://etymoleon.com
Etymoleon is produced by Leon Bailey-Green.
Etymoleon - Word History, the etymology podcast.
124. Consequences
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
This podcast returns on July 12th 2026. A 19th century decision involving 24 rabbits reshaped an entire continent. The inventor of an explosive became synonymous with peace. A president's speech turned a game into a metaphor for consequence.
Alongside these histories, this episode traces the origins of words such as sequela, corollary, irruption, repercussion and domino.
Transition sound by https://audionautix.com
-
https://www.nma.gov.au/defining-moments/resources/rabbits-introduced
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/aug/23/australias-rabbit-invasion-traced-back-to-single-importation-of-24-animals-in-1859-study-finds
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSCeqt5im-A
https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/history/how-dynamite-spawned-nobel-prizes