Skip to main content
Back to Show
Otherwords

The Ancient Origins of Body Words

Body parts would probably have been one of the first things that ancient peoples gave names to, so not only do we find hundreds of cognates and permutations, but also widespread use in idioms, slang and other figures of speech. Since our bodies have been with us literally from the beginning, we can learn a lot about language by investigating their etymologies.

Support Provided By
Season
How Brands Ruin Slang
8:01
What makes a word slang, and why does it sound so weird when companies use it?
Why Sign Language Was Banned in America
12:13
We take a deeper look as to why sign language was banned for decades.
Literally No One Likes a Grammar Cop
8:57
Besides being annoying, what if the grammar police are actually... wrong?
The Stories Behind Food Names
7:46
It shouldn't matter what a food is called as long as it tastes good, right? Well...
Is Bilingualism a Superpower?
9:41
Current studies with children show show new insight into bilingualism.
Foreign Words We Need in English
7:00
English has more words than most other languages, but there are still gaps.
A Controversial Theory About Gossip
7:24
Why is gossip an integral part of human social structure?
Pronouns: Little Words That Say a Lot
5:56
Pronouns may be little, but they say a lot, and they're always changing!
The Screwed-Up History of English Spelling
7:50
The English spelling system is a MESS... arguably more than any other language.
How Do Clichés Evolve into Memes?
6:19
Adaptable clichés called "snowclones" are EVERYWHERE but they're older than you think.
Is Swearing Good for Your Brain?
6:08
There's evidence that sweating may be good for your psyche.
Otherwords Season 1
7:11
The word "Death" has a lot of euphemisms in virtually every language.
Active loading indicator