Hello everyone, excuse my voice today but I do have a cold. Greetings to the beautiful city of Cork in the Republic of Ireland. Welcome to our audience ! Did you know that Cork has a butter museum? Of course it does! It was after all, the butter capital of the western world; and by that I mean its largest supplier in the 18th century. Thank you for listening Cork!

(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!

This is another one of those words that suffered very little in their journey. A word that described part of a flower as ‘flat leaf’ in Ancient Greek and doubled as ‘thin metal plate’ remained the same in modern Greek but nowadays doubles as ‘horseshoe’. Latinised it became an official Roman word between the 3rd and 6th century and passed into English intact In the 1700s but keeping only the first meaning . ΠΕΤΑΛΟ/PETAL

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Hello Pittsburgh! Welcome to the family and thank you for creating the very first emergency medical services in America! Freedom House Ambulance Service was created in 1967 and was staffed entirely by trained black men and women. Listener, go look at its history and see what these amazing people achieved back then! Thank you for listening Pittsburgh!

(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!

Hubris in Ancient Greece seemed to be a very common reason for the gods to punish humans. And it was almost always a clear case of one . Son of a Satyr and a Nymph, Ορχις (orchis) was a young man who during the Dionysian festival attempted to sexually assault a priestess. The gods were furious with Dionysus applying his most brutal punishment . Orhis was not only torn apart by wild animals but was transformed to a very fragile flower. The boy’s name was given to the flower but also to male genitalia since it’s roots look like them. In English it had a few names until 1845, botanist John Lindley brought it over- from Latin- in his book ‘School Botany’ ΟΡΧΙΔΕΑ/ORCHID

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And we’re back to greeting our new audiences this time from Pristina in Kosovo! Did you know that 50% of the population of Kosovo's Capital is under 30? Sounds like a vibrant city to me! Thank you for listening Pristina!

(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 1930 in Birmingham, Oscar Deutsch, a young businessman opened the first venue in England that would multiply and entertain the nation for decades to come. His wife, Lilly Deutsch designed the interior, in an art deco style and, they borrowed the name from similar and very popular French venues. A name that in Ancient Greece meant, a building available for music performances, poetry recitals and rehearsals of plays for the big festivals in the open theatres. Ωδή (ode) in Ancient Greek meant song and that very special venue that gave its name to… cinemas all over the country was called ΩΔΕΙΟΝ/ODEON

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Taking a break from welcoming cities today because I’d like to remind you to leave us a review on the platform of your choice. It means a lot more than you think, it helps other people find us. If you also like to email me with comments or questions about anything you’ve heard in this podcast feel free to do so at yourgreeksunday@gmail.com On with our episode!

(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!

The Phoenician word for 'hand' (wrist to fingers) was ‘yodh’ and they wrote it by drawing a small vertical line . Ancient Greeks took that and incorporated it in the Alphabet as the 9th and smallest letter called Ιωτα (yiota) and pronounced like the I in ‘fit’. When the bible came round, the phrase ‘not one iota’ and similarly the word 'Jot' to describe an extremely small amount of something, became very popular . The phrase ‘jotting down‘ to indicate you take quick notes or sketching came much later in the 1700s in a dictionary written by Scottish Philologist John Jamieson, and for quite some time, the phrase was linked exclusive to Scottish writers. It’s worth mentioning that neither phrase is used in modern Greek; but the letter is . ΙΩΤΑ/IOTA

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I’m very happy to welcome Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria in our audience ! With a name that means ‘Wisdom’ in Greek and being one of its closest neighbours it’s inexcusable that I’m yet to visit! One thing I’ll be looking for when I do, is the bells monument; Built in the ‘80s as a global children’s monument with the idea to include a bell dedicated to every country in the world and to have children ring these as a gesture of peace. Something we’re in desperate need of. Thank you for listening Sofia! Or Σοφία (Sofía) in Greek.

(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!

International women’s day was last week and Mother’s Day is today in the UK. So, I’m here to celebrate both with a word that is a symbol of the circle of life, the power of nature and feminine power. A symbol that has been found in all ancient cultures sometimes in pottery, sometimes in statues and even on graves. But most importantly it’s a pattern we find in nature. It’s simple and endless . It starts on a fixed point and keeps winding outwards . The word travelled from Greek to Latin and French and arrived in English, almost intact, in 1550 by welsh physician and mathematician Robert Recorde. ΣΠΕΙΡΑ-SPIRAL

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A big welcome to Bangkok today! I’m so happy to have you in our audience. The city has a series of modesty laws including one that states that you should always wear underwear when you’re in a public space. Don’t worry , nobody will check but make sure it doesn’t show. Thank you for listening Bangkok!

(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!

There’s a tree that is known for its malaria healing effects, its water consuming roots that help dry out marshes and its mosquito repellent scent.It’s native to Australia and it wasn’t brought to Greece until 1862 by the botanist Theodore Orfanides. Indigenous Australians have a different name for every species of this tree- which is around 700- but the settlers used the generic name gum tree. Until, French botanist Charles Louis L’Herritier de Brutelle used two Greek words to name it, based on the complete cover of the buds until their bloom. Ευ (ef) in Ancient Greek meant ‘well/good’ and καλύπτω (calepto) still means ‘I cover’ so a tree that has well covered buds is an ΕΥΚΑΛΥΠΤΟΣ/EUCALYPTUS

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Today, I’d like to welcome Olso in our audience! Oslo has a fantastic first! It was the first city to design a bee highway. A series of rooftops, green spaces and balconies were bees can follow throughout the city and pollinate! Thank you for that and for listening Oslo!

(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!

Here’s a myth that has taken many forms like its protagonists. I’m going to tell you the story of Αλκυόνη and Κυηξ and the rise and fall of their love. Αλκυόνη was a beautiful young Princess , daughter of Aeolus of Thessaly (not to be confused with the winds god). Κυηξ was a handsome young noble man . They fell in love and got married and their love was so passionate and strong that made them feel invincible and unique . Like love does. But the couple took it a little too far. They started believing they were as powerful as Zeus and Hera and even called each other with those names. And that was hubris to the Olympians. They transformed them into birds and cursed them to live by the sea and only be able to lay eggs in the middle of winter. Many years passed and harsh winters kept destroying their eggs. Zeus felt pity for them and gave them 14 sunny and warm days from the middle of January to the middle of February for their eggs to survive. In the rest of the world Αλκυόνη ‘ς name is now a metaphor for calm, happy and prosperous times but in Greece that is the name for the 14 Spring-like days in the middle of winter. ΑΛΚΥΟΝΗ/HALCYON

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This week, I’d like to welcome Reno in Nevada. Did you know that from the 1930s, and well into the 50s, Reno was called the divorce capital of the world? Hollywood actors would go there to get a divorce quickly because it only required a six week residency. Also called a ‘six week cure’. And if you’re wondering, no, it’s not happening anymore. Thank you for listening Reno!

Do you have a fun fact about the city you’re listening from? Email me at yourgreesunday@gmail.com and let the world know!

(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!

There were many games in the Ancient Greek olympics and the most popular ones involved horses! For that purpose a special place was built. It was U shaped and between 400 and 780 meters long (or up to 4 stadia in Ancient Greek measurements). Its name is a combined word that travelled from Greek to Latin to French and, came to England in the 1500s in a translation by William Thomas . Ίππος (ippos) in ancient Greek meant horse and δρόμος (dromos) a word still in use in modern Greek, means road, way and, race. The place were horses compete is an ΙΠΠΟΔΡΟΜΟΣ/HIPPODROME

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