Radio Omniglot

Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot.

New writing system: Lai Tay, which was used to write Tai Yo, a Southwestern Tai langauge spoken in Vietnam, Laos and Thailand.

New language pages:…

In this Adventure in Etymology we unravel the roots of the word minion.

A minion [ˈmɪnjən] is:

• A loyal servant of another, usually a more powerful being.
• A sycophantic follower.
• A small, yellow cre…

Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot.

New writing system: Leke (Chicken Scratch) Script, a script created in the 19th century to write Karen languages in Myanmar and Thailand.

New adap…

In this episode we disencumber the cumbersome and confluent Celtic roots of words like encumber.

The Proto-Celtic word *kombereti means to bring together and comes from Proto-Celtic *kom- (with, tog…

Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot.

New writing system: Thirke Script, which was used in the 14th century in Kodagu in Karnataka, India.

New language pages:

• Idaxo-Isuxa-Tiriki (Lui…

In this Adventure in Etymology we jot down a jot or two about jots (and tittles).

A jot [ʤɒt / ʤɑt] is:

• The smallest letter or stroke of any writing; an iota.
• A small, or the smallest, amount of a …

Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot.

New language pages:

• Bushong (Bushɔ́ɔ́ng), a Bantu language spoken in Kasai Province in the south of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
• Guro, a…

In this episode we drill down to the Celtic roots of words for carpenter in English and other languages.

The Proto-Celtic word *karbantos means (war) chariot or wagon and is possibly related to the …

Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot.

New language pages:

• Bambalang (Chrambo), a Grassfields Southern Bantoid language spoken in Cameroon.
• Bila (kiBila), a Bantu language spoken in It…

In this Adventure in Etymology we unlock connections between the words luxury and lock.

As a adjective luxury [ˈlʌk.ʃə.ɹi / ˈlʌɡʒəɹi] can mean:

• Very expensive.
• Not essential but desirable and enjoy…

Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot.

New language pages:

• Kebu (Kǝkpǝǝkǝ), a Kwa language spoken in southern Togo and southeastern Ghana.
• Bangubangu (Kibangubangu), a Bantu language s…

In this episode, we uncover the possible Celtic roots of words for hillsides and rough scrub land in Romance languages.

The Proto-Celtic words *brigā (hill, fortress) and *brixs (hill), both come fr…