Cataclysm

Cataclysm

Author: Emmanuela Lia March 9, 2025 Duration: 1:52

Before we begin, if you haven't listened to last week's news, we have become an affiliate to Audible. If you like listening to podcasts and books go to the description of this episode, click on the word 'Audible' and get your one month, free trial to download any item you like. 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! 

Every ancient culture has a myth about a flood that wipes out humanity. And so did the ancient Greeks. When Zeus decided that humans were corrupt, he sent a flood to drown Greece but he saved two people he thought were worth saving; King Δευκαλιων (Defkalion) and his Queen Πύρρα (Pirra). They built a boat and travelled for nine days until they reached Delphi. There, they asked the oracle how they could rebuild humanity. The oracle said 'you have to cover your faces and throw the mother's intestines behind your backs' , Oh, they both understood, so they covered their faces and started walking, picking up stones from Mother Earth and throwing them behind them. Wherever a stone landed, a human appeared. And so, humanity was saved. Or that's how the myth goes anyway. Κατά (kata) is a preposition meaning 'downward' and κλυζείν (klizin) is the ancient Greek infinitive meaning 'to flood' . The combined word came to English through religious texts from France in the early 1600s. ΚΑΤΑΚΛΥΣΜΟΣ/CATACLYSM



Instagram @yourgreeksunday ,
Blue Sky @yourgreeksunday.bsky.social
email yourgreeksunday@gmail.com


Each week, Emmanuela Lia offers a quiet, thoughtful moment with Your Greek Word On A Sunday. This award-nominated podcast explores the fascinating journey of language, focusing on a single Greek word that has found a home in everyday English. It’s a bite-sized piece of history and connection, released every Sunday. You’ll hear more than just a definition; each episode traces the word’s path from ancient roots to modern usage, revealing how ideas and culture travel and transform across centuries and continents. Emmanuela unpacks the stories embedded within these travelling words, showing how they silently shape our thinking and link us to a distant past. Listening to this podcast feels like uncovering a hidden layer of meaning in the language we use without a second thought. It’s for anyone curious about where words come from, how history echoes in our speech, and the subtle threads that connect different worlds. The gentle, weekly rhythm and focused format make it a perfect companion for a reflective morning or a calm evening, turning a simple etymological exploration into a consistent ritual of discovery.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 335

Your Greek Word On A Sunday
Podcast Episodes
Gigantic [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:40
Hello , if you like what you hear in this podcast leave us a review on the platform of your choice. It helps other people find us and I love reading what you think! (piano music) Hello, and welcome to Your Greek Word On…
Patriots [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:51
(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…
Mint [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:26
(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…
Chthonic [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:55
Before we begin , a big thank you to everyone who left a review and rated our podcast recently our audience in growing fast and your words matter! If you haven’t done yet , it’s never too late ! As always, I love reading…
Phantasmagoria [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:43
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 en…
Metropolis [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:15
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 en…
October [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 4:19
Hello everybody and welcome to season 9! I hope you had a great summer and you’re ready to start another year with me! I’ve decided to make a small/big change. I never had ads in this podcast until earlier this year when…
Peloponnesus (summer edition) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 3:11
Hello and welcome to Your Greek Word on a Sunday summer edition. I just returned from my Greek holidays and the place I’ve been has a great myth behind it so I’m here to tell you all about it! If you like this episode, d…
Pirate [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:06
Hello and welcome to the last episode for this season. Thank you for staying with me for another year, downloading and sharing the podcast! Our audience is getting bigger and this is all thanks to you! Stay tuned this su…
Stadium [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:19
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 en…