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
IPA Nomination (Bonus Episode) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 0:49
Hello and Happy Autumn, everyone or Happy Fall if you're on the other side of the pond. Our new season will start in October but until then, I have some wonderful news! Our podcast has been nominated for an Independent P…
Myth [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:34
Have you noticed how this year, the first word of every month has been a myth or myth related? Whether you have or not, thank you for listening and staying with me for another season. As this is the last episode before o…
Crocodile [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 0:55
(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 y…
Chalk [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:17
(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 y…
Acrobat [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 0:54
(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 y…
Ecstasy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:35
Before we begin, I have a little announcement ,the podcast has finally made it to Instagram. It has now its own separate account than my acting one and it has everything , including videos with additional information and…
Panorama [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:09
(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 y…
Clerk [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 y…
Platypus [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:24
(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 y…
Mania [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:07
(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 y…