Gigantic

Gigantic

Author: Emmanuela Lia November 16, 2025 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 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! 

We now know that ancient civilisations created some of their myths based on what surrounded them but was at the time incomprehensible. We don’t exactly know how the myths evolved or got embellished with time but sometimes there are clear and verified links. For the next two episodes I’m going to talk to you about two different words that come from the same fact. Prehistoric fossils found in Ancient Greece.  Nobody could explain them and they looked… bizarre! Γαία (Gaia) was the name for the goddess Earth. Among her children were  100 , of enormous height and strength.  With scaled bodies and lizard tails who were covered in hair. looked like humans and they were mortal. They were divided in clans and each had special extra powers. Including the lightning power they gifted Zeus. Most of them died in the Great War between them and the Olympian gods and there are depictions of that war on ancient vases and  sculptures.  Their name means ‘of the earth’ but in English it came through Latin and old French in the 1300s and by then it had turned into an adjective ΓΙΓΑΝΤΙΟΣ/GIGANTIC 


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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
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