Macaroni

Macaroni

Author: Emmanuela Lia February 28, 2021 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 you want to entertain your brain for a few minutes, this is the podcast for you. Let's Go! 

From China to Italy to France and the Arab world everyone has claimed the origin of this word and for good reason as it’s one of those things that popped up everywhere more or less at the same time. I am going to give you the Greek version but please read the rest as all of them have an interesting story attached to it. Μακαρία (Makaria) was one of Hercules’s children and after his death they all fled to Athens. King Eurystheus however, was in pursuit of all the hero’s descendants and threatened Athens with war if the children  didn’t surrender. An oracle predicted that the way to avoid the war would be for one of the children  to be sacrificed to Persephone and when Makaria heard that she offered to be the one. Her name turned into an adjective Μακάριος (Makarios) and  came to mean ‘the one blessed in death’. A heroic death. Ancient Greeks used to leave oil, wine and a plate of dried food made by water barley and flour next to those graves. That food, to this day, is called ΜΑΚΑΡΟΝΙΑ/MACARONI

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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
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