Morphine

Morphine

Author: Emmanuela Lia November 3, 2024 Duration: 1:43

(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! 

Happy November, everyone! We're still in Halloween mood here in the UK so, I've decided to follow up from last week's word. This is probably one of the most accurate yet creative modern namings of a medicine I know. We touched upon this god on a couple of episodes with his name mentioned in the last one but I've never told you his story. He was one of the first gods. Son of night and Sleep, nephew of Death (and I'm here to correct myself calling them brothers last week) , two of his thousands of siblings were Fear and Fantasia, also known as Dreams and although they had wings, he didn't need them. His purpose was to deliver messages to mortals from the other gods. His name comes from the word Μορφή (morfi) which means 'Shape' , because he would shape into anyone in order for the message to be more effective. According to the Roman writer Ovid, he would sleep on a bed of poppies and that's were the German pharmacist Friedrich Serturner who isolated the substance in 1804, got the idea for the name. The substance that would ease your pain, cause you to hallucinate or be deadly. If you haven't guessed it yet, the name of the god is Morpheus and the medicine ΜΟΡΦΙΝΗ/MORPHINE

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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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