Episode 4 (Bonus Episode): Polysemous Words

Words for Granted - An etymology and linguistics podcast - A podcast by Ray Belli

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This episode explores polysemy, the phenomenon by which a single word can have multiple meanings. Why do we use the word ‘foot’ in the compound word ‘footnote?’ Why does the word ‘decimation’ derive from the Latin word for ‘ten?’ Will books eventually become extinct? We answer all of these questions and more, all through the lens of polysemy.