Do you know why the expression “secretly” has its root in an ancient Greek term for menstruation? Or why in the Netherlands today we talk about “overflowing beets” to talk about periods?
How do we talk about periods in the world?
Words of other people, podcast of the Courrier international which collects linguistic curiosities from all over the world, has arrived at explanations. Having dealt with the expressions of language in politics, gender expressions in the world or foreign words that refer to climate problems, he now turns to like talking about the rules in a foreign language.
In five episodes published over five days of the week (the “standard” length of a period of rules) Leslie Talaga and Caroline Lee, translators, and Mélanie Chenouard, journalist, offer an overview of idiomatic and other expressions fun facts linguistics around the rules.
Language, a sometimes surprising reflection of society
While some expressions will be familiar to French speakers, others are surprising, ironic or poetic. Above all, they remember the social realities that built them: the taboo of menstruation or the exclusion of women during their period, for example. The expertise of the translators and specialists who participated in the podcast allows you to dig into the etymology of a word or the history of a practice, all in an accessible language.
With short episodes (less than five minutes), but always explanatory, Words of other people it’s an interesting and fun format. To listen without hunger, polyglot or not!
Photo credit: Monika Kozub / Sprinkle
Source: Madmoizelle
Ashley Root is an author and celebrity journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a keen eye for all things celebrity, Ashley is always up-to-date on the latest gossip and trends in the world of entertainment.
