Episode 1

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Published on:

2nd Jan 2026

Episode 1: principal (and principle)

To kick off this podcast, we're starting with the word "principal," whose close relative "principle" can trip up even native English speakers. These two words—even if they have some shared history—aren't interchangeable. In this first episode, we turn to Isaac Newton and the King James Bible for help.

Suggest a word for a future episode or support this podcast at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/wordswordswords

Music: Adapted from Sonatine by Maurice Ravel, performed by Irene Posviatovska (Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0)

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About the Podcast

Original Public Meaning
Exploring the ancient roots of modern words
Where do our modern English words come from? And what do their long histories tell us about our own ideas and the wider world? On Original Public Meaning, we unearth the ancient foundations of our language and consider how its vast, rich literature—fiction, essays, science, and more—can help us savor our words today.
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About your host

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Charles McNamara

Director of Greek and Latin Language, University of Minnesota