Origins in Five
Origins in Five is a short podcast for curious minds. Each episode explores the origin of a single word — where it came from, how its meaning evolved, and what history it carries today. These five-minute stories reveal the hidden history of everyday language.
Origins in Five
Quarantine: The Venetian Origin of a Modern Word
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Why do we say quarantine, and why was it once tied to the number 40? In this episode of Origins in Five, we trace the word back to plague-era Venice, where fear, trade, religion, and public health came together to create a new word.
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