77. Comedy

This episode looks at the origins of words linked to comedy, tracing the etymology behind terms like fun, amuse, slapstick, wit and giggle. Discover why humour and humid share a Latin root meaning wetness, and which two English words correspond to the elements of schadenfreude. Teasing first referred to separating fibres before extending to provoking people (eventually in a playful way). Plus, find out how religious plays gave rise to the word farce.