59. Mathom

Emily and Kyle talk unearth ancient treasure and sift through linguistic bric-a-brac as they discuss the word mathom.

They talk about the word’s origin in Old English, and the definition’s journey from valuable gifts to sundry knick-knacks. They also explore some long-forgotten letters of the English alphabet, like a consonant called thorn and a vowel called ethel.

Our hosts then turn to the world of fantasy, discussing how mathom fits into the word of Lord of the Rings. They talk about the hobbit habit of hoarding trinkets, and the impressive linguistic expertise of J.R.R. Tolkien. And their discussion of the Elvish leads them to talk about other fictional languages from Game of Thrones, Avatar, and even Sims 4.