Episode 6

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Published on:

20th Jan 2026

Episode 6: ectoplasm

The word ectoplasm, for people of a particular age, will undoubtedly bring the Ghostbusters franchise to mind. But the word has a longer history, stretching from its ancient Greek roots to modern spiritual quackery. Here, we look to Arthur Conan Doyle and Ralph Ellison for understanding what it means to be invisible or real, fabricated or true.

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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