The etymological odyssey of ‘clue’, from the Minotaur’s maze to detective novels
Part of the Myriapod Productions series investigating the unexpected origins of everyday words, Mysteries of Vernacular: Clue traces the history of the word ‘clue’ from the Ancient Greek to its common English use today. Placing the word’s origins in the Minotaur’s labyrinth, this brief animation sheds light on the fascinating ways that language adapts and evolves over time.
Director: Jessica Oreck
video
Language and linguistics
Do button-pushing dogs have something new to say about language?
9 minutes
video
History
Hags, seductresses, feminist icons – how gender dynamics manifest in witches
13 minutes
video
Stories and literature
Two variants of a Hindu myth come alive in an animated ode to Indian storytelling
14 minutes
video
Fairness and equality
‘To my old master’ – a freed slave answers the request to return to his old plantation
7 minutes
video
Language and linguistics
Why Susan listens to recordings of herself speaking a language she no longer remembers
5 minutes
video
Information and communication
‘Astonished and somewhat terrified’ – Victorians’ reactions to the phonograph
36 minutes
video
History
From Afghanistan to Virginia – the Muslims who fought in the American Civil War
22 minutes
video
History of technology
Replicating Shakespearean-era printing brings its own dramas and comedy
19 minutes
video
The ancient world
Petty squabbles and bloody battles – the life of an ancient Roman soldier
18 minutes