#45: Preposterous — Latin for Putting Everything in Backwards Order

Explore the surprising Latin origins of 'preposterous'—a word that literally means 'backwards.' Discover how Roman scholars from the 1st century BCE embedded a physical concept into language, and why most people today miss the true meaning hidden in its Latin roots: prae (before) and posterus (behind).---More from Sticky Note Podcasts:Deep in the Stacks (daily jazz vinyl) | Required Drinking (cocktail history) | Photography Knowledge (daily photo tips)stickynotepodcasts.com

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Jun 5, 2026

Embed this episode

Attribution link and audio player

Ready to play

#45: Preposterous — Latin for Putting Everything in Backwards Order

0:00 1:55

1×

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

Share this episode

Similar Episodes

No similar episodes found.

Similar Podcasts

No similar podcasts found.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of The Why of Words?

This episode is 1 minute long.

When was this The Why of Words episode published?

This episode was published on June 5, 2026.

Can I download this The Why of Words episode?

Yes. Use the download control on the episode player to save the publisher-provided media file.

URL copied to clipboard!