The words plethora and drastic both have roots in ancient Greek. Both were first used in English as medical terms, plethora indicating “an excess of bodily fluid” and drastic meaning “having an effect.” This is part of a complete episode.
Transcript of “Greek Roots”
The words plethora and drastic have something in common.
Do you know what it is?
Okay, knowing you.
Knowing me.
Something related to etymological roots.
Nice.
And plethora vaguely strikes me as a Greek origin.
Yes, yes, yes.
The plethora part of it.
Yes.
Drastic probably is Greek through Latin, guessing.
I have no idea.
Help me.
Save me.
You’re right.
You’re right.
They both come from ancient Greek.
Plethora, which means a whole lot of things, comes from a Greek word that means to be full.
Okay.
And drastic comes from a Greek word that means to do or to act or to do.
Now, the thing that they have in common is the fact that plethora and drastic were first used in the English language as medical terms.
Oh, interesting.
The plethora being an accumulation of fluid, engorgement of blood.
And drastic referred to a medicine that actually works.
A drastic medicine is something that is efficacious.
And only later did drastic and the sense of having an effect become even more intensified, having a big effect, having a huge effect.
That’s all super interesting.
But even more interesting to me is how even when I’m wrong, you tell me I’m right and then you explain all the ways that I’m wrong.
Did I just do that?
You always do that.
You always say, that’s good.
That’s right, Grant.
And then you’re like, let me tell you the 100 things you didn’t say.
I should have been a kindergarten teacher.
No, it would have worked great.
It’s working on me.
I feel great because you told me I was awesome and then you corrected me.
No, but you absolutely are correct.
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