At the 9th Silesian Science Festival Katowice, our team member Jan Zalega, together with Dr Joanna Ryszka and Dr Aleksandra Nocoń, conducted a workshop titled “Hey, That Sounds Similar! A few words and exercises about the etymology of words”.

The aim of the workshop was to introduce younger audience to the concept of etymology, how languages relate to one another, and how they form language families. Additionally, scholars introduced the participants to the notion of loanwords, their definition, and their most prominent types. The workshop continued with a lively discussion and enthusiastic participation in an etymology quiz. After the presentation and Q&A session, participants were divided into groups whose task was to come up with the most interesting etymology of a given word, and later to determine its origin. The workshop was marked by active participation, engaging discussions, and insightful suggestions.