Homeopathic Not Home Remedy

Get the Word! with Mike Butler

Greetings friends. This is Get the Word! with Mike Butler. An etymology podcast for word nerds. I am your host, Mike Butler. Today we’re talking about a word that’s often misused, and misunderstood. Homeopathy. I want to start off by saying that this term ‘homeopathy’ or ‘homeopathic’, which is its related adjective, is not just another way to say ’natural’ or ‘alternative’ medicine. It’s something very specific. Yes, it is a form of alternative medicine, but it is not itself a synonym for alternative medicine. Today we’ll get into the history of how this term came to be, and of course we’ll pick apart the word syllable by syllable. We’ll also discuss homeopathy a bit to try to clear up any confusion around it.