English language

Eclipse

Niall O'Donnell 10 Comments

Being a response to the Daily Prompt: https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/eclipse/

An interesting little word. If you were in some parts of Africa this week you would have borne witness to a solar eclipse this week, and next year Americans will have the same opportunity. There’s something about a solar eclipse that still fascinates us. Even now that we understand them, experiencing darkness during the middle of the day is still hard to get our heads round. It turns one of our most basic expectations about the world upside down. And I think it helps connect us with our primitive past (can you imagine what a total solar eclipse must have been like when it arrived without warning before people understood them and could predict them?), and makes us realise that for all our advances, there’s still so much that we can’t control. Continue reading →

Daily Prompt: Sidewalk

Niall O'Donnell 2 Comments

via Daily Prompt: Sidewalk

Sidewalk: at first glance, the words seems like an  excellent to look at the differences between American and British English, with both footpath and pavement being used in British English.

What I’m more interested in though, is the word’s modernity (its first recorded use in the 18th century). I’m always curious about the etymology of words, and the long, meandering histories they can have. I’m fascinated by where words come from, how they evolve over time, and how they’re related to other words. But a modern word like sidewalk might seem to deny me that story. Neologisms like sidewalk require someone or some people to consciously coin a word, rather than it developing naturally over time. Continue reading →

The Language of Division

Niall O'Donnell 9 Comments

It feels like ages since I’ve written anything, but I’ve had a well-earned holiday. First a few days in Barcelona, which is a fantastic vibrant city full of great sights and food, which is really all I ask for.

I arrived back in Dublin on Sunday evening, but I didn’t go straight back to Galway. Instead, I extended my holiday with a few days in Northern Ireland. Even though it’s ridiculously close, it was actually only the second time I’ve crossed the border. I think the main reason for that is because when I was young, there were regularly stories about the violence and terrorism taking place there. Even though the situation’s vastly improved now and it’s all very peaceful up there, I think I’ve still been influenced by the less-than-attractive image of the region’s past. I think before I continue, a (very!) brief history is in order. Continue reading →

Barcelona

Niall O'Donnell 13 Comments

I’ll be beginning a well-earned break from work today, and spending a few days in Barcelona. It’s my first time there, so I’m very excited to see it. Like many European cities, Barcelona is bilingual, with most of its citizens speaking Spanish and Catalan. So in honour of Barcelona, I thought I’d see if there were any common English words that were derived from Catalan. Words such as: Continue reading →

Living His Olympic Dream

Niall O'Donnell 2 Comments

I just want to write a quick post about Ivo Seibert. You might not know him, but you’ve probably seen him on TV at least once over the last two weeks.

In my recent post about the unusual lexis of the Olympics, I casually wondered who the derny riders in the keirin races were (I have to google the spelling of keirin every time). And you can imagine my surprise this evening when I got home to find a comment on the article from Ivo, sharing a link to a Japan Times story about a derny rider. A derny rider named Ivo. Ivo Seibert! Not only was the story about him, but the image of him accompanying it was the exact same one I’d used for my post! I couldn’t believe it!

Here’s the story, have a look at it, it’s a great read: Continue reading →

Positive and Inspiring Quotes?

Niall O'Donnell 11 Comments

We all have that one friend who keeps cluttering up our Facebook newsfeed with pseudo-philosophical or spiritual quotes, accompanied by calming imagery.

Or minions.

Often it’s minions.

Maybe you’re even that friend. I’m not against this practice per se, and the quotations might be useful or thought-provoking ones. But sometimes they seem either vague to the point of uselessness, or excusing undesirable behaviour. I thought I’d take a look at a few of them and see what they actually seem to be saying: Continue reading →

The Name Game

Niall O'Donnell 9 Comments

Congratulations to Usain Bolt, who’s now achieved his “triple triple” winning gold medals in the 100 metres, 200 metres and 4×100 metre relay in three successive Olympics. I can safely say that I probably couldn’t do that. But then I haven’t tried, so I can’t say for sure. Many people have pointed out the curious coincidence of his surname being Bolt, and him being as fast as, well, a lightning bolt. Or is it a coincidence? Continue reading →