language thoughts

Right to the Heart

Niall O'Donnell 11 Comments

Affairs of the heart are always complex; I think that goes without saying. The English language has a few words which demonstrate this complexity. Bittersweet is a fairly straightforward, literal one. Another similar word is poignant, meaning evoking a keen sadness and regret. Even that definition doesn’t quite convey all of its connotations, as it refers to a nostalgic, gentle kind of sadness. It’s not exactly positive, but it’s a soft, contemplative type of sadness. Continue reading →

Je Vous Veux!!

Niall O'Donnell 14 Comments

I’m generally not a fan of TV talent shows. I find that they tend to look for people who sing in an identical, overwrought style; and they can be quite exploitative of people who seem to have mental-health issues (The X-Factor particularly). Lately however, I’ve seen a few episodes of both the French and Walloon editions of The Voice. Continue reading →

The

Niall O'Donnell 3 Comments

The is such a simple word that you probably never think about it. You use it many times everyday, but what exactly is it? Continue reading →

Sokath, His Eyes Uncovered!

Niall O'Donnell 5 Comments

One of my favourite fictional examples of communication issues between two people speaking different languages is in the 1991 Star Trek: The Next Generation episode “Darmok.” A quick synopsis: the Federation wants to open dialogue with a secretive race known as the Tamarians, but when they arrive at their planet they run into the slight problem of neither understanding the other’s language. Captain Picard is beamed down to the planet, and together with his Tamarian counterpart, they must find some way to communicate to survive in a harsh environment. Continue reading →

And That’s the Tooth!

Niall O'Donnell 4 Comments

I had some dental work recently, and that got me thinking about the apparently strange names we give to our teeth in English. Continue reading →

The Beatles: Here Comes the Pun

Niall O'Donnell 13 Comments

The Beatles are responsible for a lot, of course. Producing some incredible and innovative music, and inspiring other musicians. They’re also responsible for causing people to misspell the word beetle (as in the insect). As a spelling nerd from a young age, I was long aware that the band’s name was spelled differently from the animal. I never really thought about why though. I suppose I assumed that The Beatles could do whatever they wanted, and that if they wanted to spell their name differently, that was fine. Or maybe that’s how they thought the word beetle was spelled, and who was I to correct them? Continue reading →

The Blog-aholic Award

Niall O'Donnell 5 Comments

I’m very honoured to announce that I’ve been nominated for the Blog-aholic Award by Amanda at Sashimi for Breakfast and the Fauxhasset Paroder, your only source for the best fake news.

This award was created by The Recipe Hunter, where you can find more information about it. As per the rules, I’ll link to my three best posts, and share three interesting facts about myself. Continue reading →