language

Diventerò un Pipistrello…

Niall O'Donnell 12 Comments

What’s the Italian for Batman? Continue reading →

What’s Your Fav Abbreviation?

Niall O'Donnell 4 Comments

I’ll tell you what’s not mine: fav.

Let me explain why. Continue reading →

Straightforward

Niall O'Donnell 7 Comments

While writing yesterday, I paused to think of le mot juste, and it turned out that straightforward was juste the mot I needed. I paused again, then, to think a little more about that word, straightforward.

It’s quite a straightforward word, isn’t it? Continue reading →

Dearly Beloved…

Niall O'Donnell 2 Comments

You probably won’t be amazed if I tell you that the past simple and past participle forms of regular verbs in English are formed by adding -d or -ed. You also wouldn’t be very surprised if I told you that that E is usually silent, except when it follows a T or D (e.g. contrast commenced and finished with started and ended).

What about a word like beloved then? Continue reading →

Orientation

Niall O'Donnell 2 Comments

Feeling disoriented? Well if it’s early in the morning, just look for where the sun’s rising, and face that way, and then you’ll be oriented again. Quite literally. Continue reading →

Naples

Niall O'Donnell 13 Comments

Lovely, isn’t it? In Italian of course, it’s Napoli. And while the English and Italian names for the city are quite similar, I’ve often wondered: why does Naples have an S at the end of it? Continue reading →

Whose Gloomy Dong?

Niall O'Donnell 3 Comments

We’ve all asked ourselves that at some point, I’m sure.

I’m happy to say I’m back from my little trip to Rome and Naples, and though I switched my brain off as much as possible, I couldn’t help seeing a little inspiration here and there.

Oh, you might say excitedly, he’s probably been thinking about the etymologies of some famous Roman emperor’s names, or about how we still use words related to the Roman Empire with reverance. I bet he’s done some research on the word pontiff after visiting the Vatican. Two such great cities are sure to provide anyone inclined to write on any subject with an abundance of ideas!

So anyway, the gloomy dong. Continue reading →