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Man the pumps!
Throughout the entire history of humanity, it’s been possible in many places around the world to locate water by simply digging a deep enough hole. Getting the water up out of that hole, though, there’s the problem. But it was a problem that began to be solved at least 4,000 years ago when the “shadoof” Continue reading
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Presently
At present we shall present, as a present, the puzzling past and present of “present.” The origin of the word “present” is not presently known for sure. It might have come from French, or it might have been formed all on its own in English. There was an Old French word “present,” but there was Continue reading
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Elisabeth Jacquet de La Guerre
The great European composers of the 1600s and 1700s are well known: Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, and their colleagues. But there was another, possibly a master of more genres than the others, and whose genius was widely acknowledged at the time. And this composer was a woman, at a time when women were hardly ever educated. Continue reading
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Contracting
It’s perfectly acceptable today to use contractions. In fact, throughout the history of English it’s usually been fine. But there was a time… Contractions go back at least as far as Old English, which included “nis” (ne is, meaning “is not”), naes (ne waes, meaning “was not”), nat (ne wat, meaning “does not know”), and Continue reading
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Instrumentally speaking
If you attend a classical music concert performed on “period instruments,” which are the types that were in use when the music was composed, you might see and hear a “clavichord.” It resembles a piano, which is a more recent version of the same thing; an instrument in which strings are played via keys. The Continue reading
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Meanwhile, back at the ranch
We can read English, which means that we can also read Middle English, although it takes quite a bit of getting used to. Reading Old English, though, can be just about impossible without a bunch of studying. For one thing, it’s “inflected,” which is what you call a language where the words change depending on Continue reading
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The Ides of March…marching on
The following was discovered by chance, and translated from an archaic form of Latin. I have only one regret, despite this cursed existence visited upon me for reasons and by means that pass my understanding. It has been, for me, five years and eight months thus far. The people now expect, though I see but Continue reading
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Lady Gregory
Good morning! The Irish Literary Theatre and the Abbey Theatre were (the Abbey still is) cultural icons in Ireland. They were both founded around the turn of the 20th Century when leading Irish writers and playwrights pushed for what’s still known as the Irish Literary Revival. The Irish Literary Theatre was the first; it was Continue reading
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Sylvia Beach
If you visit Paris, you might stop by Shakespeare and Company, a famous (really famously-named) bookstore frequented, back in the day, by writers including Ezra Pound, James Joyce, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Gertrude Stein, and Ernest Hemingway. The store you visit has the same name as the famous venue, and although it’s a very pleasant shop, Continue reading
About Me
I’m Pete Harbeson, a writer located near Boston, Massachusetts. In addition to writing my own content, I’ve learned to translate for my loquacious and opinionated pup Chocolate Bossypaws. I shouldn’t be surprised, but she mostly speaks in doggerel. You can find her contributions tagged with Chocolatiana.
Check out my other blog, Techlimitics, where I’m grappling with the nature of simplicity.
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peterharbeson@me.com