Category Archives: Writing Notes

solicitude

Posted on February 13, 2015 by Ellen Akins

From today’s A.Word.A.Day: “solicitude” derives from the Latin word for whole (sollus). To be complete, one must care.

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roots: bher- (to carry)

Posted on February 11, 2015 by Ellen Akins

One leads, but both carry . . . The Indo-European root of “opprobrium” (from Latin opprobrium (reproach), from ob- (against) + probrum (infamy, reproach)) bher– (to carry) is also the root of bear, birth, barrow, burden, fertile, transfer, offer, suffer, … Continue reading →

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Tales Retold: Something Old, Something New

Posted on January 21, 2015 by Ellen Akins

Something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue On the persistence of fairy tales in what we read & what we write In thinking about how to talk about drawing on sources from deep in our cultural history and … Continue reading →

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ending with prepositions

Posted on January 15, 2015 by Ellen Akins

Remember Churchill’s famous self-amendment when challenged about ending a sentence with a presposition?  “Up with which we will not put?”  Sounds silly?  It is.  English is not a dead language.  Render thoughts in workable English, saving the contorted constructions promoted … Continue reading →

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assure, ensure, assure

Posted on January 15, 2015 by Ellen Akins

Dictonary.com has a clarifying note on when to use which:  assure, ensure, or insure (hint: “insure” is the only one having anything to do with insurance).

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