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What’s in a Name? Posted by Geoff on Sep 11, 2014
I’ve always been fascinated by etymology, and in particular the origin of names. As a child, growing up in Suffolk, England, the surnames that I heard most often included Smith, Cooper, Baker, Farmer, Cook, and Butcher, all of which can be traced back to the trades that give origin to the name. Click on any…
I Would Have Liked … Posted by Geoff on Sep 8, 2014
A while ago I wrote an article entitled I Would Like in which I discussed how to use the conditional of the verb piacere (to please). If you feel you need to revise the use of piacere, I suggest that you read this blog. Now, if you feel fairly comfortable using ‘I like’ and ‘I…
How to Amuse Oneself in an Italian Hospital! Posted by Geoff on Sep 3, 2014
All photos (CC) by Geoff Chamberlain I don’t think anyone particularly enjoys waiting around in hospitals. Despite the good healthcare that I’ve come to expect here in Italy I’ve always found the hospitals to be particularly barren and institutional. Those long, naked, antiseptic smelling corridors are particularly unnerving, and the only thing to distract the…
I Would Like … Posted by Geoff on Aug 14, 2014
Very often when learning Italian you’ll find that a simple English phrase can be translated in several ways depending on the context. Here’s a classic example: in English, the expression ‘I would like’ can cover the following situations: 1. I would like to learn Italian 2. I would like a good Italian dictionary please 3…
Di Dove Sei? Posted by Geoff on Aug 8, 2014
Di dove sei? (where are you from? informal) or di dov’è? (where are you from? formal, or where is he/she from?) is a question that you’ll often be asked, or want to ask when you visit Italy. For Italians provenienza (provenance/origin) is very important, and is certainly much higher up the list of things that…
Boccherini in Spain Posted by Geoff on Jul 23, 2014
One of the aspect of researching for my blogs that I really enjoy is the way that one piece of information leads to another, and a whole new world of possibilities opens up before my eyes. On Monday, for example, I was searching for information onLa Tempesta when I came across a song by Angelo…
La Tempesta Posted by Geoff on Jul 21, 2014
A dramatic start to the week! At around seven this morning we were awoken by a tremendous tempest that roared and shook its furious fists above our heads. As I lay there in awe … I love a good storm … the though came into my mind: blog! I had in mind a piece by…