The Counsel of Trent

writing is thinking

Thursday, November 09, 2006

Be Wondered

A have a good friend of mine who is a brilliant artist and poet (and who happens to be doing a PhD in a very difficult branch of mathematics). She is fluent in English though she is not a native English speaker, and so she occasionally turns and unexpected phrase which might range from the charming to the profound. Here's one that struck me. I told her I'd acquired her Christmass present and dropped some mysterious hints. He replied

"Oh wow! I am wondered, what is it? (Don't tell me of course!)"

"I am wondered". I love it. "Curious" conveys something totally different. I am now amazed that the English language survived so long with out a conjugation of "to wonder" in the first person singular, present passive indicative. The previous English just seems impoverished by comparison.

So, has anything wondered you today? If not, I hope you get wondered before it is over.

A have a good friend of mine who is a brilliant artist and poet (and who happens to be doing a PhD in a very difficult branch of mathematics). She is fluent in English though she is not a native English speaker, and so she occasionally turns and unexpected phrase which might range from the charming to the profound. Here's one that struck me. I told her I'd acquired her Christmass present and dropped some mysterious hints. He replied

"Oh wow! I am wondered, what is it? (Don't tell me of course!)"

"I am wondered". I love it. "Curious" conveys something totally different. I am now amazed that the English language survived so long with out a conjugation of "to wonder" in the first person singular, present passive indicative. The previous English just seems impoverished by comparison.

So, has anything wondered you today? If not, I hope you get wondered before it is over.




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This post is dedicated to David Laverick, Chief Product Designer and Aesthetic Conscience for Garmin International (check out their funny new commercial).

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