A word of nostalgia

Yore. Doesn’t it evoke Merry Old England and Ye Olde this and that? Leggings, bodkins and full bodices? Days of yore.

The Romance languages have a word like that if I’m not mistaken. Francois Villon’s famous poem is titled Les Neiges d’Antan – snows of old. The Spanish version is antano (tilde n). Translators have used “yesteryear” for antan, another good English word.

It’d be nice if people would chime in on these, either to bask in the warmth of linguistic nostalgia or tell me I’m off base. BTW, a bodkin is a long needle holding up a woman’s hair, and when she takes it out, it’s either to let you nuzzle her hair or stab you with it.

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