Dear Fiona
I have a great desire to beat this problem but know I "can't"
(without coining a word). I'm searching English dialects &
thinking also of Australian Aboriginal dialects which
have been appropriated by the vernacular, but I suppose this
is avoiding the issue really.
Why did English take aspects of "tacere" (I assume) with
adjectives like tacit, taciturn, but not something active
(even if reflexive) like the French (se) taire? Why do we say
"he FELL silent" instead? One can "conceive" or "fall pregnant";
why is the active option missing with the state of silence?
All the best
Yours
John K
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