Madam, - In his Irishman's Diary of March 1st, Kevin Myers claims that the French language has only two terms to describe concepts of grey monotony and spiritual despair: terne and morne. Sadly, there are plenty more. Here is a short list: austère, bas, blafard, brumeux, couvert, déprimant, désagréable, désolé, ennuyeux, fade, froid, funeste, gris, lugubre, maussade, mélancolique, morose, noir, sinistre, sombre, triste, voilé. - Yours, etc,
JACQUES LE GOFF, Emmet Road, Inchicore, Dublin 8.