For Hitomi Toshiro's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
Attaching the verb "meku" to certain Japanese words can emphasize the idea of showing signs of something or appearing to look like something.
The terms "ni(wa) ataranai" and "made mo nai/naku" point out things that aren't worth doing, but they have slightly different nuances.
Mari-chan wa Nana no obasan ni ataru. (Mari is Nana’s aunt.) ...
A more formal construction, "ni atatte" is used when you are marking the occasion. "Ni saishite" has a similar nuance, think of both as a fancy way to say "when."
