over

[Mai Kuha]

On Tue, 21 March 2000, Diana Ben-Aaron wrote:

> > "The exam is over chapters 3 and 4."
> > "My presentation is over gender differences."
> > "What are you doing your paper over?"
>
> Were there Scandinavian immigrants nearby?
>
> From the nearest Stora Svenska-Engelska Ordbok,
> senses 4-5 of över:
>
> en biografi över = a biography of (...)

Interesting! As far as I'm aware, I was the only Scandinavian immigrant around. Not that I speak any Swedish, but my mother does. Maybe I am a carrier of the över virus and triggered this condition in the students.

Seriously, though, your point makes me wonder just how much demographic information we should get from research participants. I don't remember seeing studies that asked respondents to report on the home languages of previous generations, but it could be important.

-Mai

Mai Kuha
Department of English
Ball State University
mkuha at altavista.com OR mkuha at bsuvc.bsu.edu

____________________________________________________________________

For the largest MP3 index on the Web, go to http://mp3.altavista.com

____________________________________________________________________