melugeon dialect

[David Bergdahl]

Sonja L Launspach wrote:

> one of my students turned in a dialect profile on the Melugeon dialect
> supposed spoken in Appalachia ( the assignment was a profile an the
> Applachian dialect based on the class readings) I've never heard of this
> before. My question is, it a real dialect-group? The student has sources
> she cited. It made the group of speakers sound somewhat like the Romani,
> with Melugeon thought to be derived from Turkish.
>
> any info would be appreciated
>
> Thanks
> Sonja Launspach

--like the Lumbee who have a notion of their identity despite the lack of
academic validation, the Melungeons are a "tri-racial isolate" whose
origins are the subject of much debate.  See the attached Washington Post
article.  An online search reveals many interesting sites with claims of
Basque, Turkish, Roma (Gypsy) ancestry.  Less exotic claims exist for the
descendents of a Virginian named Mayle(s) whos took an African-AMerican
wife and moved west.
____________________________________________________________________
David Bergdahl          http://oak.cats.ohiou.edu/~bergdahl
tel:  (740) 593-2783
366 Ellis Hall     Ohio University  Athens, Ohio 45701-2979       fax:
(740) 593-2818

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