Pre-Basque Phonology

[Eduard Selleslagh]

-----Original Message-----
From: Rick Mc Callister <rmccalli at sunmuw1.MUW.Edu>
Date: Friday, October 15, 1999 9:37 AM

>>[Ed Selleslagh]

>>Note that similar, but not always identical, usages exist in various European
>>languages like regional colloquial Peninsular Spanish ('la Maruja'), regional
>>colloquial Dutch ('de Jan'), German ('der Otto') etc. The definite article is
>>only used when speaking ABOUT the person, not TO him/her.

>>Ed.

> It's also used in colloquial Latin American Spanish but, in
>general, to imply familiarity  --whether affection or contempt, or perhaps to
>emphasize the subject.It's sort of like "our Ed" or "that Ed". In some
>forms of rural or popular Latin American Spanish, it seems pretty universal
>and a lot of college educated Latin Americans, particularly women, avoid it
>as a vulgarism. And "inappropriate" usage of the article before proper
>names can mark people as hillbillies or uneducated. I've come across it
>among Mexicans, Central Americans, Colombians, Peruvians and Chileans.
> The article before titles in the 3rd person is standard in Spanish.
> In Portuguese, of course, the article before proper names used in
>the 3rd person is standard.
> It seems to work like a "non-vocative" case marker.

>Rick Mc Callister

[Ed Selleslagh]

I forgot to mention that in Modern Greek (NeoEllinikó) the use of the
definite article before proper names is standard practice, e.g. O Yorghos ("the
George", written Ho Gio:rgos). And of course also with titles, like in Spanish:
o kírios ("el señor", written Ho Kyrios) XYZ, i kiría ("la señora",
written He: Kyría) XYZ. I know of no special connotation.

[Ed]

Dr. Ir. Eduard Selleslagh edsel at glo.be
B-9120 Haasdonk
Belgium

[ Moderator's transcription for 8-bit-unfriendly mail systems:

I forgot to mention that in Modern Greek (NeoEllinik{\'o}) the use of the
definite article before proper names is standard practice, e.g. O Yorghos ("the
George", written Ho Gio:rgos). And of course also with titles, like in Spanish:
o k{\'i}rios ("el se{\~n}or", written Ho Kyrios) XYZ, i kir{\'i}a ("la
se{\~n}ora", written He: Kyr{\'i}a) XYZ. I know of no special connotation.

  --rma ]