8.1107, Qs: Lang. Games, "Democratic," Word Change

[linguist at linguistlist.org]

LINGUIST List:  Vol-8-1107. Tue Jul 29 1997. ISSN: 1068-4875.

Subject: 8.1107, Qs: Lang. Games, "Democratic," Word Change

Moderators: Anthony Rodrigues Aristar: Texas A&M U. <aristar at linguistlist.org>
            Helen Dry: Eastern Michigan U. <hdry at linguistlist.org>
            T. Daniel Seely: Eastern Michigan U. <seely at linguistlist.org>

Review Editor:     Andrew Carnie <carnie at linguistlist.org>

Associate Editors: Ljuba Veselinova <ljuba at linguistlist.org>
                   Ann Dizdar <ann at linguistlist.org>
Assistant Editor:  Martin Jacobsen <marty at linguistlist.org>

Software development: John H. Remmers <remmers at emunix.emich.edu>
                      Zhiping Zheng <zzheng at online.emich.edu>

Home Page:  http://linguistlist.org/


Editor for this issue: Martin Jacobsen <marty at linguistlist.org>
 ==========================================================================

We'd like to remind readers that the responses to queries are usually
best posted to the individual asking the question. That individual is
then  strongly encouraged to post a summary to the list.   This policy was
instituted to help control the huge volume of mail on LINGUIST; so we
would appreciate your cooperating with it whenever it seems appropriate.

=================================Directory=================================

1)
Date:  Thu, 24 Jul 1997 12:14:19 +0100
From:  "Dr James M Scobbie" <j.scobbie at sls.qmced.ac.uk>
Subject:  Language Games, re http://linguistlist.org/issues/8/8-1079.html

2)
Date:  Tue, 29 Jul 1997 14:57:48 -0400 (EDT)
From:  ira ungar <ungar at umich.edu>
Subject:  From "Democratic" to "Democrat" (fwd)

3)
Date:  Tue, 29 Jul 1997 17:30:27 -0500
From:  Jonathan Gilbert <JonG at dragonsys.com>
Subject:   Question on a word


-------------------------------- Message 1 -------------------------------

Date:  Thu, 24 Jul 1997 12:14:19 +0100
From:  "Dr James M Scobbie" <j.scobbie at sls.qmced.ac.uk>
Subject:  Language Games, re http://linguistlist.org/issues/8/8-1079.html

I'm interested that language games, which show an innate
metaphonological awareness, are often syllabic/moraic, and seldom
segmental or phonemic. Evidence seems to show that children's
awareness of syllabic structures appears earlier than any clear
metaphonemic awareness.

For an anecdotal example, younger toddlers who are told that 't' is
for 'table' and 'r' is for 'rain', and who are then asked "what is for
'tray'?", tend to say 'tr'.

Is there any evidence that necessarily phonemic games (eg those that
split a tautosyllabic consonant cluster) are connected with literate
societies (presumably using segmental writing systems)?


-------------------------------- Message 2 -------------------------------

Date:  Tue, 29 Jul 1997 14:57:48 -0400 (EDT)
From:  ira ungar <ungar at umich.edu>
Subject:  From "Democratic" to "Democrat" (fwd)


I am doing research on the current practice by Republican politicians
when needing an adjective of or relating to the Democratic Party to
say "Democrat" instead of the correct "Democratic," e.g., "the
Democrat National Committee," "Democrat interests vs. Republican
interests."  Correctly used, "Democrat" is exclusively a noun. I am
wondering about why dropping the "ic" in the adjective gives the word
a more negative shade. Can anyone enlighten me either about the
specific use of "Democrat" or the more general dynamic of using the
noun instead of the adjectival form?

Thank you.

Ira Ungar
ungar at umich.edu


-------------------------------- Message 3 -------------------------------

Date:  Tue, 29 Jul 1997 17:30:27 -0500
From:  Jonathan Gilbert <JonG at dragonsys.com>
Subject:   Question on a word


Apologies for posting to lists I don't normally read; I'm asking here
on the suggestion of a friend who does read them -- please send
replies directly by email, and thanks.

The question is on behalf of another friend who is working on a
dissertation (not on a linguistics topic, it's social history of a
sort); she wants to describe a situation in which the usage of one
word (in a particular context, by a small group of people) has
diverged enough from its standard usage that it has become
interchangeable with another word, normally either different or
unrelated in meaning.  My friend believes there is a word for this
phenomenon, but nobody we've asked so far has been able to identify it
... does anyone out there know?

Jonathan Gilbert
JonG at dragonsys.com

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
LINGUIST List: Vol-8-1107