LL-L: "Language politics" LOWLANDS-L, 14.MAR.2000 (03) [E]

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 L O W L A N D S - L * 14.MAR.2000 (03) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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From: john feather [johnfeather at sceptic1.freeserve.co.uk]
Subject: Language politics

Ian wrote in reply to Sandy:

>I must confess I don't think I agree with you with relation to your
distinction between language and dialect.

>There is a big difference between apparent approval of somebody's right to
use dialect grammar and disapproval of the "incorrectness" of somebody's
usage in a minority language.

>I would argue ... that there is even a difference between defending "learn
vs. teach" and attacking "infer vs. imply". If we look at the German, we can
see that "lehren" and "lernen" are strikingly similar. The confusion in
their usage in English dialects does
not in fact derive from just mixing up the meanings, it derives from the
confusion of the switch from infinitive in -n suffix to infinitive with
preposition "to".<

I had intended to write something along the lines of the first two
paragraphs myself, but I don't follow  "the confusion of the switch from
infinitive in -n suffix to infinitive with
preposition `to'". I'm also a bit unhappy about the first use of the word
"confusion". What seems to have happened is that two OE verbs, leornian and
læran,  fell together during the ME period to give "lerne". There is no
"confusion" between "learn" and "teach" except that created by imposing the
norm of Standard English. Dutch, of course, uses "leren" in both senses.

"An Atlas of English Dialects" discusses learn/teach in the context of
training a dog. "Learn" is by far the most widespread usage in England, with
outcrops of "train" and "teach".

The Atlas also wonders what the distribution of "borrow" and "lend" is. I
think this is a case where, at least in London, both words are used
interchangeably (or perhaps I mean that the choice is a personal one).
Interestingly, Dutch has "lenen" for transfers in both directions.

John Feather johnfeather at sceptic1.freeserve.co.uk

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