LL-L: "Language varieties" (was "Grammar") LOWLANDS-L, 18.JAN.2001 (02) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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 L O W L A N D S - L * 18.JAN.2001 (02) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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 A=Afrikaans, Ap=Appalachean, D=Dutch, E=English, F=Frisian, L=Limburgish
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From: john feather [johnfeather at sceptic1.freeserve.co.uk]
Subject: Grammar

Criostoir mentioned the effect of TV in spreading new variants of English.
Does he or anyone else have any knowledge of the origin and spread of [sht]
for initial [st]? It seems to be getting quite common among young people,
especially in the "stupid". I remember hearing it first in "The Archers",
allegedly the oldest radio soap opera in the world, where it was an
idiosyncrasy of the speech of Clarrie Grundy. The story is set in an
imaginary SW Midlands, so I wondered if this is a genuine regional variant.

BTW I found an interesting book called "Cockney Past and Present" by William
Matthews (1938, reprinted 1972). The author shows that many features
deplored in London speech were in fact used by the aristocracy and middle
classes in the 18th and previous centuries. He cites the following use of
multiple negatives in a diary entry from about 1560:
"The ix day of Marche was a proclamacyon that no man or woman should nott
ett no flesse [meat] in lent nor fryday, nor wednesday thrught the yere, nor
ymberyng days [Ember-days], nor no days that is condemned by the chyrche."

I don't agree with whoever said that there is an obligatory (or something
like that) double negative in French, but we spent a lot of time on that
about 18 months ago so I won't repeat the arguments.

John Feather johnfeather at sceptic1.freeserve.co.uk

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