LL-L "Grammar" 2001.10.30 (01) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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 L O W L A N D S - L * 30.OCT.2001 (01) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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 A=Afrikaans Ap=Appalachian D=Dutch E=English F=Frisian L=Limburgish
 LS=Low Saxon (Low German) S=Scots Sh=Shetlandic Z=Zeelandic (Zeeuws)
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From: Colin Wilson <lcwilson at starmail.com>
Subject: LL-L "Grammar" 2000.10.29 (02) [E]

At 16:32 29/10/01, Criostoir O Ciardha wrote:

>Here are a few examples of how I use "like", and I
>would appreciate some help in discovering its origin.
>Does it have an Old English precedent? Is it
>duplicated in any other Lowland languages?
>
>"Aa wuh wokkin daan thuh strit, lai'ik, en then..."
>"I was [lit. were] walking down the street, like, and
>then..."
>
>"Kun yuh no' mai'ind aat, lai'ik?"
>"Can you not mind out, like? [i.e., Can't you watch
>where you're going?]"
>
>"It wuh rabaat this big, lai'ik, en..."
>"It was [lit. were] about this big, like, and..."
>
>"Like" in these cases seems to act as a hinge or an
>emphatic... but it has no independent meaning at all.
>I hope someone can help, before I'm mercilessly mocked
>into oblivion!

The Concise Scots Dictionary translates it as "so to speak" or "as
it were", which I think catch the meaning quite well.

In passing, can anyone explain why so many (especially young) people
nowadays say "I was like" instead of "I said", e.g "I was like,
why are they doing this?".

Greetings to all,

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 Colin Wilson                  the graip wis tint, the besom wis duin
                               the barra wadna row its lane
 writin fae Aiberdein,         an sicna soss it nivver wis seen
 the ile capital o Europe      lik the muckin o Geordie's byre
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