LL-L "Language change" 2002.12.17 (11) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

======================================================================
 L O W L A N D S - L * 17.DEC.2002 (11) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
 http://www.lowlands-l.net * admin at lowlands-l.net *  Encoding: Unicode UTF-8
 Rules & Guidelines: http://www.lowlands-l.net/rules.htm
 Posting Address: lowlands-l at listserv.linguistlist.org
 Server Manual: http://www.lsoft.com/manuals/1.8c/userindex.html
 Archive: http://listserv.linguistlist.org/archives/lowlands-l.html
=======================================================================
 You have received this because you have been subscribed upon request.
 To unsubscribe, please send the command "signoff lowlands-l" as message
 text from the same account to <listserv at listserv.linguistlist.org> or
 sign off at <http://linguistlist.org/subscribing/sub-lowlands-l.html>.
=======================================================================
 A=Afrikaans Ap=Appalachian B=Brabantish D=Dutch E=English F=Frisian
 L=Limburgish LS=Lowlands Saxon (Low German) S=Scots Sh=Shetlandic
                  V=(West)Flemish Z=Zeelandic (Zeêuws)
=======================================================================

From: rossmay <rossmay at bellsouth.net>
Subject: LL-L "Measure words" 2002.12.17 (08) [E]

Gabrielle stated that "Yeah, right", were double positives.  Factually, this
is correct.  But, literally, it is what is known as "irony" or "ironic",
that is a statement that is purposfully the reverse of what you actually
mean.  While the opposite, negatives, can be used for ironic purposes, i.
e., "Well, I never........!"
     This almost acts as a "segway" (which is a coined word) to another
thread, and which has always been an irritant to an English teacher and
"linguist" such as I.  That is, poor grammar or syntax in an effort to be
correct.  i.e.  "I feel badly about that" in place of its correct "I feel
bad about that".  Others such as "aren't I ?" in place of "ain't I ?" (the
"correct one" is much worse than the vulgar one".   But that's a new thread.


One gentleman almost quoted me when he inferred that I had stated that
authority had no effect on language usage.  Just the opposite in fact is
true.  While I stated that authority could not force usage as in the case of
the Normans on the Anglo-Saxons, the structure stayed, but the vocabulary
changed dramatically.  The illiterate commoner and the literate nobility
effect was to change the language into a new English, not a new Norman
French.  But the French speaking monks and prelates probably had more effect
on the common speech, because THEY were the main source and mainstay of the
written language, and later the spoken.
       The latinization of vocabulary by the Normans and their monks caused
many good descriptive flexible Middle English words to become unused and
eventually lost.  The English language method of  inflection for
complicated, even abstract meanings was much more sophisticated then than
now and many of the old forms have been lost or replaced by syntactical
arrangement.
        The English language was a language of impact and clear thought, and
still is if you take the weak latinization out.  It is interesting to
observe Churchill's famous address to the English people.  It contains all
English words except for one.  "surrender".

        Harlan Ross May, Gulfport, Mississippi, USA

==================================END===================================
* Please submit postings to <lowlands-l at listserv.linguistlist.org>.
* Postings will be displayed unedited in digest form.
* Please display only the relevant parts of quotes in your replies.
* Commands for automated functions (including "signoff lowlands-l") are
  to be sent to <listserv at listserv.linguistlist.org> or at
  <http://linguistlist.org/subscribing/sub-lowlands-l.html>.
 =======================================================================