LL-L "Lexicon" 2002.09.29 (03) [D/E]

[Lowlands-L]

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 L O W L A N D S - L * 29.SEP.2002 (03) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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 A=Afrikaans Ap=Appalachian B=Brabantish D=Dutch E=English F=Frisian
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From: lingoman at webtv.net <lingoman at webtv.net>
Subject: Language changes

I wanted to add my thoughts on the "mom/mother, dad/father" discussion.
Ron pointed out that this seems to be ever more common in American
English, and I agree.  But it is by no means universal, and strikes some
of us (older generation? Easterners?) as very odd!  In my own usage, I
would alway refer to my mother as "my mother" and never "my mom," which
strikes my ear as childish.  But the trend is definitely there, and I
often hear grown men and women referring to their "moms" and "dads"--
just yesterday Mr. Bush referred to Saddam Hussein's alleged plot to
kill "[his] dad" (George Herbert Walker Bush to the rest of us).

The press has also picked up on this and I hear stories on the nightly
news such as "three children were rescued from the fire but their mom
was lost."  This again strikes my ear  as very odd, but these are the
same reporters who insist on referring to people as "folks" in an
attempt to appear folksy!  I shouldn't object: at least they're rescuing
a Germanic synonym from near oblivion...

Sean Roach

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From: Floor en Lyanne van Lamoen <f.v.lamoen at wxs.nl>
Subject: LL-L "Lexicon" 2002.09.26 (08) [E]

Beste Reinhard en andere Lowlanders,

De vraag die Reinhard heeft opgeworpen over het gebruik van "mom" en
"dad" in serieuze context, heeft mij aan het nadenken gebracht. In het
Nederlands zou iets soortgelijks aan de hand kunnen zijn met het gebruik
van "mamma" en "pappa", "mam" en "pap, of "ma" en "pa", ter vervanging
van "moeder" en "vader" of het collectieve woord "ouders". Maar dat deze
termen in niet-familiaire en serieuze context worden gebruikt is mij
nooit opgevallen.

Anders is dat met het gebruik van "opa" en "oma" voor "grootvader" en
"grootmoeder" of het collectieve "grootouders". De "groot-" woorden
klinken zelfs tamelijk vormelijk.

Hartelijke groeten uit Goes,
Floor van Lamoen.

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