LL-L "Idiomatica" 2003.11.06 (04) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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L O W L A N D S - L * 06.NOV.2003 (04) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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From: Críostóir Ó Ciardha <paada_please at yahoo.co.uk>
Subject: LL-L "Idiomatica" 2003.11.06 (01) [E/S]

A chairde,

What a response! Much appreciated.

John Duckworth wrote:
"To refer to the fairer sex using term normally used
for birds is, of course, not uncommon in world
languages : in English for instance we use the
politically incorrect terms _bird_ and _chick_."

Granted, and the link between 'duck' and the laddish
'bird' or 'chick' (also Jennie's 'kipje') is something
I wanted to avoid. As it is used in the East Midlands,
'duck' is inoffensive, affectionate and certainly not
patronising in any way. The point is that although it
is a term of endearment, it can be used with people
you do not actually know, e.g., if you were to give up
your seat to an elderly lady, you might say, "Ere yeh
go, mi duck, yeh sit yehsen daan there." and she would
reply, "Ooh, thanks, duck, ah needed that." I suppose
it indicates helpful, pleasant friendliness and
informality.

"What is interesting about the MIdlands use of the the
word is that you say it is used only to women."

Men would only use it to women, but women use it among
themselves and to one another.

"the word _duck_ was originally used to denote the
female of the species (and was leter applied to the
whole species), the male still, of course, being
called the _drake_. Perhaps the Midland dialects of
English continued to preserve this distinction."

One would never say, "Ey up, mi drake", even though we
obviously used 'drake' to refer to a male water bird.

"Both _my old dutch_ and _the duchess_
seem (to my mind) to be associated with the London
area and especially the
Cockney Dialect."

Might it be that both 'dutch' and 'duchess' are
corrupted forms of Mid. Eng. 'duce'? This makes sense
if both exist side-by-side at the end of a dialect
continuum that also includes 'duck' as a term of
endearment. 'Duchess' might have been substituted once
'dutch' was no longer understood as referring to a
water bird.

Criostóir.

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