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A=Afrikaans Ap=Appalachian B=Brabantish D=Dutch E=English F=Frisian
L=Limburgish LS=Lowlands Saxon (Low German) N=Northumbrian
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09 November 2005 * Volume 05
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From: Paul Finlow-Bates <wolf_thunder51 at yahoo.co.uk>
Subject: LL-L "Language varieties" 2005.11.09 (05) [E]


  From: Mark Dreyer
  Subject: LL-L "Language varieties" 2005.11.09 (03) [E]

  Hi All:

  Subject: LL-L "Language varieties"

  ".... John of Ghaunt was born & spent some years in Ghent, did he not? I 
wonder if he saw what he spoke East or West of the ditch as different 
languages, or merely different dialects of one?"

  This is particularly interesting, as it relates to a time when the English 
upper classes were dominantly English-speaking rather than French-speaking. 
The turn-around came very rapidly; Edward I at the start of the 14th C spoke 
rudimentary English at best, while Henry IV at the other end of the century 
used it as his home language.  His son, who would become Henry V, spoke so 
little French, he needed an interpreter to talk to his French fiance! e.

  Gaunt, as a son of Edward III, would have been born before the Plague, and 
lived through the big language change that largely followed the Death.  He 
may well have been a "true European", with Flemish, English and French all 
equal to him.  (He nearly became King of Castille; I wonder what he would 
have spoken there?).


  ".... I rather doubt if Caxton could have managed to
  transpose the printing press & associated technology (& sundry literary
  works) so soon after Gutenberg".

  Caxton was faced with a real dilemma when he introduced printing to 
England; what form of English would he use?  He initially looked at Old 
English thinking it might be a good uniform standard, but concluded it was 
'more like unto Dutch (i.e. German) than English of our time'.  He himself 
spoke fluent Netherlands/Flemish.

  Speakers of different dialects! found it much harder to understand each 
other than today. Caxton quotes the case of 'a certain merchant named (or 
from?) Sheffield who asked for eggs in a London shop.  The 'goodwyfe' said 
she spoke no French, and didn't know what he meant.  He said he spoke no 
French either, he just wanted some eggs. Another customer explained that the 
man 'wolde have eyren'.  The lady said, 'well, why did he not he say so?' 
Caxton concludes 'what sholde a man say in these times? eggs or eyren?'.

  Paul 

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