LL-L "Morphology" 2007.11.14 (03) [E]

[Lowlands-L List]

L O W L A N D S - L  -  14 November 2007 - Volume 03
Song Contest: lowlands-l.net/contest/ (- 31 Dec. 2007)
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From: Ben J. Bloomgren <ben.j.bloomgren at gmail.com>
Subject: LL-L "Morphology" 2007.11.13 (01) [E]

 I'm not convinced this –s is an American thing. Don't the British refer to
Prince William as Wills? I've never heard anyone in the US call a William
"Wills".

With certain nicknames and pet names, the s is common in the US. For the
longest time of my childhood, my third cousin, who was known as Aunt Gail,
would call me Binners. It sounds weird to write it that way now, but that's
exactly how she said it. The [E]/[I] (X-Sampa) are just because she says the
lax E that way with everybody. The phrase ten tins is homophonous to her.
Anyway, she would ALWAYS call me Binners from Benners. I can't explain the
-er either unless it's another sort of diminutivizing morpheme or someting.
Ben

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From: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
Subject: Morphology

Thanks, Ben, Binners, Binster, Binnerama!

Hey, how about this for a highfaluting technical term for this particular
morpheme -s: "cutesificator", the act of using it being "cutesification"?

The verb "cutesify" has the main stress on the first syllable,
"cutesification" on the fourth, and "cutesificator" on the the second.
Everyone like? Should be sent straight to the *OED* people.

Cheerio!
Reinhard/Ron
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