LL-L "Lexicon" 2009.11.12 (02) [EN]

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L O W L A N D S - L - 12 November 2009- Volume 02
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From: Sandy Fleming <sandy at fleimin.demon.co.uk>
Subject: LL-L "Lexicon" 2009.11.12 (01) [EN]

> From: DAVID COWLEY <DavidCowley at anglesey.gov.uk>
> Subject: LL-L "Lexicon" 2009.11.11 (04) [EN]
>
> On Sandy's comments:
>
> Sandy: ''fordo, onbeload, unbefought: I have no idea what these might
> be intended
> to mean.''
>
> ANS: Try these for examples:
> - 'I aimed to get you keen on updated words, but feel that plan may
> have been fordone (... well, they're not to everyone's taste!)'
> - 'My friends are very busy now, really onbeloaded with work as it
> happens ...'
> - 'Three local authority councillors in x kept their seats, these
> being unbefought at the election ...'

So you're saying to use:

"fordo" instead of "do beforehand" (or something, I still don't get it)
"onbeloaded" instead of "overloaded"
"unbefought" instead of "unfought"?

So, why? Or should I say, wherefore?  :)

> Sandy: ''Of course the whole idea of "How we'd talk if..." is a
> fantasy isn't it?
> We've no idea what _else_ would have happened if the Norman invasion
>
> hadn't.''
>
> ANS: Its one scenario, and even that only part-answered (and it leaves
> aside the likely different spelling conventions there'd be). Of course
> lots of other different things could have happened later on. The point
> is that 1066 is so often seen as a year of really key, big change, and
> that the English we speak has been shaped by the French connection in
> deep and significant ways. Surely something worth thinking about at
> least?
>
> I recall a programme many years ago in which a presenter read the news
> in Scots, in a 'what if Scotland had never been joined with England'
> scenario. And yet now, many years later, there's a Scottish Parliament
> which at least has some token Scots on its website, and I understand
> that kids are being allowed to use Scots a bit more in school - at
> long last. I'm not Scottish, but doesn't the 'what if?' idea grab you
> a bit? And the idea of using the past and how things went for thinking
> about now, and the possible future too?

Well, you can think about historical cause and effect, but it doesn't
mean anything in terms of what would really have happened. It's very
like the statements we keep hearing from sports commentators:

"If Mootoo had been just a little faster they'd have got that goal and
the game would have been won instead of a draw."

No, if Mootoo had been a little faster we've no idea what would have
happened. All the players would have ended up in a different position
and the rest of the game would have been completely different. Maybe
he'd have missed the goal and demoralised the rest of the team so that
they would have lost badly!

Sandy Fleming
http://scotstext.org/

•

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