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L O W L A N D S - L - 18 October 2010 - Volume 03<br>
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<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal">From: <span class="gd">R. F.
Hahn <<a href="mailto:sassisch@yahoo.com">sassisch@yahoo.com</a></span></p>
<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal">Subject: <span class="gi">Grammar</span></p>
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<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal">John,<br>
<br>
Thanks for asking for feedback on the issue of simplification by regularizing
verb forms as all “weak.”<br>
<br>
By the way, I agree with Sandy
that the sentence “Thank goodness English is getting easier!” is rather
inappropriate, unless this was not meant to be a scholarly article.<br>
<br>
Also, “gotten” is the participial form in American English as well.<br>
<br>
The sort of simplification talked about in the article is of course close to
complete in Afrikaans.<br>
<br>
In addition, Afrikaans is one of the newer Germanic language varieties that
simplified by means of abandoning a special form for the preterit; e.g.,<br>
<br>
English: <br>
write: I wrote a letter. - I have written a letter.<br>
sing: She sang a song. - She has sung a song.<br>
find: We found the cat. - We have found the cat.<br>
<br>
Low Saxon:<br>
schrieven: Ik schrev’ ’n Breef. - Ik heff ’n Breef schräven.<br>
singen: Se süng ’n Leed. - Se hett ’n Leed sungen.<br>
finnen: Wi fünnen de Katt. - Wi hebbt de Katt funnen.<br>
<br>
Dutch:<br>
schrijven: Ik schreef een brief. - Ik heb een brief geschreven.<br>
zingen: Ze zong een lied. - Ze heeft een lied gezongen.<br>
vinden: We vonden de kat. - We hebben de kat gevonden.<br>
<br>
Standard German:<br>
schreiben: Ich schrieb einen Brief. - Ich habe einen Brief geschrieben.<br>
singen: Sie sang ein Lied. - Sie hat ein Lied gesungen.<br>
finden: Wir fanden die Katze. - Wir haben die Katze gefunden.<br>
<br>
Simplified systems:<br>
<br>
Missingsch (German on Low Saxon substrata, Hamburg dialect):<br>
schreiben: Ich hap ’n Brief geschrieben.<br>
singen: Sie hat ’n Lied gesungen.<br>
finnen: Wir ham die Katze gefunnen.<br>
<br>
Yiddish:<br>
shraybn: Ikh hob geshribn a briv. (.שרייַבן: איך האָב געשריבן אַ
בריוו<span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>)<br>
zingen: Zi hot gezungen
a lid. (.<span dir="RTL" lang="HE">זינגען: זי האט געזונגען אַ ליד</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>)<br>
gefinen: Mit hobn gefunen di kats. (.<span dir="RTL" lang="HE">געפֿינען: מיר האָבן
געפֿונען די קאַץ</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>)<br>
<br>
Afrikaans (with both sorts of simplification):<br>
skryf: Ek het 'n brief geskryf.<br>
sing: Sy het ’n lied gesing.<br>
vind: Ons het die kat gevind.<br>
<br>
Corrections and comments welcome.<br>
<br>
Regards,<br>
Reinhard/Ron<br>
Seattle, USA</p>
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