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L O W L A N D S - L - 02 May 2011 - Volume 06<br>
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<p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><font size="2">From: </font><span class="gI"><span class="gD" style="color:#00681c">Hellinckx Luc</span> <span class="go"><<a href="mailto:luc.hellinckx@gmail.com">luc.hellinckx@gmail.com</a>></span></span><span><span style="color:#cc0060"></span></span></p>
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</font><p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><font size="2">Subject: <span></span><span></span><span></span></font><span class="gI">LL-L "Grammar"</span></p>
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<div bgcolor="#ffffff">Beste Ron,<div><br><div><div>You wrote:</div><div><br></div><blockquote type="cite"><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div>It
seems to me that thisconstruction (VSO) is what you might call the
"narrative construction" that survives only (?) in German jokes. In
frozen form it can still be found in German folk-songs (e.g. <i>Kommt ein Vogel geflogen</i> instead of <i>Ein Vogel kommt geflogen</i>, or <i>Zieht der Bursch die Straß entlang</i> instead of <i>Der Bursch zieht die Straß entlang</i>).<br>
</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></blockquote><div><br></div><div>Said
construction is also used in Dutch jokes. Putting the verb in front
(intentionally) breaks order and adds panache, because attention is
shifting towards action. Sure way to make the audience get involved,
feel tension and start anticipating.</div><div><br></div><div>Kind greetings,</div><div><br></div><font color="#888888"><div>Luc Hellinckx, Halle, Belgium<br><br></div></font></div></div></div>
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<span style="color: navy;">----------<br><br></span><p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><font size="2">From: </font>Henry Pijffers <<a href="mailto:henry.pijffers@gmail.com">henry.pijffers@gmail.com</a>><span><span style="color:#cc0060"></span></span></p>
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</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><font size="2">Subject: <span></span><span></span><span></span></font>LL-L "Grammar" 2011.05.02 (05) [EN]</p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><br><span class="gI"></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt">Reinhard wrote:<br></p><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204);padding-left:1ex"><div>
<div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><span style="color: navy;"><br></span>It
seems to me that thisconstruction (VSO) is what you might call the
"narrative construction" that survives only (?) in German jokes.</div>
</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></blockquote><br>We use it regularly in Dutch jokes. "Komt een man bij de dokter, zegt 'ie ..."<br>
<br>good gaon,<br>Henry Pijffers<br><span style="color: navy;"><br>----------<br><br></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 51, 51);">From: R. F. Hahn <<a rel="nofollow" href="http://uk.mc286.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=sassisch@yahoo.com" target="_blank">sassisch@yahoo.com</a>> </div>
<div style="margin-left: 40px; color: rgb(0, 51, 51);">
</div>Subject: Grammar<br><br>Thanks, Luc and Henry!<br>
<br>In Low Saxon (of Germany) and also in many if not most non-standard German dialects, this same construction (VS instead of usual SV) is used to convey conditionality (if/when); e.g. Low Saxon:<br><br><font size="2">Gah ik so up de Straat, gluupt de Lüd' mi an.<br>
("Go I thusly on(to) the street, stare the people me at")<br>People stare at me when(ever) I go outside </font>(looking) <font size="2">like this.</font> ~<br>People will stare at me if I go outside (looking) like this.<br>
<br><font size="2">Is dat Vörjahr</font> natt, bringt de Harvst di wat.*<br>("Is the spring wet, brings the autumn thee something.")<br>Spring's rain is Autumn's gain.*<br><br>*[This may seem like real farmers' wisdom, but I actually made it up.]<br>
<br>At first thought I assumed that this and what I call "narrative construction" are separate. At second thought, however, I wonder if they are in fact related. "Setting the stage," so to speak, the VS construction makes the listener expect a result or at least continuation. See what I'm driving at? So, if in German you say <i>Ein Mann geht zum Arzt</i> (A man goes to a/his doctor) it could be the end of the story. However, if you say <i>Geht ein Mann zum Arzt</i> ("Goes a man to a/his doctor") you definitely expect more.<br>
<br>What do you think, Lowlanders?<br><br>Furthermore, I have a feeling that this VS construction used to be used in earlier varieties of English, though I can't come up with concrete examples at this very moment. Perhaps they are not directly linked, but you find VS in certain types of clauses, such as "'Enough!' say I (~ says I)." I assume that these are archaisms hailing back to greater syntactic flexibility in English.<br>
<br>Regards,<br>Reinhard/Ron<br>
Seattle, USA<span style="color:navy"><br><br>
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