Believe You Me

[Gerald Cohen]

  On Nov. 7 Jordan Rich wrote in regard to the construction Believe You Me:

>One of my co-workers was asking me where this phrase came from.  Any thoughts?
>
------FWIW, this is the normal construction for the formal imperative in
German, e.g.:  "Glauben Sie mir" = Believe me! (literally: Believe you
me!).

        So,  might the construction "Believe you me" possibly have arisen
in English under the influence of German? And are there any studies about
possible German influence on English syntax?

----Gerald Cohen



gcohen at umr.edu