dialect in novels

[Laurence Horn]

At 11:55 AM -0500 2/23/01, Bob Haas wrote:
>Thanks, Dennis, et al, for the explanation.  Can you folks think of any
>instance in which such eye-dialect flavor is not denigrating?
>
>bob

"luv" and "cum" aren't exactly denigrating, but they're certainly
de-formalizing (as well as specifying a particular sense, especially
in the latter case).  And can we say where these stop and, say, "tho"
and "lite" begin?  In fact, it might be claimed that "luv" wuz just
"love" lite, avant la lettre.

larry