Cowboy Lingo?

[Baker, John]

        For the "them that" construction, compare "God helps them that help themselves" (Franklin, Poor Richard's Almanac, 1757, according to Bartlett's via Bartleby.com).

        I expect that by "Victorian language," Costner simply meant language used during the Victorian period.

John Baker


-----Original Message-----
From: Chris Dacolias [mailto:hepkel10 at YAHOO.COM]
Sent: Monday, December 01, 2003 4:55 AM
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: Cowboy Lingo?


My question regards a dialect spoken in the west after
the civil war and before the turn of the century in
the American west.  Some might call this a version of
"cowboy language".  This dialect was consistently used
during the recent film "Open Range" a western set in
1888 starring Kevin Costner.  In an interview, Costner
referred to the dialect as "Victorian language".  I
didn't know quite what he meant.

An example of the dialect follows:
"We got a warrant sworn for attempted murder for them
that tried to kill the boy who's laying over there at
the Doc's, trying to stay alive. Swore out another one
for them that murdered the big fella you had in your
cell. Only ours ain't writ by no tin star, bought and
paid for, Marshall. It's writ by us, and we aim to
enforce it."

"for them that tried to kill the boy" really stands
out as a great example of the grammar of this dialect.
 It's not merely poor grammar, there's a style and
consistency to it.

Can anyone help me identify what characteristics unite
this dialect, or where I can find out more information
about it?

Thank you very much.
Konrad O"Milor

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