Minnesota "come with"

[Beverly Flanigan]

It is indeed very common in Minnesota; I grew up with it and still use it,
though I get strange looks from Ohioans and even from my son (raised in
Ohio).  I agree with the original writer, who thinks it's a verb + particle
construction.  We discussed this years ago on the list, citing German
"mitkommen" as a separable verb + particle; and I think the Scandinavian
languages have a similar two-part construction (I know "komme med" is
Norwegian).  The preponderance of German and Scandinavian immigrants in the
Upper Midwest would have likely given rise to the English
equivalent.  Einar Haugen's _Norwegian Language in America_ (1953) may have
historical documentation on this, but I don't have time to check it now.

Beverly Flanigan
Ohio University

At 11:26 AM 6/27/2006, you wrote:
>>John, I assume you mean "come with"/"go with" in which
>>no "object" follows "with"?
>>
>>I discuss the locution (which I identify as a Chicago
>>phenomenon) and some (possibly) parallel constructions very
>>briefly in American Speech 72 (1997): 224.  Nothing
>>definitive, though.
>>
>>--Charlie
>
>Also used in Milwaukee. I was told it was from German.
>
>Barbara
>
>Barbara Need
>UChicago
>
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The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org