a whole nother

[Cohen, Gerald Leonard]

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From: American Dialect Society on behalf of sagehen
Sent: Fri 10/6/2006 12:03 PM
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: Re: a whole nother
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My impression is that most of the times I hear it, it is delivered with a
certain jocularity or wryness of tone. Wouldn't that have some implications
affecting its evolutionary diagnosis?
AM

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    If it's spoken jocularly, it's probably because the expression is associated with Southern or African-American usage, and the speaker doesn't belong to either group.  In a similar vein, non-New Yorkers may sometimes put on a heavy New York accent for humorous effect (this usually last for only a few words), and I with my normally heavy New York accent may, if the occasion arises, humorously affect a deep Southern accent.  

    I suppose there's something naturally humorous about people talking in an accent or with dialectal features that are not naturally their own.

Gerald Cohen                                                                                                                                                 P.S. Two nights ago I attended a meeting (in Missouri) and mentioned the word "cost."  One of the women there didn't understand me (I guess it sounded like KAWST) and her husband translated for her (sounded something like KAHST).  Everyone at the meeting is a native speaker of English.

 

 

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