The earth v. Earth (UNCLASSIFIED)

[Dennis R. Preston]

This is interestingly variable across dialects, and there are
definitely more definites in the south. But notice that there are
some definites that are very widespread ("the flu"). Social and
stylistic variation are also interesting. A speaker might switch
between his or vernacular "the sugar" but report "diabetes" to a
doctor. I'm betting on some very lexically specific behavior here. To
the best of my knowledge, I have "a cold" but "the grippe."

dInIs

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>Poster:       "Mullins, Bill AMRDEC" <Bill.Mullins at US.ARMY.MIL>
>Subject:      Re: The earth v. Earth (UNCLASSIFIED)
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>I've heard folks in the rural South referring to having "the cancer"
>instead of what seems to me to be standard usage "cancer".
>
>>  -----Original Message-----
>>  From: American Dialect Society
>>  [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf Of Doug Harris
>>  Sent: Wednesday, August 08, 2007 9:08 AM
>>  To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
>>  Subject: Re: The earth v. Earth
>>
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>>  Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>>  Poster:       Doug Harris <cats22 at FRONTIERNET.NET>
>>  Subject:      Re: The earth v. Earth
>>  --------------------------------------------------------------
>>  -----------------
>>
>>  On a _much_ smaller scale (but similarly curious,
>>  language-wise), is the British practice of referring to
>>  certain countries with the 'the' article preceding their
>>  name. To wit, The Gambia, The Lebanon.
>>  I believe I know the historic logic for this, but there was a
>>  similar logic for their use of the 'aeroplane / aeroport'
>>  spellings, which The Sunday Telegraph (and others) persisted
>>  in using until at least the 1980's. Wisely, though, albeit
>>  with much kicking and screaming, I imagine, the latter paper
>>  seems to have come 'round to using 'airport' _except_ when
>>  referring to the French versions of places where aero...
>>  whoops, airplanes land.
>>  (the other) doug
>>
>>
>>
>>  I'm pretty sure - though I wouldn't bet money on it - that,
>>  back in the '40's and '50's - the earth was referred to as
>>  "_the_ earth." More recently, it seems to me, "the earth" has
>>  been replaced by "Earth."
>>  Here's an instance that's neither "the earth" nor "Earth." It
>>  could be a simple typo, however.
>>
>>  -Wilson
>>
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--
Dennis R. Preston
University Distinguished Professor
Department of English
15C Morrill Hall
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI 48824
517-353-4736
preston at msu.edu

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