The earth v. Earth (UNCLASSIFIED)

Dennis R. Preston preston at MSU.EDU
Wed Aug 8 18:08:20 UTC 2007


Michael,

I think this is counting noncounts, as in "two rices" (i.e., two
different styles of rice), but maybe not. You seem to like it for two
cases of the same kind. I think "I had two scarlet fevers when I was
a kid" (for two bouts, cases, etc...) is jest horrible.

One week to go. I see you avoid "Lesbians," but they do not.

Dennis



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>Poster:       Montgomery Michael <ullans at YAHOO.COM>
>Subject:      Re: The earth v. Earth (UNCLASSIFIED)
>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>Hey Dennis
>
>The possibility that comes most immediately to mind is
>"fever," which in the mountains/country usually
>means/meant specifically "typhoid."  I don't have a
>citation to offer, but I think it quite possible to
>have sentences like "he nearly died of two fevers when
>he was a child," with the meaning of "two
>bouts/epidemics of typhoid."
>
>If you're dead keen to explore this further, I'll
>contact some local authorities.  When are you off for
>your summer consort withthe Lesbosians?
>
>Michael
>
>--- "Dennis R. Preston" <preston at MSU.EDU> wrote:
>
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>>  Poster:       "Dennis R. Preston" <preston at MSU.EDU>
>>  Subject:      Re: The earth v. Earth (UNCLASSIFIED)
>>
>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>>  Thanks Michael; my own favorite is "the epizootic,"
>>  although DARE
>>  shows it is not at all limited to the South
>>  Midlands.
>>
>>  There are some very interesting low-level
>>  constraints going on here.
>>  Note how bad (I think) "I had two colds last year"
>>  is compared to "I
>>  had two really very bad colds last year." But that
>>  "distance" metric
>>  applies to lots of agreement features.
>>
>>  Is any illness/disease name an ordinary count noun?
>>
>>  My daughter caught three _____ last year.
>>
>>  I nearly died from two _____ last year.
>>
>>  dInIs
>>
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>>  >Poster:       Montgomery Michael <ullans at YAHOO.COM>
>>  >Subject:      Re: The earth v. Earth (UNCLASSIFIED)
>>
>>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>  >
>>  >In the South Midland names of diseases and
>>  illnesses
>>  >are often preceded by the definite article.  "The
>>  >cancer" is certainly known, but I think "the sugar"
>>  =
>>  >"diabetes" would be far more common.  My favorites
>>  are
>>  >"the hippoes" and "the mulligrubs."  I've also
>>  heard
>>  >"the typhoid," etc.  "The measles" is ubiquitous,
>>  but
>>  >I suspect this may have a much broader regional
>>  >distribution.  We eagerly await DARE V for a
>>  >splendiferous display of definite article usage.
>>  >
>>  >"The" with diseases is definitely a Scotch-Irish
>>  >inheritance.  Check out _the_ def. art. sense 4 in
>>  the
>>  >Scottish National Dictionary.  This can be found
>>  >on-line at the wonderful Dictionary of the Scots
>>  >Language website, which incorporates both the SND
>>  and
>>  >the Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue.  This
>>  >philological resource that approaches the magnitude
>>  of
>>  >the OED is available free at www.dsl.ac.uk.  I
>>  don't
>>  >think that it has gotten enough publicity on this
>>  side
>>  >of the water, though, so I'm blowing the bugle to
>>  >consult it, if ADSers will pardon me.
>>  >
>>  >Michael
>>  >
>>  >
>>  >--- Laurence Horn <laurence.horn at YALE.EDU> wrote:
>>  >
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>>  >>  Poster:       Laurence Horn
>>  <laurence.horn at YALE.EDU>
>>  >>  Subject:      Re: The earth v. Earth
>>  (UNCLASSIFIED)
>  > >>
>>
>>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>  >>
>>  >>  At 10:28 AM -0500 8/8/07, Mullins, Bill AMRDEC
>>  >>  wrote:
>>  >>  >Classification:  UNCLASSIFIED
>>  >>  >Caveats: NONE
>>  >>  >
>>  >>  >I've heard folks in the rural South referring
>>  to
>>  >>  having "the cancer"
>>  >>  >instead of what seems to me to be standard
>>  usage
>>  >>  "cancer".
>>  >>
>>  >>  In the urban North it may not be "the cancer"
>>  but
>>  >>  it's often "the big C".
>>  >>
>>  >>  LH
>>  >>
>>  >>  >
>>  >>  >>  -----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
>>  >>  >>
>>  >>  >>  ---------------------- Information from the
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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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