"The sun has riz, the sun has set, and here we is in Texas yet" (1933)

[Charles Doyle]

The sentence-terminal "yet" in "Here we is in Texas yet" seems significantly different (more "German"/less "English") than "yet" in the verb phrase of "Does that star-spangled banner yet wave . . . ?"  And, of course, different from "yet" in "Are we out of Texas yet?"

My brain is too tired to postulate reasons WHY!

--Charlie
_______________________________________________________

---- Original message ----
>Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2007 13:52:43 -0500
>From: "Mark A. Mandel" <mamandel at LDC.UPENN.EDU>
>Subject: Re: "The sun has riz, the sun has set, and here we is in Texas yet" (1933)

>
>Larry asks:

>
>Besides the obvious virtue of its elegance, this
>line (in the positive versions) has the very nice
>use of "yet" for 'still', which I assume derives
>from German influence in Texas, as it does in
>Wisconsin.  Any thoughts?
>
>  <<<<<
>
>Why postulate foreign influence?
>
>        O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave
>        O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?
>                (By a fellow alumnus)
>
>-- Mark A. Mandel, St. John's College (Annapolis) 1969
>[This text prepared with Dragon NaturallySpeaking.]

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org