Fiji zigaboo

[Wilson Gray]

FWIW, "zh," for all practical purposes, is non-occurrent in BE: French
"Jeanne," the name of a friend of mine, is non-distinct from "John";
"(Missouri) hoosier" > "hoojie"; "garage  rouge" > "garaj  rooj," etc.
All this and more is alive and kicking in the speech of your humble
correspondent, irrespective of the register that he may be using.

-Wilson

On 3/29/07, Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at yahoo.com> wrote:
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at YAHOO.COM>
> Subject:      Re: Fiji zigaboo
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> The HDAS files show a number of _zigaboos_ from the 1920s on as an exact synonym of "jigaboo."  The ex. are notably Southern, far more than "jigaboo." "Zigaboo" (occas. shortened to "zig") is no longer common.
>
>   The alteration of  / J ~ z / has always stfruck me as unusual and interesting.  Does it suggest a / Z / in the etymon ?  In some dialect of Italian or another immigrant language ?
>
>   JL
>
>
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