antedating (?) "Katy, bar the door" (1890)

[Wilson Gray]

I've long noted that same phenomenon, myself, used by British writers.
I've never understood why they don't use "-uh" or "-a," the way we do,
well, the way we do, now, at least. It's far more transparent. :-)

-Wilson

On 10/3/07, Benjamin Zimmer <bgzimmer at babel.ling.upenn.edu> wrote:
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Benjamin Zimmer <bgzimmer at BABEL.LING.UPENN.EDU>
> Subject:      Re: antedating (?) "Katy, bar the door" (1890)
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> As it happens, I've just posted something on Language Log about
> orthographic <r> in non-rhotic pronunciation spellings (specifically
> <er> used to represent [@:]).
>
> http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/004985.html
>
>
>
> On 10/3/07, Dennis R. Preston <preston at msu.edu> wrote:
> > Wilson,
> >
> > It's very doubtful that this orthographic /r/ indicates a phonetic
> > one. In reading the JC Harris stories, for example, folk who don't
> > know southern speech interpret such things as Br'er Rabbit as BRY-er
> > or some such silliness. We know, of course, that it is is "brother"
> > (bruh) and that Harris was using the "r" to indicate vowel quality
> > (usually wedge or lengthening, as in "bar" in your quote I think, or
> > both).
> >
> > dInIs
> >
> > >---------------------- Information from the mail header
> > >-----------------------
> > >Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> > >Poster:       Wilson Gray <hwgray at GMAIL.COM>
> > >Subject:      Re: antedating (?) "Katy, bar the door" (1890)
> > >-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > >
> > >"When she say that, hit's 'Katy, bar _ther_ do',' then, _fer_ she's
> > >gwine _ter_ do it."
> > >
> > >I assume that the passage is a bit of eye-dialect BE.
> > >
> > >Therefore, FWIW, I note that shwa [I spell it this way because I
> > >choose to] is replaced by shwa+r in this way in some fairly rare
> > >dialects of BE to this day. A ninety-ish cousin of mine from down home
> > >in Texas uses it and I've heard it used by the odd speaker/singer from
> > >bluesman to hiphopper. It sounds rather strange, hearing someone use
> > >an "r" where nobody else does, whereas the person doesn't use "r"
> > >where the standard, at least, does use one.`
> > >
> > >-Wilson
> > >
> > >
> > >On 10/3/07, Benjamin Zimmer <bgzimmer at babel.ling.upenn.edu> wrote:
> > >>  ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> > >>-----------------------
> > >>  Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> > >>  Poster:       Benjamin Zimmer <bgzimmer at BABEL.LING.UPENN.EDU>
> > >>  Subject:      Re: antedating (?) "Katy, bar the door" (1890)
> > >>
> > >>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > >>
> > >>  On 10/3/07, Benjamin Zimmer <bgzimmer at ling.upenn.edu> wrote:
> > >>  >
> > >>  > 1888 _Current Literature_ Dec. 499/1 When she say that, hits 'Katy,
> > >>  > bar ther do, then, fer she's gwineter do it.
> > >>  > [HNP Doc ID 229263831]
> > >>
> > >>  Sorry, missed some punctuation in there:
> > >>
> > >>  1888 _Current Literature_ Dec. 499/1 When she say that, hits 'Katy,
> > >>  bar ther do', then, fer she's gwineter do it.
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>  --Ben Zimmer
> > >>
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> > >>  The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> > >>
> > >
> > >
> > >--
> > >All say, "How hard it is that we have to die"---a strange complaint to
> > >come from the mouths of people who have had to live.
> > >-----
> > >                                               -Sam'l Clemens
> > >
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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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> >
>
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> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
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--
All say, "How hard it is that we have to die"---a strange complaint to
come from the mouths of people who have had to live.
-----
                                              -Sam'l Clemens

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