Fries

[Wilson Gray]

Geez, Larr! Gimme some slack! I was merely admitting to having no
valid knowledge of Frisian, since the only circumstance under which
one might hear the saying under discussion is during the course of a
lecture comparing and contrasting English and its cognate Germanic
languages, Frisian among them, and I've had no occasion to hear such a
lecture. Surely, that was clear! ;-)

-Wilson

On 9/14/07, Laurence Horn <laurence.horn at yale.edu> wrote:
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Laurence Horn <laurence.horn at YALE.EDU>
> Subject:      Re: Fries
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> At 10:07 PM -0400 9/14/07, Wilson Gray wrote:
> >"Good bread and green cheese is good English and [supposedly] good Fries."
> >
> >I've read little Fries and heard even less, but it's enough to make me
> >doubt the validity of this saying - or writing, since I've never heard
> >anyone say it - in any of its various permutations.
> >
> >-Wilson
>
> Ah, so you're calling this an old linguist's tale?  The reference,
> for anyone who needs a hint, is not to either Charles C. or Peter
> Fries of Michigan fame (nor to the late lamented Frieze Hall), but to
> the dictum designed to prove how closely related English and Frisian
> (a.k.a. Fries(e), Fris) are.  The usual web resources suggest that
> the appropriate Fries spelling would be more like
>
> Good butter en green tzieze
> is good English en good Friese.
>
> But Wilson, why would you expect anyone to say it in the normal
> course of events--how often do you happen to encounter Frisian
> speakers recommending or warning you off particular dairy products?
>
> LH
>
> >
> >On 9/13/07, Dennis Preston <preston at msu.edu> wrote:
> >>  ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> >>-----------------------
> >>  Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> >>  Poster:       Dennis Preston <preston at MSU.EDU>
> >>  Subject:      Re: Fries
> >>
> >>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >>
> >>  /i/
> >>
> >>  dInIs
> >>
> >>  >---------------------- Information from the mail header
> >>  >-----------------------
> >>  >Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> >>  >Poster:       Matthew Gordon <gordonmj at MISSOURI.EDU>
> >>  >Subject:      Fries
> >>  >-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >>  >
> >>  >Can someone tell me how Charles Fries pronounced his last name?
> >>Is it /i/ or
> >>  >/ay/?
> >>  >
> >>  >- Matt Gordon
> >>  >
> >>  >------------------------------------------------------------
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> >>
> >>
> >>  --
> >>  Dennis R. Preston
> >>  University Distinguished Professor
> >>  Department of English
> >>  Morrill Hall 15-C
> >>  Michigan State University
> >>  East Lansing, MI 48864 USA
> >>
> >>  ------------------------------------------------------------
> >>  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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> >The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> 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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The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org