[OT] McGuinness/margin in Polish Brooklyn

[Benjamin Barrett]

Is "mar-gee-nees" such a stretch from McGuiness? I've heard much more
extreme accents than that! BB

On Jun 13, 2008, at 3:13 PM, David Donnell wrote:

> It would seem that "margin" ain't no Polish word...
>
> So then I wonder where "mar-gee-nees" comes from. Perhaps they just
> borrowed the English word and applied it to the name McGuinness?...
> that seems awfully involved for a gal who barely speaks English...
>
> I may never know.
>
> But thanks!
>
>
>> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
>> -----------------------
>> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>> Poster:       Bruce Hunter <bhunter3 at MINDSPRING.COM>
>> Subject:      Re: [OT] McGuinness/margin in Polish Brooklyn
>> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>> Greetings,
>>
>> Interested amateur lurker here. My dictionary ( English-Polish Polish
>> English, J. Stanilawski {slashed l} David McKay Co. Inc.{no date})
>> says...
>> 1) brzek (dot under e) - edge, brink, verge, coast, shore, bank,
>> margin
>> 2) krawedz (dot under e, acute z) - edge brim, border, verge
>>
>> Regards,
>> Bruce Hunter
>>
>> David Donnell wrote:
>>> I beg your pardon, I reckon this is more ESL than ADS-L material:
>>>
>>> A Polish woman in the Greenpoint neighborhood of Brooklyn told me
>>> that local Polish-speakers pronounce McGuinness Blvd as
>>> "MAR-gee-nees", because it is considered a 'margin' between the two
>>> sides of the community.
>>>
>>> McGuinness Blvd is the major thoroughfare one takes to get into
>>> Manhattan, via the Queens Midtown Tunnel or the 59th Street
>>> Bridge...
>>> here's a map:
>>> http://www.mapquest.com/maps/%5B61-111%5D+McGuinness+Blvd+Brooklyn+NY+11222/
>>>
>>>
>>> Anyone know the Polish word for 'margin'?
>>>
>>> DD
>>> Missourian @ NYC
>>>
>>> ------------------------------------------------------------
>>> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>>>
>>
>> ------------------------------------------------------------
>> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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