[Ads-l] Sluicing

[W Brewer]

Dear linguists,
     I understand that yer use of <sluicing> is "a type of ellipsis that
occurs in both direct and indirect interrogative clauses. The ellipsis is
introduced by a wh-expression, whereby in most cases, everything except the
wh-expression is elided from the clause. Sluicing has been studied in
detail in recent years and is therefore a relatively well understood type
of ellipsis.[1]"  Wp's footnote 1 implicates Ross 1969 as possible
originator.
     Q:  What the h*** does the word <sluice> have to do with post-wh
deletion? Was it a spelling error for <slicing> & nobody dared to correct
him or what? I just can't picture a water chute in this usage. Snipping &
clipping have a less watery connotation, anyways.
     Ah gotsta no.
Sincerely,
WB

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