11.1702, Disc: Writing and Speech

[The LINGUIST Network]

LINGUIST List:  Vol-11-1702. Tue Aug 8 2000. ISSN: 1068-4875.

Subject: 11.1702, Disc: Writing and Speech

Moderators: Anthony Rodrigues Aristar, Wayne State U.<aristar at linguistlist.org>
            Helen Dry, Eastern Michigan U. <hdry at linguistlist.org>
            Andrew Carnie, U. of Arizona <carnie at linguistlist.org>

Reviews: Andrew Carnie: U. of Arizona <carnie at linguistlist.org>

Associate Editors:  Ljuba Veselinova, Stockholm U. <ljuba at linguistlist.org>
		    Scott Fults, E. Michigan U. <scott at linguistlist.org>
		    Jody Huellmantel, Wayne State U. <jody at linguistlist.org>
		    Karen Milligan, Wayne State U. <karen at linguistlist.org>

Assistant Editors:  Lydia Grebenyova, E. Michigan U. <lydia at linguistlist.org>
		    Naomi Ogasawara, E. Michigan U. <naomi at linguistlist.org>
		    James Yuells, Wayne State U. <james at linguistlist.org>

Software development: John Remmers, E. Michigan U. <remmers at emunix.emich.edu>
                      Sudheendra Adiga, Wayne State U. <sudhi at linguistlist.org>
                      Qian Liao, E. Michigan U. <qian at linguistlist.org>

Home Page:  http://linguistlist.org/

The LINGUIST List is funded jointly by Eastern Michigan University,
Wayne State University, and donations from subscribers and publishers.


Editor for this issue: Scott Fults <scott at linguistlist.org>

=================================Directory=================================

1)
Date:  Mon, 07 Aug 2000 10:08:05 -0400
From:  "Douglas G. Wilson" <douglas at nb.net>
Subject:  Re: 11.1694, Disc: Writing and Speech

-------------------------------- Message 1 -------------------------------

Date:  Mon, 07 Aug 2000 10:08:05 -0400
From:  "Douglas G. Wilson" <douglas at nb.net>
Subject:  Re: 11.1694, Disc: Writing and Speech

A "very" interesting discussion. I add some perhaps puerile remarks.

(1) Anglo-Saxon intensives (perhaps one more learned in the field can correct me?):

Apparently there were a number of Anglo-Saxon intensives corresponding to "very
...".

For example:

'thurhhefig' = 'thoroughly heavy' = 'very heavy'

'aelceald' = 'all [altogether] cold' = 'very cold'

'felageong' = ? = 'very young'

'foremanig' = 'fore many' = 'very many'

'fulbeohrt' = 'full[y] bright' = 'very bright'

'swidhe' = 'very' [cf. 'swidhre' = 'right-hand']

'tela' = ? = 'very'

'wel' = 'well' = 'very'

etc.

(2) Naturalization of words:

In my neighborhood, the word 'chauffeur' (like 'amateur') has full citizenship. For
example, my neighbor says: "Every weekend, we have to chauffeur the kids all over.
This weekend, my wife is the chauffeur." He pronounces "chauffeur" to rhyme with
"gopher", and there is no "chauffeuse". Still, R. Kaminski's illustrations are
valid in principle. In my neighborhood, a better example of a partly-naturalized
word might be 'masseur': the female masseur is a masseuse, and the words have
last-syllable ('French-style') accent. An American might say that 'masseur' retains
its green card. My neighbors also include an arbitrageur, an auteur, a danseur, a
frotteur ... opinions may vary as to the status of each of these ....

What about 'blond'/'blonde'? I think this will be virtually universally accepted as
fully English, yet it is often (variably) inflected in writing as if it were
[still] French! (Also 'brunet'/'brunette'.)

-  Doug Wilson

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
LINGUIST List: Vol-11-1702