LL-L: "Historical phonology" LOWLANDS-L, 04.MAY.2000 (03) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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 L O W L A N D S - L * 04.MAY.2000 (03) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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From: Stephen E Israel [sisrael+ at pitt.edu]
Subject: "Historical phonology"

>From: Mike Adams [abrigon at yahoo.com]
>Subject: Wirr and like.

>I wonder if it relates to Wyrd, or Wierd. Namely meaning Fate.
>But now days meaning odd/different. Of course chaotic might be another
>way.

Wyrd etc. goes back to the root "werd-", meaning "to become" (and is
related to Latin roots in vert- "to turn":  vertex, convert, invert etc.).
The great Icelandic sage Snorri referred to the wierd sisters/the norns as
werdandi "what is coming into being",  wurd (I think that was the
spelling) "what has come into being", and skuld "that which shall be"

Stefan Israel
sisrael at imam.pitt.edu

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From: 3181SAFF [3181SAFF at london-oratory.org]
Subject: LL-L: "Historical phonology" LOWLANDS-L, 03.MAY.2000 (04) [E]

> Note that in the English of the city and surrounds of Birmingham
> ("Brummagem)" "Ich" is often still used, and sometime you can hear "Ich
> ben" for "I am". This is not to be confused for the Black Country use of
> "We am" and "I are", which is a giveaway between the difference between
> Brummies and people from, say, Wolverhampton or Dudley.

That should have been "I bin"

Am ya? = are you?
jed = dead
you'm = you are

Also "Weer bist" means "where are you?" Interesting!

Also interesting is how the vowels are lowered so "you" is very similar to
dutch "jou, jouw" etc.

Also, y of "university" can sound like y of "by"

Andrew Saffrey

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