LL-L: "Language varieties" LOWLANDS-L, 10.MAY.2000 (07) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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 L O W L A N D S - L * 10.MAY.2000 (07) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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From: Edwin Michael Alexander [edsells at idirect.com]
Subject: LL-L: "Language varieties" LOWLANDS-L, 10.MAY.2000 (06) [E]

At 01:29 PM 05/10/00 -0700, John Feather wrote:
>Now that we've talked about "aboot/aboat", what is the story of "anyhoo"?
>Who says it, where and why?

One hears it in Ontario, but I've always assumed that it was an intentional
mispronunciation of a somewhat overused word.  This pronunciation of the
word only seems to be used when the word is intended to move the
conversation along or change its direction.

By the way, the "aboat" pronunciation applies to many ther instances of the
"ou" diphthong, such as "south" and "mouth", as in  "Yah goan soath for the
winter?" or "Shu cher moath, eh?"

>Do any Americans ever use the word "rubber" in the sense of "eraser"?

Not that I know of, nor do any Canadians.

>Chambers Dictionary claims that the etymology of the word "bungee" (for
>which it gives seven spellings) is unknown. I think that it may derive from
>a word (possibly British schoolboy slang) for "bread", the connexion being
>the use of bread as a pencil eraser in drawing classes. Does anybody have
>any information about this?

Well, the word looked a bit "Hindu" to me, so I looked in Bhargava's
Hindi-English dictionary and found the word "bahangii", a sling for
carrying things on the shoulders.  My first encounter with the word
"bungee" was about 30 years ago (or so) when the "bungee cord" was
invented, an elastic cord with hooks on each end to be used for securing
things on the top of one's car or holding the trunk (boot) lid down when it
won't close enough to latch.  Is there a connection?

Ed Alexander
JAG REALTY INC.
80 Jones Street Hamilton, Ontario, Canada L8R 1Y1
Pager: 905-545-0177  Fax: 905-525-6671 Email: edsells at idirect.com
Jag Realty Inc.: http://www.deerhurst.com/jag/
Ontario Ultra Series:  http://ous.kw.net/
Burlington Runners Club: http://www.deerhurst.com/brc/

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