LL-L "Phonology" 2004.08.19 (04) [E/S]

[Lowlands-L]

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L O W L A N D S - L * 19.AUG.2004 (04) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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A=Afrikaans Ap=Appalachian B=Brabantish D=Dutch E=English F=Frisian
L=Limburgish LS=Lowlands Saxon (Low German) N=Northumbrian
S=Scots Sh=Shetlandic V=(West)Flemish Z=Zeelandic (Zeêuws)
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From: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
Subject: Phonology

Thanks a lot for your help identifying the English dialect (under
"Phonology" today), John and D.M.!

John Duckworth:

> You seem to be paying close attention to the interrelationships of the
> "Coronation Street" characters, Ron!

Just for academic reasons, John, naturally.  ;-)  Seriously, it's the only
soap opera I've ever watched with any sort of regularity, partly because of
the diversity of "accents" and partly because of its comparative realism
(being at the other end of the spectrum from U.S., Latin-American, Chinese,
Korean and Indian soaps we get to watch around here, though they used to
show a Swedish one that was quite nice).

Ron asked:

> The way the character moves her mouth when she speaks actually reminds me
of
> older Lancashire women who worked all their lives in the cotton mills. The
> cotton mills were very noisy places, but the women didn't want the
machinery
> to stop them from chatting; consequently they all developed a habit of
> talking very loudly, as well as an uncanny ability to lipread. In order to
> facilitate lipreading, they would move their mouths more vigorously when
> enunciating sounds. These habits remained with them for life, whether in
the
> factories or out, and it used to be amusing sometimes when they would
shout
> out three quarters of a sentence and then silenty mouth the ending -
> especially if it concerned something normally kept from children or
> strangers!

Now, this is really interesting!  It might explain the reason why on my
first visits to England as a youngster I noticed that working-class women in
some parts tended to move their mouths much more than other people did.
Could it have spread from the textile mills and other types of factories
into working-class women's language generally, at least in the cities in
which there used to be those sweatshops employing women under deplorable
conditions?

If so, I would expect something similar to have developed in certain
Scottish cities.  Can anyone think of this occurring in Scots as well?

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron

P.S.: By the way, John, you reminded me of one of the first Scots songs I
learned a long time ago, a women's song and a political one to boot, a jute
mill song by Mary Brooksbank:

   Oh, dear me, the mill's gaen fast,
   The puir wee shifters canna get a rest.
   Shiftin' bobbins, coorse and fine,
   They fairly mak' ye work for your ten and nine.

   Oh, dear me, I wish the day was done,
   Rinnin' up and doon the Pass is no' nae fun;
   Shiftin', piecin', spinnin' warp weft and twine,
   Tae feed and cled my bairnie affen ten and nine.

   Oh, dear me, the warld's ill divided,
   Them that work the hardest are aye wi' least provided,
   But I maun bide contented, dark days or fine,
   There's no much pleasure living affen ten and nine.

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