LL-L "Morphology" 2004.08.21 (07) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

======================================================================
L O W L A N D S - L * 21.AUG.2004 (07) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
http://www.lowlands-l.net * lowlands-l at lowlands-l.net
Rules & Guidelines: http://www.lowlands-l.net/index.php?page=rules
Posting: lowlands-l at listserv.linguistlist.org or lowlands-l at lowlands-l.net
Server Manual: http://www.lsoft.com/manuals/1.8c/userindex.html
Archives: http://listserv.linguistlist.org/archives/lowlands-l.html
Encoding: Unicode (UTF-8) [Please switch your view mode to it.]
=======================================================================
You have received this because you have been subscribed upon request.
To unsubscribe, please send the command "signoff lowlands-l" as message
text from the same account to listserv at listserv.linguistlist.org or
sign off at http://linguistlist.org/subscribing/sub-lowlands-l.html.
=======================================================================
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)
=======================================================================

From: Henry Pijffers <henry.pijffers at saxnot.com>
Subject: LL-L "Language varieties" 2004.08.21 (04) [E]

From: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
Subject: Language varieties
>
> John Feather:
>
>>And another: in earliest
>>Germanic the equivalent to "did" was used to form the past tense of other
>>verbs, then progressively reduced - in OE to "-de" and in ModE  to "-d",
>>though perceived as "-ed". Good stuff.
>
> In Lowlands Saxon (Low German) as well, just going one step farther in
most
> modern dialects: dede > deed' > dee > -de > -d > - (the last one being
> zero); e.g., 'I learned/studied/taught': (*_ik leyrede_ >) _ik leyrde_ >
_ik
> leyrd'_ > _ik leyr_.
>
In my dialect we mostly use the full form of the verb to indicate the
past tense, so (in your spelling): 'I studied' -> _ik leyren_ For some
verbs though, for the past tense the verb is conjugated.

> Even in Modern LS _douen_ 'to do' is still used as verb intensifying or
> emphasizing auxiliary, also in the preterite, much like in Modern English;
> e.g., _ik deed' [de:(d)] leyren_ 'I did learn/study/teach', _ik dou
leyren_
> 'I do (so) learn/study/teach!', 'I will (so) learn/study/teach!'
 >
Indeed, it's often used in Twente that way.

> For some reason it occurs more in cases of negatives; e.g.,  _ik deed'
nich leyren_
> 'I (simply) didn't learn/study/teach', _ik dou nich leyren_ 'I (just)
don't
> learn/study/teach', 'I won't learn/study/teach!'
>
That's not my perception of Twente Saxon, but then I have never really
studied it.

regards,
Henry

----------

From: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
Subject: Morphology

Mark Dreyer wrote under "Language varieties":

> Can this have had a broader use than in these dialects? I ask because it
had
> hard use in my family too. Even my Irish grandmother used it; however she,
> too, was long in this land: "Who's 'She', the cat's mother?" In Afrikaans,
> "Wie's 'sy', Kat se ma?"
> But in Afrikaans there is an intimate respectful form of language, as
> between the young & beloved elders or elder siblings, or sometimes to
others
> about them, in which one addresses or refers to them by name or
honourific,
> never the pronoun. Pronouns are for for schoolmates or strangers, &
> strangers are accorded the deferential form 'u' like French 'tu' instead
of
> the familiar form, 'jy' & 'jou', French 'vous'.
>
> For example, "Sal ek Mams se bed opmaak?" - "Shall I make up Mom's bed?"
> (addressed to her, herself). So also "Laat ek vir Pa 'n drankie skink!" -
> "Let me pour Dad a drink!", "Wil Ouboet nie vir my 'n geldjie vir die
> bioskoop leen nie? Soebat, soebat!" - "Will Elder Brother not lend me a
coin
> for the movies? Plead, plead!"

This sort of thing is extremely widespread among the world's languages,
though in modern Germanic ones it is rare and is considered archaic, having
fades away in the 19th century or so.  Afrikaans may be the last stronghold
of it, though you can still find it in some very formal Scandinavian
varieties in which titles and names are still used with definite article to
stand for "you" (literally translated e.g. "the Mr. Pastor (Andersson)" in
the sense of "you").  In some language varieties, especially many
non-Indo-European ones, using the equivalent of plain "you" can be perceived
as rude, offensive.

Still surviving in most varieties is the use of such substitutions, if you
will, for the *first* person singular and plural when addressing children or
persons treated like children; e.g., "Come to Daddy!", "Will you give Auntie
Doris a hug?", "Mom has to go potty," "Mommy and Daddy will sit in front."

I find this to be more prevalent and developed in certain English varieties,
sociolects.  For instance, a certain cafeteria is "run" by a middle-aged
African American lady who has been working there for decades, with the air
of a benevolent queen.  She is a real character you simply cannot but love
because she truly loves everyone and talks to them accordingly, including
strangers, and people that reciprocate regularly get hugs from her.  Instead
of "I" she says "Ms. Ellie" ([mIz ...]); e.g., "Don't worry about that,
sugar! Ms. Ellie will get a rug and clean it right up for you.", "Why the
long face, honey? You sit yourself down here right now and tell Ms. Ellie
all about it!", "Now hurry on over, child, and help Ms. Ellie with these
dishes!"

Can you think of anything like this in other Lowlands varieties?

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron

================================END===================================
* Please submit postings to lowlands-l at listserv.linguistlist.org.
* Postings will be displayed unedited in digest form.
* Please display only the relevant parts of quotes in your replies.
* Commands for automated functions (including "signoff lowlands-l") are
  to be sent to listserv at listserv.linguistlist.org or at
  http://linguistlist.org/subscribing/sub-lowlands-l.html.
======================================================================