LL-L "Lexicon" 2004.09.14 (09) [E/Middelsprake]

[Lowlands-L]

======================================================================
L O W L A N D S - L * 15.SEP.2004 (09) * 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: Global Moose Translations <globalmoose at t-online.de>
Subject: LL-L "Lexicon" 2004.09.15 (03) [E]

John Baskind wrote:
> Excuse me, Fortress Europe, but in America the same hegemonic monotony is
> known as "Mid-Atlantic English", although I'm rather pleased that it is
> losing ground steadily to the "received pronunciation" -based new European
> variety in the EU. The end of Yankee imperialism, maybe?
>
> …and here's my vote for Middelsprake as a replacement!

I second! We have a motion!!!

By the way, this funny, formal little ritual of motions and seconding and
ayes and nays really took me by surprise when I moved to the States (I first
encountered it at a first grade parents' meeting). We have nothing
comparable in Germany. Where does it come from - Britain perhaps?

Gabriele Kahn

----------

From: Ingmar Roerdinkholder <ingmar.roerdinkholder at worldonline.nl>
Subject: LL-L "Lexicon" 2004.09.15 (03) [E]

John, ig föle mi wirklig röred dat du ha segged dis, tusend tanke! ;-)
 Ingmar (J., I feel really moved that you said this, I.)

> On Sep 14, 2004, at 7:08 PM, Tom wrote:
>
>   Why don't we just settle for 'Continental English' - the one that 'the
>   others' speak.
>
>   BTW, There is only ONE continent, isn't there?
> Ahem.
> Excuse me, Fortress Europe, but in America the same hegemonic monotony is
> known as "Mid-Atlantic English", although I'm rather pleased that it is
> losing ground steadily to the "received pronunciation" -based new European
> variety in the EU. The end of Yankee imperialism, maybe?
>
> …and here's my vote for Middelsprake as a replacement!
>
> Cheers
> -
> John Baskind
> jbaskind at mac.com

----------

From: john feather <johnfeather at sceptic1.freeserve.co.uk>
Subject: Lexicon

Well, Andrys, since you ask, you're wrong about "wrought iron".

Metallurgy 101: Wrought iron, in the original sense, is "wrought" to produce
the raw product. Pig iron is melted in an open-hearth furnace and "puddled"
to get rid of a lot of the carbon. The iron produced contains a lot of slag
and has to be hammered to remove part of it and distribute the rest to get a
fairly uniform (not homogeneous) product. Put all that in the past tense.
The modern product used for fancy ironwork is just a low-carbon steel. If
you look at a lot of US ads for "rod iron" and "wrought iron" products I
think you'll find that there is really no difference between the two. Of
course some things are made of iron rod, but that's a description of the
form, not the material.

Just to underline two linguistic points: first, the UK term is "wrought"
iron and the sound of "rod" is different from it in the major dialects (and
perhaps all of them) so we don't get phonological interference; second, you
can't rely on etymology to explain technical terms, and in fact it's often a
very poor guide to meaning.

John Feather johnfeather at sceptic1.freeserve.co.uk

----------

From: Peter Snepvangers <snepvangers at optushome.com.au>
Subject: Lexicon


From: john feather <johnfeather at sceptic1.freeserve.co.uk>
Subject: Lexicon

Re: tins and cans
I have the impression that the verb "can" (preserve food at home) is much
more common in the US than the UK. Americans "can" fruits and vegetables in
"Mason jars" while Brits "bottle" them in "Kilner jars", though I'm not sure
that the containers are exactly the same.

G'Day John and Lowlanders,
In Australia we follow the UK but we "bottle" them in Fowler Jars.
Most food here in the 19th and 20th centuries was stored in "Canisters" and
each kitchen would have sugar, flour, tea, spices etc stored in these. They
are sought after collectors items especially those from the 1950's. I wonder
if this word is originally from the Greek canastron or from OE canne. I also
wonder at the Scots word canny (shrewd, thrifty) as the early settlers in
Australia certainly were thrifty with food and were required to store food
for months in their kitchen canisters as the original colony relied on ships
from England to replenish supplies. I read somewhere that there is OE cann
or can meaning could (or requiring permission) and wonder if this is linked
to the Scots. Why do we have so many words in English that are spelt the
same such as can (the tinned variety) and can (the permission variety)? If
there is a phonetic difference it is certainly minimal. I guess there would
be examples in other languages as well or is this just something peculiar to
modern English.

Cheers
Peter Snepvangers snepvangers at optushome.com.au

================================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.
======================================================================