LL-L "Language varieties" 2007.11.28 (08) [E]

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L O W L A N D S - L  -  28 November 2007 - Volume 08
Song Contest: lowlands-l.net/contest/ (- 31 Dec. 2007)
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From: Paul Finlow-Bates <wolf_thunder51 at yahoo.co.uk>
Subject: LL-L "Language varietes" 2007.11.28 (03) [E]

From: "ds" <dstokely at infionline.net>
Subject: language varieties

 I have to add a little experience I had here.  When I was a young lad (way
back in the last century, I know), my father took me south to Georgia where
he was born.  We were sitting in the train station and I heard a loud
mouthed black man talking behind me.  I looked back and didn't see him.
Again, I heard that same black man speaking and turned around.  A careful
search revealed a WHITE MAN speaking black English!  I had an epiphany.  The
blacks I had heard all my life were speaking with a southern accent.

David Stokely

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

Thanks, David.

I had a similar experience once in an airport when I heard people talk in
West Indian English somewhere in my vicinity. When I finally located the
speakers I saw two European faces and one East Asian face. Then I thought,
"Duh! Of course! Why not?" and I realized that our conditioned mental
associations between language sounds and people's looks have to change with
all those changes we are now witnessing. Of course this includes
"White-talking Blacks" and "Black-talking Whites" in the northern states.

Also, I once met an ethnic Russian with a Chinese accent. Turned out she
belonged to the small Russian minority of China and had learned English from
Chinese teachers at school, which accounts for her having a Chinese accent
rather than a Russian one, although her first language was Russian.

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron

When I lived in Australia, I used to call our Perth office regularly, and
always spoke to the secretary/PR officer, a woman with a very marked
Jamaican accent. I always envisaged a tall black woman with dreadlocks, but
of course when I went over there I was met by a short very conservatively
dressed white lady. As you say, we are filled with preconceptions.

Paul Finlow-Bates

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

The parents of "my" family and some of their friends and neighbors in
Israel, all European-born Yiddish speakers, used to get real kicks out of
surprising their visitors of similar background by engaging me in Yiddish
conversations when I showed up. It was a biggish deal at that time *... *One
of them used to say, "*un mit aza ponem, a goyishn!"* ("... and with such a
*goyish* (Gentile) face!").

Things have changed in this regard as well, as more and more German
universities offer Yiddish tracks, even as majors.

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron

•

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