LL-L "Language varieties" 2010.03.30 (02) [EN]

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*L O W L A N D S - L - 30 March 2010 - Volume 02*
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From: Mark Dreyer <mrdreyer at lantic.net>

Subject: LL-L "Language varieties" 2010.03.29 (01) [EN]



Dear John:



Subject: LL-L "Language varieties"


Well, John, I *did* warn you I'd call you & continue calling you(plural)
'Sheltie' & your language 'Sheltie' until you gave me a name to call you by,
& your tongue as well. I well appreciate  that an outsider is not qualified
to name you or your speech, but you need it, & why does it seem to me you
won't'? (read (plural) into all the pronouns, now!) You should by rights be
having this conversation not with us but in a shouting match between  fellow
Sheltie-speakers. They would shout you down, you would challenge them for a
better alternative, & voila! If it makes you feel better you may address me
as 'Boertjie'.



John, if I were the only Boertjie on the list I would write in Afrikaans &
(they have done it) a generous handful of Lowlands speakers would respond in
the same or their own dialects, for the sake of understanding & in good
faith that I would in an amateur scholarly way be as intrigued as they by
the points of contact between their 'dialects' & mine. Pleeeeease do the
same! You have my unqualified licence to respond to all my Afrikaans in
Sheltie. If I strike a snag I shall ask Ron, or better still, Sandy, to
help.



>From the ox to the ass, I also am inclined to respond in the tongue by which
I am addressed, & I generally do. (note to myself): Sterkte, Mark; hierdie
is 'n taallys. Jy is hier om van ander tale te leer, so ook jou geselskap.



Thanks for www.wirhoose.co.uk.  (& the other internet stuff)I shall bear
your caution in mind about 'A Tait Wanchancie'. I have heard this Sheltie
way of replacing the Scots 'th' with 'd' or 't' as in  'dan' for 'then', and
'dere' for 'there'. This as an Afrikaner I find most satisfying. Have
you(sing.) given thought how convergent change (I will not call it
evolution) in some of the more distant dialects have brought them notably
closer together?



I think I've shared this on the list before: Robert the Bruce goes to mass
in Dumfries, & who should he see at the alter-rail beside him but his deadly
enemy. In a passion of outrage he draws his dirk & runs him through. But
remember, Our Robert is a Christian & Penitant, & riven with sorrow he turns
away & walks out. His leutenant Douglas Dubh is standing guard outside, &
asks him (having seen some of the action), "Khwat maccur?"



Robert: "Ik think ik had a man geslacht."



Douglas: "Think? Think! Then I'll mak siccur!"



In Afrikaans:
Douglas: "Wat makeer?"

Robert: "Ek dink ek het 'n man geslag." (min of meer).

Douglas: "Dink? Dink! Dan maak ek seker!"



Wishing you none of the same I remain,



Yrs,

Mark



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