Translation query
Kim Braithwaite
kbtrans at COX.NET
Sun Apr 22 03:34:20 UTC 2007
By "country folk" I mean no disrespect. My father, who was an educated man
and taught school in several cities, came from that stock and kept certain
"country" speechways all his life. For that matter, any linguist knows that
"country" is an imprecise term. "Country" speech communities are not all
alike, from one region to another. And so yes, "regional pronunciation" can
be a useful term. Brought up in the city ourselves, us kids (or "we kids" if
you prefer) would kid my dad about it a bit.
In a similar vein, "lower class" and "not standard" are culturally powerful
but scientifically shifty terms, since forms and pronunciations can come
into or go out of favor through space and time. Refer to any work by David
Crystal.
Whether the-AY-ter is a good match for kiyater I'm unable to say, especially
if kiyater automatically carries a tinge of criminal jargon. But if it is
merely prostonarodnoe maybe it'll work.
Finally, for anyone who doesn't know anything about Johnny Mercer
(originally a southern country boy himself) and his string of popular and
increasingly sophisticated songs, check out the relevant Wikipedia article.
The first line of his "Strip Polka" goes: "There's a burlesque the-AY-ter
where the boys like to go...."
Kim etc.....
----- Original Message -----
From: "Genevra Gerhart" <ggerhart at COMCAST.NET>
To: <SEELANGS at BAMA.UA.EDU>
Sent: Saturday, April 21, 2007 6:15 PM
Subject: Re: [SEELANGS] Translation query
>I say it is not only country folk, (where did the term "okies" come from?),
> but also lower class, and not standard American pronunciation.
>
> Genevra Gerhart
>
> ggerhart at comcast.net
>
> www.genevragerhart.com
> www.russiancommonknowledge.com
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: SEELANGS: Slavic & East European Languages and Literatures list
> [mailto:SEELANGS at BAMA.UA.EDU] On Behalf Of William Derbyshire
> Sent: Saturday, April 21, 2007 5:38 PM
> To: SEELANGS at BAMA.UA.EDU
> Subject: Re: [SEELANGS] Translation query
>
> I take exception to the idea that the-AY-ter can be heard from the lips of
> country folk.
> Perhaps so, but one of my best friends teaches at one of our leading
> universities, and
> his PhD is in French literature. The preceding is his standard
> pronunciation.
> Although he is originally from Oklahoma, he is hardly "country folk"
> Perhaps
> we should
> use the term "regional pronunciation". Bill Derbyshire
>
>
>
> ************************************** See what's free at
> http://www.aol.com.
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Use your web browser to search the archives, control your subscription
> options, and more. Visit and bookmark the SEELANGS Web Interface at:
> http://seelangs.home.comcast.net/
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> No virus found in this incoming message.
> Checked by AVG Free Edition.
> Version: 7.5.463 / Virus Database: 269.5.5/769 - Release Date: 4/19/2007
> 5:56 PM
>
>
> No virus found in this outgoing message.
> Checked by AVG Free Edition.
> Version: 7.5.463 / Virus Database: 269.5.5/769 - Release Date: 4/19/2007
> 5:56 PM
>
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Use your web browser to search the archives, control your subscription
> options, and more. Visit and bookmark the SEELANGS Web Interface at:
> http://seelangs.home.comcast.net/
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Use your web browser to search the archives, control your subscription
options, and more. Visit and bookmark the SEELANGS Web Interface at:
http://seelangs.home.comcast.net/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
More information about the SEELANG
mailing list