4.0518 Words: Borrowing and Plurals; 'their'; shortening (5/74)

Elaine Brennan & Allen Renear (EDITORS@BROWNVM.BITNET)
Thu, 20 Sep 90 19:39:48 EDT

Humanist Discussion Group, Vol. 4, No. 0518. Thursday, 20 Sep 1990.


(1) Date: Thu, 20 Sep 90 08:35:32 MDT (27 lines)
From: koontz@alpha.bldr.nist.gov (John E. Koontz)
Subject: Re: 4.0509 Borrowing of Plurals as Singulars

(2) Date: Thu, 20 Sep 90 11:15:13 edt (18 lines)
From: dahanson@COLBY.EDU (David A. Hanson)
Subject: Plurals from borrowings

(3) Date: Thu,20 Sep 90 08:11:09 BST (10 lines)
From: N.J.Morgan@vme.glasgow.ac.uk
Subject: Re: 4.0496 Words: Scheinentlehnungen ...

(4) Date: Thu, 20 Sep 90 10:15 CDT (10 lines)
From: Michael Ossar <MLO@KSUVM>
Subject: non-sexist language

(5) Date: Thursday, 20 Sep 1990 01:22:51 EDT (9 lines)
From: "Patrick W. Conner" <U47C2@WVNVM>
Subject: 4.0511 Words ...

(1) --------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Thu, 20 Sep 90 08:35:32 MDT
From: koontz@alpha.bldr.nist.gov (John E. Koontz)
Subject: Re: 4.0509 Borrowing of Plurals as Singulars

I can't contribute anything new to Norman Hinton's solicitation of
instances of foreign plurals being borrowed as English singulars, but
here's a little exotic data. The Caddoan language Arikara borrows
English apples as an invariant noun apos. There may be some other
similar examples of English loans in Arikara, but this is the one that
sticks with me. Arikara doesn't mark plurality in the noun, as far as I
can recollect - only in the verb.

In this case I suspect that apples are not being thought of as discrete
fruits, but as something that comes in sacks or bushels. Perhaps in all
cases where a plural nominal form is borrowed as the singular or only
form of a noun it is possible to apply a collective/mass reading to the
plural.

Under the right morphological circumstances the process of
singularization. can be reversed. I can think of two instances of mass
nouns that end in s in English which have been reinterpreted as plurals,
e.g., pease and cherise.

It may also be of interest that the late Senator Dirkson, I believe it
was, is on record as having used brethren as a singular. I can't supply
the reference!

(2) --------------------------------------------------------------32----
Date: Thu, 20 Sep 90 11:15:13 edt
From: dahanson@COLBY.EDU (David A. Hanson)
Subject: Plurals from borrowings

Would Judy Koren be interested in the obverse of what she asked for?
Here are two cases where English plurals were adopted as a
singular, and had native plural endings added.

Durng my year on exchange in Poland I found that small pads
of paper were called "notesy". (3 syllables)
The Polish plural ending -y was added to the object which was
sometimes imported and sold, a pad with "Notes" printed on it.

Even more widespread, naturally, was "djinsy"--jeans plus -y.

David Hanson, Colby
dahanson.colby.edu

(3) --------------------------------------------------------------25----
Date: Thu,20 Sep 90 08:11:09 BST
From: N.J.Morgan@vme.glasgow.ac.uk
Subject: Re: 4.0496 Words: Scheinentlehnungen; British Slang; GIGO (3/49)

Anyone who has read D H Lawrence will know that booger is
an east Midlands dialect version of bugger.

Plain and simple.

Nicholas Morgan
(4) --------------------------------------------------------------17----
Date: Thu, 20 Sep 90 10:15 CDT
From: Michael Ossar <MLO@KSUVM>
Subject: non-sexist language

May I just make a modest plea that those of us who wish to avoid sexist
language do so without resorting to expedients like "Should every
historian have a computer on their desk?" It is just as easy to say
"all students must hand their papers in by Friday" as it is to say "each
student must hand their paper in by Friday." Life is irritating enough
as it is.
(5) --------------------------------------------------------------17----
Date: Thursday, 20 Sep 1990 01:22:51 EDT
From: "Patrick W. Conner" <U47C2@WVNVM>
Subject: 4.0511 Words: Plurals and Borrowing; Perfect Weaving (8/115)

If CURRICULA really is easier to say than CURRICULUMS, as Tom Vicker
avers, let's agree to say DRA instead of DRUMS, and DA-DA instead of
DUM-DUMS (or should that be DUM-DA instead of DUM-DUMS?) To all of
which, I say BA!, by which of course I mean BUMS!
--PWC (who is trying to avoid grading a batch of sophomore compositions)