Re: Tonal Songs and glossalalia

-----Original Message-----
From: Dan Sulani <dnsulani@...>
To: Multiple recipients of list CONLANG <CONLANG@...>
Date: Wednesday, April 14, 1999 2:16 AM
Subject: Re: Tonal Songs and glossalalia


<snip>
    When a person scats, the sounds may be devoid of meaning, but they're
not random. Perhaps not consciously
and deliberately, but at some level they are selected for their effects. If
not, it wouldn't always flow.
<snip>


Back in the 1940's there were a few radio and television comedians who
specialized in "double talk."  I haven't heard anything like it for probably
35 or 40 years. As a collector of old time radio programs on tape I have
quite few examples of this.  For those not familiar with it, the comedian
rattles off long, seemingly meaningful sentences that sound like perfectly
good English, except they use about 50% real words and 50% English-sounding
nonsense words.  It leaves you with the impression that you _should_ be able
to understand him, but you find yourself completely baffled by what he is
saying.  All in all the effect is quite humerous.  I always wanted to be
able to double talk like that but I could never get the hang of it.

--Gary.