Re: ach y fi (was: CHAT Starbucks (was: Hymn to Ikea etc.))
| From: | Ray Brown <ray.brown@...> |
|---|
| Date: | Monday, March 1, 2004, 6:38 |
|---|
On Sunday, February 29, 2004, at 03:13 AM, Roger Mills wrote:
> Michael Poxon wrote:
>
>> Yes it is /a:x@vi:/ or /a:xVvi:/ meaning something that you say when you
>> throw your hands up in despair. "Oh no!" "My goodness" or whatever.
>> Literally it's "Oh the me!"
Except the Welsh expression conveys distaste or disgust. Yes, vowels are
lengthened before [X], but the lengthening is not phonemic.
> Very reminiscent of Spanish "¡Ay de mí!" and French? Italian? literary
> "ahimé" 'alas'.
Yes, of course! Forget what I wrote in another mail. I think the Welsh
expression is cognnate with the Spanish & French.
Ray
===============================================
http://home.freeuk.com/ray.brown
ray.brown@freeuk.com (home)
raymond.brown@kingston-college.ac.uk (work)
===============================================
"A mind which thinks at its own expense will always
interfere with language." J.G. Hamann, 1760