Re: word separation (was:Hobbits spoke ?)
| From: | Marshall and Endemann <vaiaata@...> |
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| Date: | Saturday, October 30, 2004, 8:50 |
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on 30/10/04 9:07 PM, J. 'Mach' Wust at j_mach_wust@YAHOO.COM wrote:
> But 'oil cloth' and 'oilcloth' are the same.
Not the way I say them - as with black bird as opposed to blackbird, the two
words contain more or less equal stress and duration. In the compound word
the second syllable has significantly less stress and shorter duration than
the first. The meanings are different too - 'oilcloth', a kind of linen (or
cotton?) impregnated with oil - 'oil cloth' a cloth for cleaning up oil.
Or maybe that's only Kiwi usage?
Chris
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