Re: Sh!

En réponse à Andreas Johansson <and_yo@...>:

> I read to today that the use of [S:] as an interjection to tell people
> to be
> quite is common to all languages of the world. Then, newspaper
> articles
> aren't known for being completely reliable on lingusitic matters*, so do
> any
> of the real linguists or knowledgeable amateurs on the list know how
> true
> this is.
>
French uses [Syt], but also often simply [s:] or [S:]. I'd say it's probably
nearly universal that languages use a fricative of some sort (at worst an
affricate), but I would be so bold as saying that the fricative used is always
alveolar or postalveolar.

> * I once read an article that denied the validity of the Indoeuropean
> grouping. Interesting idea, but somewhat marred by the authors
> apparent
> belief that the linguistic grouping could be disproved by showing the
> IE-speakers don't form a biologically recognizable group.
Showing thus a complete misunderstanding of linguistics. Since when do
linguistic groups have to map with biological groups? That's completely
misunderstanding how languages work...

 He also
> indicated
> that anyone who believes in the IE grouping is most probably a racist.
>
Well, I'd rather say that someone who doesn't believe in the IE grouping for
this same reason *is* probably the racist one. After all, it's that person who
brought up the subject of biological grouping, not the ones who advocate the IE
gamily group...

Sorry for ranting, I just hate when people accuse others of what they are doing
themselves. Had I seen such an article the newspaper would have received a nice
letter from me :) .

Christophe.

http://rainbow.conlang.free.fr

Take your life as a movie: do not let anybody else play the leading role.

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