Re: "write him" was Re: More questions

Stephen Mulraney scripsit:

> I've always wondered why folk in the US choose to use
> the plural form of "folk" :)
Well, you have to remember that American English is essentially a
calque of German devised by Irish people.  So "folk" as opposed to "folks"
has the semantics of German "Volk" for the most part; it shows up in
compounds like "folk songs" (Hib-Eng. "ballads"), "folk tradition",
and even "folk etymology".

--
John Cowan                              jcowan@reutershealth.com
http://www.reutershealth.com            http://www.ccil.org/~cowan
Humpty Dump Dublin squeaks through his norse
                Humpty Dump Dublin hath a horrible vorse
But for all his kinks English / And his irismanx brogues
                Humpty Dump Dublin's grandada of all rogues.  --Cousin James