Re: evolving languages
From: | John Cowan <jcowan@...> |
Date: | Friday, January 17, 2003, 11:51 |
Christophe Grandsire scripsit:
> Well, it took more than 1000 years for the periphrastic AMARE HABEO to turn
> into a synthetic future tense. Give the new Spanish form some time ;)))) .
The English 2nd future tense exemplified by "I am going to go" is well on
its way to becoming synthetic. Depending on dialect, you may hear:
[aimgOn@gou]
[aimOn@gou]
[AmOn@gou]
[aim@gou]
[Am@gou]
Some of these may represent a creole form "I'm a-go" that has been semantically
assimilated to "I am going to go".
--
John Cowan jcowan@reutershealth.com www.ccil.org/~cowan www.reutershealth.com
"In the sciences, we are now uniquely privileged to sit side by side
with the giants on whose shoulders we stand."
--Gerald Holton