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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