Re: Metathesis?
| From: | R A Brown <ray@...> |
|---|
| Date: | Sunday, August 28, 2005, 6:56 |
|---|
Paul Bennett wrote:
> On Sat, 27 Aug 2005 20:29:48 -0400, caeruleancentaur
> <caeruleancentaur@...> wrote:
>
>> The pronunciation by some Black Americans of "ask" as "aks" would be,
>> I think, an example of this.
>
>
> That's actually a rural English feature dating back at least as far
> as Chaucer, though always recognised as nonstandard. Others here know
> the exact details better than I.
Yes, it certainly survived till the 20th cent in rural Brit English and,
for all I know, still survives here and there. It dates back even
earlier than Chaucer, right back to the Saxon language brought here in
the 6th cent. In Old English both _acsian_ and _ascian_ are found.
In Sussex dialect the _Vespa vulgaris_ was known as a _waps_ /wQps/. As
a boy I knew, and used, both the dialect _waps_ and the standard English
_wasp_ (and still occasionally use both forms :-)
In Old English the insect was known either as a _wæsp_ or a _wæps_.
Interestingly, while in German the little critter is _Wepse_, in Danish
it is _hveps_.
I believe this hesitation between /sk/ ~ /ks/ and /sp/ ~ /ps/ is not
uncommon in the Germanic languages.
--
Ray
==================================
ray@carolandray.plus.com
http://wwww.carolandray.plus.com
==================================
MAKE POVERTY HISTORY
Reply