German language game [was: Newbie Delurking ...]

At 2:23 PM +0100 11/15/01, Henrik Theiling wrote:
>Hi!
>
>Nik Taylor <fortytwo@...> writes:
>>  In "Flip-tot":
>>
>>  u-fot-yot-zot-squared lot-bot-e-u o-mot-kot-not-e-i-sot
>
>Hmm... Reminds me of a childrens `secret' language in German:
>
>flausch-hausch-le-fausch ig-hig-le-fig e-he-le-fe blau-hau-le-fau
>e-he-le-fe Aff-haff-le-faff en-hen-le-fen.
Hmmm. Is "flau-hau-le-fau schi-hi-le-fi ge-he-le-fe ... A-ha-le-fa
fen-hen-le-fen" also possible? It's interesting that in your version
the syllable boundaries don't provide breaking points for the game.
(Note to self: look into German syllable structure.)

>:-)  Stupid!!!!!!
Not at all! There is a great deal to be learned about syllable
structure and phonotactics from looking at language games; Bruce
Bagemihl even got a dissertation out of it (University of British
Columbia, 1988). In my introductory classes I always make it a point
to review Pig Latin and Ubby-Dubby to make some points about
syllables. It always goes over well.

Dirk
--
Dirk Elzinga                              Dirk_Elzinga@byu.edu

"Speech is human, silence is divine, yet also brutish and dead;
therefore we must learn both arts."            - Thomas Carlyle

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