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Re: Disfluency and repair mechanisms

From:Doug Barr <lingoman@...>
Date:Monday, September 25, 2006, 18:31
I notice that my 'hesitation particles' and my exclamation for pain  
both change depending on the language I'm speaking and/or thinking at  
the moment.

In English it's "um" and "ow," in Gaelic it's "em" and "ach", in  
French (Québec dialect), "euh" and "ayoille" (spelling?), and so on...

Gaelic "em" is from British English, I think; you'll also hear "sin  
e..." "that is..." with a pause.

FWIW,
Doug

Discendo discimus; nihil ex nihilo fit. - "We learn by learning;  
nothing comes from nothing."

On Sep 24, 2006, at 1:18 PM, Roger Mills wrote:

> Charlie wrote: >>> In conlang@yahoogroups.com, Yahya Abdal-Aziz <yahya@...> wrote: >> >>> Assuming that you actually speak your conlang - >> Why do *I* have to speak it? My conculture people speak it. :-) >> >>> When you hesitate or stammer in your conlangs, how do you repair >>> the error? Is it the same way you do in your L1? In L2s? Or do >>> you use some mechanism specific to, or adapted to, the conlang >> itself? > > Kash has several: e...; na..., naná..., aná..., ená...; as well as > kaná when > you can't immediately come up with the right word or form (like > Indonesian > anu, Tagalog kuan and IIRC Japanese ano). _kyati_ 'y'know' would > also work > there. Then there's nána 'thing, unidentifiable object' as in > "what's this > thing?" > > In Spanish, I tend to use pues..., or a...; in Indonesian na or nah > was > widely used, said to be from Dutch influence. >> >> BTW, this word we're discussing (um, este, nuu), can it be called an >> interjection? That's how I've labeled it in my dictionary, but it >> doesn't really sound correct. >> > I think "hesitation particle" works.