Re: Diglossia (was Re: Nur-ellen in the world of Brithenig)

nicole perrin wrote:
>
> Steg Belsky wrote:
> > If i understand your German correctly, "to learn" isn't reflexive?  In
> > Yiddish it's _lernen *zix*_.  (i.e., "Ix hob gelernt zix yidis çvei yohr
> > in sule").  But then again, if you've learned German for 2 years and have
> > a lack of skills, i've only learned Yiddish for one - and that was more
> > than a year ago.
> > (The _gelernt_ and _zix_ might have to be switched in that sentece)
>
> No, it's not reflexive.  Although, I would say it differently than
> Robert did -- Ich lerne seit zwei Jahren Deutsch (or in my case seit
> drei Jahren) of course this could be completely wrong (I'm good in
> French, not so hot in German) but what really surprises me is that you
> say above "Ix hob gelernt zix" using the German third person singular
> reflexive pronoun in a first-person-singular-subject sentence, but I
> don't know anything about Yiddish so this could be perfectly correct and
> an interesting development.  Also, I take it from the above sentence
> that Yiddish has different word order than German as well?
You're right, Nicole, although lernen *can* be reflexive, depending on
your meaning. Ich lerne seit 4 Jahren Deutsch (I have been learning
German for 4 years), aber Ich lerne mich seit 4 Jahren Deutsch (I have
been teaching myself German for 4 years, (aber *ich* nicht, ich habe
doch ein Lehrer) ;). Difference of voice.

BTW: If anyone's interested in a fabulous German movie, I just saw Die
weisse Rose last night, which was really good. It's about a 1942-3
student uprising in Munich. Highly recommended. :)

> Nicole
--
Daniel Seriff
microtonal@sericap.com
http://members.tripod.com/microtonal

Si iterum insanum me appelles, oculum alterum tuum edem.