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Anona.Mouse
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| Posted: Tue May 20, 2008 3:41 pm Post subject: Language and pronunciation |
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I've been listening (still am, to be truthful) to a brilliant programme on Radio 4, all about language and pronunciation - from all different parts of the world.
There's a website - don't worry, it's the University of Edinburgh - at http://www.soundcomparisons.com/, where you can listen to the multifarious ways the same word can sound, depending on where the speaker comes from.
You can probably hear the programme by going to the BBC site, look for Word of Mouth, and click "Listen again" - but in the meantime this is some more about it.
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Our final programme in this series comes from Edinburgh and Dundee.
It’s the two hundredth anniversary of the publication of the Reverend John Jamieson’s An Etymological Dictionary of the Scottish Language.
Jamieson’s work set new standards in lexicography and influenced the work of - among others – Sir James Murray, the founding father of the Oxford English Dictionary.
Michael visits the offices of Scottish Language Dictionaries to find out more about John Jamieson and flick through a first edition of his work.
You can look at the online Dictionary of the Scots Language by clicking here.
Also in this week’s programme, Michael talks to the children’s writer, Matthew Fitt, and the poet and critic, Robert Crawford, about using Scots in a modern context.
We look at a new project at Edinburgh University which explores accents in English and related languages as they’re spoken around the world.
To find out more about information about this project click here.
Dr Word's offers his thoughts on the ‘aitch’ versus ‘haitch’ controversy. |
It's one of my favourite programmes, but since this one is Scots-based, I thought some of you might like this particular edition too! |
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Spry
Great Selkie o' Sule Skerry
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| Posted: Tue May 20, 2008 6:49 pm Post subject: |
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I heard part of that programme today and it was very good. A lot of intelligent discussion without being hay-falutin'.
By coincidence, I had intended going on again about the current tendency to slur words. Some of the newsreaders at the moment are particularly bad. However, I really have come to the conclusion that it's me that's being left behind. The language is developing in such a way that you only need to mumble part of a word, or a sentence, and you're expected to get the meaning.
I reckon this is a step on the road to telepathic communication and in future newsreaders will just sit there and stare at us or look at each other and giggle and ------------------------------------ well, we won't be any worse off than we are now.
The last time I raised this subject, a few of you agreed with me but I now wonder if the younger folk have any trouble understanding what's being said? If not, then the language is developing into a non-verbal form and auld yins like me will be calling for the silent pictures again for our entertainment.
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Anona.Mouse
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| Posted: Tue May 20, 2008 10:33 pm Post subject: |
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Oh, don't worry - it's not just you!
It isn't just the slurring and the mispronunciation that makes my blood boil. They keep putting the emphasis in the wrong place, too - both within the word itself and in the sentence, which can make the meaning stand right up on its head.
Then there are things like "You're still not here?" when the meaning is "You're not still here?" - the first one indicating that you haven't arrived yet, whereas the second wonders why you haven't gone home hours ago.
Some might accuse us of pedantry, Spry - but it's clarity that I want. I want to be able to listen to somebody talking and understand what the Ecky Thump they are actually saying.
Maybe it doesn't matter quite so much in the News - there's plenty more of that, soon enough - or in those afternoon plays which are unlistenably awful - but when somebody like Jill Archer starts speaking in a way that you just know she would never dream of doing, then somebody, somewhere, is not getting the words right. |
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Spry
Great Selkie o' Sule Skerry
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| Posted: Thu May 22, 2008 6:12 pm Post subject: |
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I think in that programme they mentioned "the intrusive R" as in "I sawr".
I seem to remember reading that it had something to do with what you could or couldn't do in Latin although what the hell that's got to do with it I've nae idea.
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silvers
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| Posted: Thu May 22, 2008 9:51 pm Post subject: |
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amo amas amat...
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Anona.Mouse
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| Posted: Thu May 22, 2008 9:51 pm Post subject: |
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The main thing I remember from my Latin classes is that there were a lot of sailors chasing girls round islands.
Amabam, amabas, amabat, amabamus, amabatis, amabant. |
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Anona.Mouse
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| Posted: Thu May 22, 2008 9:54 pm Post subject: |
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Told you. Hello again, Silvers!
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soup
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| Posted: Fri May 23, 2008 5:31 am Post subject: |
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Anona and silvers
Si hoc signum legere potes, operis boni in rebus Latinus alacribus et fructuosis potiri potes!
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Anona.Mouse
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| Posted: Fri May 23, 2008 3:29 pm Post subject: |
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Ooohhh!
Wash your mouth out!
Actually I was quite good at Latin in my day, but I don't have so many native speakers to practise on these days. |
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Spry
Great Selkie o' Sule Skerry
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| Posted: Fri May 23, 2008 6:33 pm Post subject: |
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God, I just mention the word 'Latin' an' everybody starts speaking in a foreign tongue!
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silvers
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| Posted: Sat May 24, 2008 12:10 am Post subject: |
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| Spry wrote: |
| God, I just mention the word 'Latin' an' everybody starts speaking in a foreign tongue! |
Aye, I know what you mean .. 
bellum bellum bellum ....
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Dingle McFarkle
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| Posted: Sat May 24, 2008 9:06 am Post subject: |
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silvers
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| Posted: Sat May 24, 2008 12:13 pm Post subject: |
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| Dingle McFarkle wrote: |
| http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/04/11/cab_innit |
Good one .. 
Brings to mind the expression of "Essex Girl" which is a bit unfair ..... maybe !
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Spry
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| Posted: Sat May 24, 2008 1:12 pm Post subject: |
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THAT is exactly the sort of thing I mean!
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Dingle McFarkle
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| Posted: Sat May 24, 2008 4:12 pm Post subject: |
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Some years back, someone on the radio was recalling his WWII days as a junior naval officer, stuck in a desk job at the Admiralty and praying for a foreign posting. He had a private arrangement with a cockney Petty Officer in the Communications room whereby, as soon as anything came through about his posting, the PO would tell him immediately.
One day, the Petty Officer came in and told him that something had just come through. "You're being posted to Ari-Jaba."
Great! thought the young officer, At last, I get to see a bit of the world. The Middle East..... Great!
He starts checking the atlas to see where exactly Ari-Jaba was, but couldn't find it. At last, he went back to the petty officer and asked, "How exactly do you spell Ari-Jaba?"
"H-A-R-W-I-C-H H-A-R-B-O-U-R" replied the petty officer. |
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