Carter,

Let's not confuse humor with serious linguistics!

Yigal


At 05:15 PM 6/11/2002 -0400, Carter Pate wrote:
>
>On Mon, 10 Jun 2002, Yigal Levin wrote:
>
>> At 11:39 AM 6/8/2002 -0400, Carter Pate wrote:
>> >
>> >Hey, Yigal!  Has anyone compared this aspect of Hebonics (and why not
>> >Hebronics?) to "signifying" or "playing the dozens" in Ebonics?
>> >       cpate
>> >
>>
>>
>> I have no idea - you might want to ask Lynn Miles. But as long as we're on
>> the subject, here's an additional reaction I received:
>>
>> --------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>> I reject completely the thesis in the note forwarded from SRL279 (to whom
>> you may copy this response if you wish).   The author's idea of a theory of
>
>.  .  .
>>
>> (1)   Vowels   A true effect on English which we owe to Hebrew is the
>> creation of a 6th vowel.   This in normal English (UK/US/Australian etc)
>> there are vowels A E I O and U.   The Hebonic addition is a sixth vowel
>> "Eh".   True speakers of the language elongate this to "Eeeeeehh".   In
>> fact, there is evidence that this is tending to smother a lot of the other
>> vowels.   The simple sentence:
>>
>> "I am going to my father's house"
>>
>> tends to be rendered
>>
>>  "I-eeehhhm going tweeeeehh my fatheeeeeeh's 'ouse."
>>
>
>As I understand, most recognized and self-respecting linguists consider
>English to have a collection of vowels centering around ten or eleven in
>number (slight variations among dialects).  The A E I O U is based on
>popular or dictionary impressions, not on linguistic analysis of how the
>language is spoken.  Has the commentator ever heard of a phonetic
>alphabet?
>
>       Carter Pate
>
>
Dr. Yigal Levin
Dept. of Philosophy and Religion
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
615 McCallie Avenue
Chattanooga TN 37403-2598
U.S.A.