LINGUIST List 14.2406

Fri Sep 12 2003

Qs: 'Yes' in Langs; Clipped Compound Words

Editor for this issue: Naomi Fox <foxlinguistlist.org>

We'd like to remind readers that the responses to queries are usually best posted to the individual asking the question. That individual is then strongly encouraged to post a summary to the list. This policy was instituted to help control the huge volume of mail on LINGUIST; so we would appreciate your cooperating with it whenever it seems appropriate. In addition to posting a summary, we'd like to remind people that it is usually a good idea to personally thank those individuals who have taken the trouble to respond to the query. To post to LINGUIST, use our convenient web form at http://linguistlist.org/LL/posttolinguist.html.

Directory

  1. Steve Parker, the word meaning 'yes'
  2. Stefan Th. Gries, In search of complex clippings ...

Message 1: the word meaning 'yes'

 Date: Wed, 10 Sep 2003 01:32:14 +0000
From: Steve Parker <s-m.parkersil.org.pg>
Subject: the word meaning 'yes'

When I worked in Peru I noticed that the word for 'yes' in many
Amazonian languages displays striking phonetic
similarity. Specifically, it tends to contain a glottal consonant
and/or a nasalized vowel, as in the English affirmation grunt
''uh-huh''. Since then I have collected similar forms in more than 400
languages all over the world. I would like to increase my database, so
I am asking for more examples of 'yes' which contain either an /h/
and/or a glottal stop and/or a nasalized vowel. The information I
request is (1) name of language, (2) country where spoken, and (3)
transcription of the word meaning 'yes', preferrably in as much
phonetic detail as possible. Also, if the word violates one or more
otherwise regular phonotactic constraints of the language, I would
like to know that. For example, it may be the only word containing
that particular consonant or a nasalized vowel, etc. Thank you very
much.

Steve Parker
Summer Institute of Linguistics
Papua New Guinea
s-m.parkersil.org.pg
Mail to author|Respond to list|Read more issues|LINGUIST home page|Top of issue

Message 2: In search of complex clippings ...

 Date: Wed, 10 Sep 2003 15:21:25 +0200
From: Stefan Th. Gries <STGriessitkom.sdu.dk>
Subject: In search of complex clippings ...

Dear colleagues

I am looking for examples of what has been called "complex clippings" or
"clipped compounds", i.e. cases where a new word is formed out of the
beginnings of two other words. Textbook examples include the following:
- comintern (communist + international);
- Amerind (American Indian);
- modem (modulator + demodulator);
- cyborg (cybernetic + organism); and
- agitprop (agitation + propagande).
Does anybody have additional examples and/or can point me to references or
collections of such coinages? Thanks in advance; I'll post a summary.

Stefan

Stefan Th. Gries
- ---------------------------------------------------------
IFKI, Southern Denmark University
http://people.freenet.de/Stefan_Th_Gries
- ---------------------------------------------------------
Mail to author|Respond to list|Read more issues|LINGUIST home page|Top of issue