LINGUIST List 3.677

Tue 08 Sep 1992

Disc: Reanalyses

Editor for this issue: <>

Directory

1. Geoffrey Russom, Re: 3.663 Reanalyses
2. Michael Newman, Re: 3.663 Reanalyses
3. , ST
4. Why are people talking about my back?, Re: 3.663 Reanalyses
5. Stephen P Spackman, Re: 3.663 Reanalyses

Message 1: Re: 3.663 Reanalyses

D. M. Berkley notes "heating ducks" for "heating ducts". The folk
etymology is almost irresistable in a phrase where the final "t" of
"duct" comes before word-initial "t": "duct tape," known to many of
us as "duck tape". I suspect that this phrase played a role in the
origin of "heating ducks" (though the latter might I suppose have
emerged from a dialect with final consonant cluster reduction).

-- Rick

Message 2: Re: 3.663 Reanalyses

All I can add to this discussion of reanalyses is that every linguist should
be alert. Linguistics need more lerts.

RE: Reanalysis

I've been away so I didn't read the initial request for reanalyses but
one I've always treasured is my first wife's reanalysis of the VW sport
coupe Karman Ghia to "common gear"; maybe I should read that as a German
speaker's response to my New Yorkese.

David Bergdahl, Ohio University, Athens

Message 4: Re: 3.663 Reanalyses

An unnamed colleague (not a linguist) says "To all intensive purposes"
instead of "to all intents and purposes".

Has anyone mentioned print-based reanalyses such as thinking that "pageant"
was a miniature bookworm?
Susan Fischer

Message 5: Re: 3.663 Reanalyses

It's worth noting that the word "behave" is actually often pronounced as
(or like) two words by (at least) exasperated english adults, with a
pause between syllables, two distinct stresses, and a two-word "tune" -
just like "be good" or "go away", and very unlike the reference
pronounciation.

Secondly, WERTHalf.let.uva.nl reports hearing "under the neath". This
construction is quite current in my family, and while I'm vaguely aware
that it's a joke, it's been a joke for at least thirty years now, and I
wouldn't hesitate to use it in company (not that I have a clear idea of
what a "neath" is...).

stephenacm.org