LINGUIST List 6.801

Fri 09 Jun 1995

Qs: Locatives, Y. Lastra, Origin/historical meaning

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Directory

1. Michal Starke, case-marked locatives
2. David Beck, desparately seeking
3. "Michael C. Beard", Odd descriptions of character

Does anyone know about locative elements such as English _there_ which are
(overtly) case-marked, i.e. have a different form when used as subjects and
objects?

If so, are there cases where the locative is also used as an expletive (as
in the English: _there_ came a man)?

Please reply to me (starkeuni2a.unige.ch or the above one) and I will post
a summary,
thanks
Michal Starke.

I am trying to get hold of a copy of a book reviewed in Language last year:

Yolanda Lastra (1992) Sociolinguistica para Hispanoamericanos.
 Mexico City: El Colegio de Mexico

None of the obvious people to get in touch with have answered my
e-mail. Does anyone on this list know how/where I can find this book?
Even a snail-mail address for El Colegio de Mexico would be helpful.
Many thanks.

David Beck, University of Victoria, Canada
djbeckuvvm.uvic.ca

In discussing some old, and some contemporary, character descriptions given to
people, I was wondering about some of their derivations. For instance, does
anyone know of the origin and/or historical meaning of some of the following
strange and humorous appellations?

Nincompoop
Knucklehead
Blockhead
Nerd
Dweeb
Geek

I expect some of the terms to have been fanciful phonological inventions (such
as in Lewis Carroll's _Alice in Wonderland_), but others might actually be
derived from meaningful (even if pejorative) references. If you have any input,
I'd like to hear it.

Thanks,
Michael Beard
Wayne State University
73131.3101compuserve.com