LINGUIST List 7.7

Tue Jan 2 1996

Qs: Naming, Non-converging discourse, Word stress

Editor for this issue: Anthony M. Aristar <aristartam2000.tamu.edu>

Directory

1. TB0EXC1MVS.CSO.NIU.EDU, Naming Laws
2. "Henk Wolf", Non-converging discourse
3. CALIX, English Word Stress

Within the past decade or so, a number of countries have
passed laws regarding names and naming. Most of the legislation
restricts given names to what the legislators feel is
'appropriate;' some affect surnames as well. The French
law of some years ago is an exception since it liberalizes
given names.
The Swedish Personal Names Act of 1982, which affected both
given and surnames, has apparently generated a great deal of
comment and judicial response. The Icelandic Personal Names
Act of 1991 has similarly generated considerable response and
many complaints.
I am told that, in addition to these acts, measures affecting
naming have also been approved in Quebec and in Germany.

Two questions: Does anyone know of additional legislation passed
in, say, the past 20 years or so, and

Would someone be willing to summarize the recent legislation, its
impact on names and naming, and the public response, for possible
publication in NAMES, the Journal of the American Name Society?

******************************************************************
Edward Callary Phone: 815-753-6627
Editor, NAMES Fax: 815-753-0606
English Department Internet: ecallaryniu.edu
Northern Illinois University
DeKalb, Il 60115-2863
******************************************************************

A friend who is not on e-mail is interested in examples of bilingual areas
where it is not unusual for two people to use two different languages in
discourse, without that being considered insulting. One such area is the 
Dutch province of Friesland, where it occurs that one person speaks Frisian
and the other one Dutch throughout the conversation. Not everyone accepts
this type of bilingual discourse, but it is far from abnormal and
Frisian-Dutch bilinguals seem to value it. Anybody know any other examples
(indications, references, descriptions)? Please contact:
Reitze Jonkman
Fryske Akademy
Postbus 54
8900 AB Leeuwarden
The Netherlands

I would appreciate it if anybody could supply me with more examples of 
variations in word stress between British and USA Standard English. 
Please mail me personally and I will post a summary.

The following examples spring readily to mind:
1) la 'bo ratory (Br) / 'la boratory (US)
(Amusingly I sometimes hear lavatory for the USA version of this word)
2) 'ha rassment (Br) / ha 'rassment (US) 
3) de 'fence (Br) / 'de fence (US)
(BTW do the military as opposed to sports people also use 'de fence (US)?)

Thanks very much.
Lloyd Holliday
GSE, La Trobe University, 
Melbourne, Australia