[ebooktalk] Re: YEAR OF WONDERS
- From: "Elaine Harris \(Rivendell\)" <elaineharris@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <ebooktalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 12 Jul 2013 13:00:12 +1000
Hello Steve,
I looked up Heft too, merely out of curiosity, and remain convinced
Geraldine B was right to use it. The Oxford has four definitions for it,
including the one you quote; none of them bear the description, "Chiefly
U.S.".
I will answer your comments about Australian English later and separately.
However, since they have been exposed to even more old U.S. TV cheap repeats
than the UK, especially in the earlier years of television, sadly I fear
some Americanisms crept in even earlier over here.
Shame!
Take care,
Elaine
From: ebooktalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:ebooktalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
On Behalf Of Steven Bingham
Sent: Wednesday, 10 July 2013 8:26 PM
To: ebooktalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [ebooktalk] YEAR OF WONDERS
Hi all
Just about finished this book. I have really enjoyed it. What a dreadful
story.
When Year of Wonders was being discussed someone mentioned that they thought
the use of the word "heft" was inappropriate. Well it jarred with me to. I
did a little digging and was surprised to discover that Ms Brooks is
probably right to use it. The OED does not give a very accurate definition
of the word saying simply Noun - Weight. I found elsewhere a definition that
said "The weight and balance of a Knife or other tool." It also gave
references dating from the 16th and 17th centuries.
A lot of what we choose to call Americanism in fact date from English speech
of the late 17th and early 18th centuries. They went over from the common
speech mostly of the London area with those who were transported and, of
course, those who went to guard them. Most of those transported to America
were transported for being non-conformist in their religious or political
views and tended to be more literate than those later transported to
Australia. The most common Americanism that falls into this category is
'sidewalk.' Sidewalks first appeared in London as raised walkways to the
side of a road in the main streets of London in the time of James I. At that
time they were usually made of wooden planks and were designed to keep the
feet of pedistrians out of the mud and manure that was the usual road
surface in those days. By the time of the development of Covent Garden
iearly in the 1700s they were raised pavements as we know them and were
coming to be called pavements.
A lot of Australianism come from the speech of the lower classes again
mostly from the London area of the late 18th century through to the middle
of the 19th century. Transportation to Australia tended to be for rather
petty crimes. Remember you were hanged for stealing a loaf of bread until
about 1830.
Apologies if this bores you but I do the digging and feel inclined to pass
it on.
Steve
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