[lit-ideas] Juwiwallera

From: Jlsperanza@xxxxxxx
To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Wed, 27 Jun 2012 22:56:52 -0400 (EDT)
In a message dated 6/27/2012 10:41:09 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,  
rpaul@xxxxxxxx writes:
['Wen wir sagen: "jedes Wort der Sprache bezeichnet  etwas"...']
 
Aha. This should complicate things nicely enough. From what I understand,  
Witters's "-zeich-", as in "bezeichnet", is cognate with English 
(pre-Grimm's  Shift), '-tok-' as in "token". A 'token' of appreciation. For a 
token is 
a sign,  you know.
 
It may do to revise the vernacular ways to signal 'signalling'. We  have
"mean" (as per you know who), but we have "signify" as per Anscombe. And we 
 have 'bezeichnen", i.e. 'token'.
 
Note, incidentally, and I think Augustine knew this: to 'teach' is cognate  
with 'token'. Similarly, in Italian, to 'teach' is still cognate with 
'sign',  for to teach is understood as just displaying this or that sign. I'm 
less sure  the Greeks were so optimistic about teaching.
 
R. P.: "The German, translated as 'lilliburlero,' by Anscombe,  is
'juwiwallera.'"
 
Cfr. 
 
"Mit dem März ist nun bald auch der Frühling da,
draußen singen die  Vögel schon „juwi-wallera“."
 
Of course Witters need not be shown (or said) the true significance of  
Anscombe's version:
 
LILLIBURLERO: "The song's title and the words of the refrain have been  
interpreted as a garbled version of the Irish words Lile ba léir é, ba linn an  
lá, "Lilly was clear and ours was the day". The lily may be a reference to 
the  fleur de lis of France, or to a popular interpreter of prophecies named 
William  Lilly, who had prophesied in the late 16th century that a Catholic 
would come to  the throne of England. Alternatively, the lyrics could mean, 
"Lilly is clear  [about this], the day will be ours". It is also thought 
that "Lilli" is a  familiar form of William, and that bullero comes from the 
Irish "Buaill Léir ó",  which gives: "William defeated all that remained"."
 
I'm less sure about tra-la-la. Again, from wiki:
 
"The song's popularity is largely due to its euphemistic chorus:[citation  
needed]
"Ooohh, you touch my tra la la... Mmmmm, My ding ding dong."
 
-- where 'tra la la' contra Witters, seems to be the name of some object  
(or other). Cheers,

Speranza






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[lit-ideas] Juwiwallera

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