[lit-ideas] Re: vocative particles
- From: Michael Chase <goya@xxxxxxx>
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sat, 29 Jan 2005 10:21:59 +0100
Le 28 janv. 05, =E0 20:02, Mirembe Nantongo a =E9crit :
> A happy 2005 to all. I have already bothered poor Robert on this and
> suddenly bethink me in a most predatory manner that Mike Chase and=20
> Jorge
> Luis and perhaps others are more than likely to have additional wisdom=20=
> to
> offer. Vocative particles are the subject at hand - in general, but
> particularly in English. I learn that there are formally seven - even=20=
> though
> most are not in common usage -
M.C. Wow. I was only aware of Ya.
> vocative particles in Arabic and am trying to
> work out the corresponding state of vocative particles in English. It=20=
> seems
> so far that English has lots of functional equivalents of vocative=20
> particles
> but only four (that I can find) actual particles. These seem to be: O,=20=
> Hey,
> Ho and (new-fangled but definitely present) Oy and Yo. Does this sound
> right? Any enlightenment at all gratefully received. Biding in=20
> darkness as
> usual, Mirembe Nantongo, Tunis, Tunisia
M.C. I'm fresh out of wisdom and/or enlightenment, except to say that=20
it seems reasonable to me to talk about O and Yo as vocative particles.=20=
O(h) is the older of the two, and exists in French (=D4) and even =
ancient=20
Greek (omega) with the same function. Yo, as used in hip-hop culture,=20
seems to be equivalent at the beginning of a discourse to "I am=20
present. Now pay attention to what I'm about to say".
Oy is intriguing. It would seem to be Yiddish, although a =
derivation=20
from Old French also seems possible (Oyez, Oyez!).
Hope you're enjoying Tunis, Mirembe. I enjoyed my brief visit =
there a=20
couple of years ago, except when I got lost and tried to drive my=20
rental car through the Souk.
Best, Mike.
>
>
> ----
Michael Chase
(goya@xxxxxxxxxxx)
CNRS UPR 76
7, rue Guy Moquet
Villejuif 94801
France
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