Re: schoen

Reinhold (Rey) Aman wrote:
>
> Joachim Pense wrote:
>
> > Reinhold (Rey) Aman:
> > > Joachim Pense wrote:
> > >> Brian M. Scott:
>
> > > [...]
>
> > >> > I have read that this is a characteristic of
> > >> > East Middle German dialects.
> > > ^^^^^^
> > > East CENTRAL German dialects.
>
> > According to Barbour, Stevenson "Variation in German" (Cambridge
> > 1990), it's East MIDDLE German.
>
> Barbour and Stevenson are schmucks, and so is every other professor who
> doesn't know the difference between _Central_ and _Middle_.
>
> > > People, people, people, how many more times do I have to tell you
> > > that MIDDLE refers to *time* and CENTRAL to *place*? Doesn't anyone
> > > remember Byron Koekkoek's important distinction for translating
> > > German _Mittel_ as either "Middle" (time) or "Central" (place) with
> > > regard to languages?
>
> > Looks like it might make sense.
>
> It certainly does, as it removes all confusion and ambiguity as to
> whether the language/dialect referred to is a *regional* variant (e.g.,
> Central) or a *temporal* stage of development (e.g., Middle).
>
> > How generally accepted is your proposition?
>
> Apparently not widely enough, judging by articles and books written by
> professors and students.
>
> Actually, it's not *my* proposition; I merely disseminate it. The
> credit goes to Byron Koekkoek, who in the 1960s or '70s suggested to
> Herbert Kufner (Cornell) that he not use "Middle Bavarian" but "Central
> Bavarian" for _Mittelbairisch_.

And did Kufner accede?

> Koekkoek's astute distinction is obvious when considering the two
> precise English meanings of "Central" (place only) and "Middle" (time
> only) for the ambiguous German _Mittel-_ (time or place):
>
> With regard to *temporal* language stages, we have:
> Alt - MITTEL - Neu / Old - MIDDLE - New or Modern
>
> As to *regions*, e.g., dialects, we have:
> Nord - MITTEL - Süd / North - CENTRAL - South
> Ost - MITTEL - West / East - CENTRAL - West
> plus
> Ober - Unter or Nieder / Upper - Lower
>
> Anyone who henceforward misuses "Middle" for "Central" when speaking of
> *regional* languages/dialects is dumber than a lobotomized wombat.

There are three Federal judicial disctricts in Tennessee, one to the
east, one to the west, and one between them. It's called the Middle
District of Tennessee.
--
Peter T. Daniels grammatim@xxxxxxx
.

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