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Subject: 
Re: Free Speech, again
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.off-topic.debate
Date: 
Thu, 24 Apr 2003 19:49:47 GMT
Viewed: 
732 times
  
In lugnet.off-topic.debate, James Brown writes:

That's how language grows, neh?
(That's how language grows, yes?)
(That's how language grows, ne c'est pas?)

It's a 'tack onto the end of a statement to turn it into a rhetorical
question' word.  I'm sure there's some sort of linguistic term for that, but
I don't know it.

Here in Minnesnoowda, we use an inflection of the voice at the end of a
statement such as "That's how language grows" which in essence implies "Are you
with me?"  I never noticed how predominant it was until I moved away to Arizona
for 7 years and then returned.  It's quite efficient <inflection> :-)

I would suppose that up in your neck of the woods, JB, the "don'tcha know" is
still employed...

JOHN



Message has 1 Reply:
  Re: Free Speech, again
 
(...) Heh. Nope. But I didn't realize until I left Canada and came back how much we really do say "eh" up here, eh? James (22 years ago, 24-Apr-03, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)

Message is in Reply To:
  Re: Free Speech, again
 
(...) Probably. Appending "ne" or "neh" as I've always seen it spelled is from the Japanese. I know I picked it up from James Clavell in years gone by, but Anime/Manga has certainly re-inforced it. That's how language grows, neh? (That's how (...) (22 years ago, 24-Apr-03, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)

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