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Archiver > OLD-WORDS > 2000-07 > 0962770586


From: Richard L Turner <>
Subject: Re: [OLDWORDS] mos/s'en/dieu
Date: Wed, 5 Jul 2000 00:16:26 -0400


Hello!

> Peut-etre il etait l'exclamation "Mon Saint Dieu!" par sa mere
> pendant la naissance de l'enfant?
Translation: Maybe the mother cried out "O my Holy G-d!" during the
birth of the child? People are not responsible for such words in their
anguish, but we who report them might fall back upon some sense of
delicacy... and it was funnier in French. Elaine's reply was funny for
all it's own reason.

What a fun List! :)

The pronunciation would be rather like one for "Mossendew," when
sufficiently Englished. (Englishing, now there's a great and underused
verb. Anglicization is for classicists, legitimately, and for others only
when speaking outside their own station. Long live the tongue of
Aelfred!) One might be given to wonder how the vicar could be induced to
enter such a name into the parish record. Is there no requirement to be
met? Of course, I do realize that we are talking about England rather
than the mostly RC Continent, but even in Prot Germany and Norway there
are standard names that must be used. Could one of Canturbury's
communicants address that question?

Encore votre vrai ami,
Richard Turner.

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