Re: 18th century tankards

On Tue, 19 Jun 2007 09:39:02 +0200, "Lesley Robertson"
<l.a.robertson@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:


"C Rihan" <csrihan.no.spam@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:ptadndR727NkMevbnZ2dnUVZ8qOtnZ2d@xxxxxxxxx

I think the teacher I spoke about must have been one of those
trying to revive Cornish.

There's something that always puzzles me when I read about people reviving
extinct languages, especially if they died out before sound recording became
possible. If there's no native speakers around, how on earth can you learn
correct pronunciation? It can't be deduced simply from written texts
(imagine coming to english after a couple of centuries when it's not used by
anyone and trying to work out how to say even something as simple as
"knight". How would you know that the "k" is silent?
Lesley Robertson


I understand that accents can be deduced fromn the spelling of words
and phrases - ISTR that someone has done this with an Elizabethan text
that has shown the use of a cockney accent - can't find any reference
to it, but this documnet touches on the subject

http://www.sole.org.uk/donsteel.htm

--
Peter Thomas
Researching: Hone - Oxfordshire & Glamorgan, Samuel(s) - Swansea & Llanelli & Gower
Thomas - Morriston & Clydach, Harris - Aberdare, Gloucester, Pope - Shropshire, Parker, Shropshire
Broome - Shropshire
.