Fw: Re: Puentes/Puente question

["David P. Delgado" <dpdelgado@...>]

I don't mind sending it out to all.

David

-----Forwarded Message-----
>From: Joseph Puentes <makas@...>
>Sent: Dec 23, 2005 2:07 PM
>To: "David P. Delgado" <dpdelgado@...>
>Subject: Re: Puentes/Puente question
>
>this is good stuff. . .I can see that if the way people held their 
>tongues was different then also the way they heard and understood and 
>tried to interpret certain sounds both in their pronunciation and 
>writing was subject to a variety of errors. yes it is not so simple as 
>just "they were illiterate and wrote things any way they felt like at 
>the time."
>
>thanks much. . .you bring to the group a much needed perpective and 
>valuable education. please use it as often as your time will allow. And 
>my invitation to create an audio file for the NFU podcast will continue 
>to patiently wait for your submission. thank you.
>
>joseph
>
>ps: if you want to repost this to the group I'd welcome it but you decide.
>
>
>David P. Delgado wrote:
>
>>Joseph,
>>
>>In my response I left off a phenomenon which is very widespread in determinng surname usage: regional differences in articulation.  That is, people from different regions say the same words in different ways.  A common variation in Spanish occurs with the final "s" in all words.  In the castilian dialect, final 's' sounds like 'sh' in English.  In the Americas, 's' has more of a hiss to it and the tongue constricts the air passage at about midway along the palate.  In the castilian dialect, the tongue tip curls under the tongue.  A third alternative is the so-called aspirated 's'.  This is a third position of the tongue relative to the palate.  The backmost part of the tongue constricts the air passage way toward the back of the upper mouth (velum).  It's typical for this third way of saying words to result in dropping off the final 's' when reducing the word/name to writing.
>>
>>It's very iffy to try to explain why a particular surname has its form.  Each case is so full of little details which led to the cause that I would hesitate to try to pinpoint it.  I don't believe in making hard and fast rules about language.  I believe that the proper role of those who study a language is to observe and induce patterns.  To me there is no "right or wrong".  Language exists because people exist and use it as a means of communication.  I haven't kept up with the research literature since my undergrad years- 45.5 yrs. ago.  It's quite possible that my knowledge base is out-of-date.  I ain't being humble, just careful.
>>
>>David
>>
>>David P. Delgado
>>
>>
>>  
>>
>
>-- 


David P. Delgado