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Fw: [NABOKV-L] corkscrew
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excerpts from former postings:
Stan Kelly-Bootle:... A usage worthy of comment: the driver says of the road “It abuts at the forest.” Pedants would normally say (transitively!) “It abuts the forest,” since the “at” is already embedded in the prefix “a-” (via Latin “ad”) of “a-but.” Since “it abuts” is uncommonly posh (compared with “it borders”), one is left wondering why the driver’s grammar is rather peccably colloquial?
Jansy Mello: ...The wiktionary, on "abut," ...suggests a subreptitious French influence :"...From Middle English abutten, from Old French abouter, aboter (“to border on”); compare French aboutir, and also abuter; a (Latin ad) + Old French boter, buter (“to push”). Compare French bout (“end”), and but (“end, purpose”)." Perhaps, like Homais, a driver also nods.
Alexey Sklyarenko: [ ] When Van, leaving Ardis in a family motorcar, asks Bouteillan to move from his seat at the steering wheel, the butler (whose name comes from bouteille, "bottle") bids Van to drive carefully [...]"Bouteillan put on a captain's cap, too big for him, and grape-blue goggles; 'remouvez votre bottom, I will drive,' said Van - and the summer of 1884 was over.[ ].."'Non, Monsieur,' answered Bouteillan, holding on to his cap. 'Non. Tout simplement j'aime bien Monsieur et sa demoiselle'."
A commentary:
Jansy Mello: What a series of coincidences (they don't seem to have been deliberately planted by VN) !
1.SKB selects a quote about the driver's use of "abut";
2. JM "hears" something French in it and suggests "abouter/aboutir"
3.AS discusses corkscrews and butler-driver Bouteillan's ease with the French.
However, it's worth reconsidering SKB's warning note about the driver's "posh" use of "it abuts," when other words might have fit in as well.
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Stan Kelly-Bootle:... A usage worthy of comment: the driver says of the road “It abuts at the forest.” Pedants would normally say (transitively!) “It abuts the forest,” since the “at” is already embedded in the prefix “a-” (via Latin “ad”) of “a-but.” Since “it abuts” is uncommonly posh (compared with “it borders”), one is left wondering why the driver’s grammar is rather peccably colloquial?
Jansy Mello: ...The wiktionary, on "abut," ...suggests a subreptitious French influence :"...From Middle English abutten, from Old French abouter, aboter (“to border on”); compare French aboutir, and also abuter; a (Latin ad) + Old French boter, buter (“to push”). Compare French bout (“end”), and but (“end, purpose”)." Perhaps, like Homais, a driver also nods.
Alexey Sklyarenko: [ ] When Van, leaving Ardis in a family motorcar, asks Bouteillan to move from his seat at the steering wheel, the butler (whose name comes from bouteille, "bottle") bids Van to drive carefully [...]"Bouteillan put on a captain's cap, too big for him, and grape-blue goggles; 'remouvez votre bottom, I will drive,' said Van - and the summer of 1884 was over.[ ].."'Non, Monsieur,' answered Bouteillan, holding on to his cap. 'Non. Tout simplement j'aime bien Monsieur et sa demoiselle'."
A commentary:
Jansy Mello: What a series of coincidences (they don't seem to have been deliberately planted by VN) !
1.SKB selects a quote about the driver's use of "abut";
2. JM "hears" something French in it and suggests "abouter/aboutir"
3.AS discusses corkscrews and butler-driver Bouteillan's ease with the French.
However, it's worth reconsidering SKB's warning note about the driver's "posh" use of "it abuts," when other words might have fit in as well.
Search archive with Google:
http://www.google.com/advanced_search?q=site:listserv.ucsb.edu&HL=en
Contact the Editors: mailto:nabokv-l@utk.edu,nabokv-l@holycross.edu
Visit Zembla: http://www.libraries.psu.edu/nabokov/zembla.htm
View Nabokv-L policies: http://web.utk.edu/~sblackwe/EDNote.htm
Visit "Nabokov Online Journal:" http://www.nabokovonline.com
Manage subscription options: http://listserv.ucsb.edu/