Date:  Sat, 15 Mar 1997 17:03:21 -0400
From:  "Dennis R. Preston" <preston[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]PILOT.MSU.EDU>
Subject: Re: FEEL (OF) [was "how good of"]

Ron's intuitions (hardly his examples!) are partly on the right track.

I had a Texas friend who asked me to 'taste of this' - not 'take a taste of
this' which is OK for me, but his use (like 'feel of this') is odd. I think
the 'volitional' interpretation goes too deep, and I'm not convinced this
belongs in the same ballpark at the 'good (of) a' discussion.

I had forgotten this certainly regional fact, but I'll check it out
further. Any other comments on it from others?

DInIs

>HOW GOOD (OF)--I can say it either way. "How good of a linguist is Dennis?"
>is OK, but so is the sentence without the OF.
>
>A similar question for me involes FEEL (OF), as in "Feel (of) this material,
>Dennis!" I've given some thought to this, prompted by a freind who found FEEL
>OF invariably weird.
>
>For me, FEEL OF is possible, but it can only refer to actual (usually)
>volitional (digito)tactile sensation, thus, I FELT OF THE KNIFEPOINT AGAINST
>MY BACK would only be possible if I put my finger against the knife after
>sensing it against my back. I guess one can FEEL OF something with one's
>skin, too, but doesn't it have to be volitional or at least pleasurable?:
>FEEL OF THIS WHIP, DENNIS! would not mean that I am threatening to strike
>him--or even offering to strike him with his permission (e.g., on his bare
>buttocks)--but only that I want him to put out his hand or perhaps a cheek
>and stroke the whip gently. Well, now, what if Dennis enjoys being whipped?
>FEEL OF THIS WHIP, DENNIS! still doesn't quite sound right, does it? Is the
>key that FEEL OF requires rubbing, not striking? Are there
>idiolectal/dialectal differences here?

Dennis R. Preston
Department of Linguistics and Languages
Michigan State University
East Lansing MI 48824-1027 USA
preston[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]pilot.msu.edu
Office: (517)432-1235
Fax: (517)432-2736