Date: Sat, 15 Nov 1997 15:31:52 -0500

From: "Margaret G. Lee -English" mlee[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]CS.HAMPTONU.EDU

Subject: Re: stay and live



I've noticed the use of stay or live totally in the African American

community, perhaps reflecting African Americans' great migration from the

South to the North in the early to mid 1900's. Many times they "stayed"

with relatives or friends who had already migrated North, until they could

establish their own households. Sometimes this process took a long time,

maybe due to lack of work, or low wages, or other conditions,

and people ending up "staying" longer than desired or expected, or moving

on to "stay" with another friend or relative. Anyway, "stay" seems to

reflect a history of temporary living conditions in the lives of some

oppressed African Americans.



On Wed, 12 Nov 1997, Matthew James Gordon wrote:



Date: Wed, 12 Nov 1997 16:56:16 -0800

From: Matthew James Gordon gordonm[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]CALUMET.PURDUE.EDU

To: ADS-L[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]UGA.CC.UGA.EDU

Subject: stay and live



Since moving to the Chicago area (NW Indiana), I have noticed a usage

that was previously unfamilar to me. The use of "stay" as opposed to

"live" as in "Where do you stay?" "I stay in Hammond on 173rd street."

(It is clear that the meaning of temporary residence (e.g. "stay in a

hotel") is not intended.) I wonder if anyone has discussed the

distribution of this form or has observed it elsewhere. The couple of

times I have noted this it has been from African American speakers, but I

suppose it might be regional as well or instead. Can anyone provide some

information? Thanks.