Date: Sat, 22 Nov 1997 12:24:30 -0500

From: "David A. Johns" djohns[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]PEACHNET.CAMPUS.MCI.NET

Subject: Re: pragmatic change in progress?



At 10:55 PM 11/21/97 -0500, Ron Butters wrote:



I had a lot of trouble getting my students to focus on the meaning

differences between WELL and WHY in these environments. Though they

understood the differences, they kept saying, "But nobody under age

50 would

ever use WHY in that way--only old people talk that way!" This was

not the

answer I expected. Has anybody else had this reaction from students

about WHY

in this usage? What are the reactions of y'all? Is there a change

in progress

here?



I'm 54, and I'm sure I've never used "why" this way except when

conciously imitating someone else's style. I perceive it as both

older generation and predominately female. Instead of "why" I'd use

either "of course" or an intonation pattern that indicates "I'm

surprised you asked".



David Johns

Waycross College

Waycross, GA 31501

djohns[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]peachnet.campus.mci.net