Date: Tue, 15 Oct 1996 07:28:48 -0400

From: Kendra Banks banks[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]ANDREWS.EDU

Subject: Re: nother and other stuff



I first became aware of people saying 'a whole nother' about a year ago

when someone in Nebraska asked me how to spell it. Since then, I've been

paranoidly aware of it and have heard it very frequently in all sorts of

places. I've even heard it in lectures from my English professors at the

University I attend in Michigan. Sounds to me like something similar to, if

slightly reversed from, what happened to the whole napron/apron thing.



On another note...I'm a senior at Andrews University this year, and I'm

doing an honors research project on teachers' and students' attitudes

toward dialect usage in secondary schools. I'm comparing attitudes

people in an American school to those of people in an Austrian

(German-speaking) school. I'm wondering if anyone can put me in touch

with information on whether American dialects are becoming more similar

or more different. I think this has a lot to contribute to the issue,

given the amazing diversity of German dialects and the relatvie

similarity of most American dialects. Anyone have info on this? Any

tips would be greatly appreciated.



Thanks in advance for your help. I've also been enjoying lurking on this

list. I find it fascinating.



Kendra Banks