it has been a L-O-N-G while since i spoke or heard this rather peculiar reflexive pronoun - ever since the lowest common denominator amongst em wee islander's [read: ethnic chink] pidginised wee island english.
[wot to do? the letter b had to adapt accordingly, wot.]
said reflexive pronoun which methinks has gone [well, almost] the way of the dodo: "ownself"
examples of use in the wee island context:
1. "i ownself do this necklace" or "i make this thing my ownself"
2. "so you make all the travel arrangement's your ownself?"
3. "make-up: model ownself did"
yep, i really miss saying "ownself". now, perhaps i should start usin it over ere on this fine blog, then.
as enscribed by the letter b @ February 27, 2006 04:08 AM | someone's pingedyouth - exactly! but think becomes "tink", "thought" - "tought", "that" sounds like "tat"... anything that has got 'th' sees the 'h' truncated. and "ok"/"yah" [as in german/european "ja!"]is preferred instead of "sure"/"yes" respectively. but "yah" is malay for yes too.
and guess wot, i used to have this habit of saying "okay" in an aussie manner for yonk's before someone pointed it out to me!
as blahed by the letter b @ March 3, 2006 10:48 AMYouffs instead of youths???
Fink instead of think????
LOL i know, it's almost akin to a dialect with its own obscure brand of syntax. could be due to the influence of the irish.
like how they said "tree" instead of "three". and yes we also pronounce it as "tree".
as blahed by the letter b @ March 1, 2006 11:01 AMMy "ownself" got really mixed up following that...and I'm not even blonde.
as blahed by "Alice" @ March 1, 2006 10:09 AM