🚀 go-pugleaf

In <1992Jul31.142533.2915@memstvx1.memst.edu> connolly@memstvx1.memst.edu writes:


>        What, me worry?  (Alfred E. Neuman)
>        Him learn Russian?  Forget it!
> 

Do you think there is a difference between "me worry?" and "me? worry?"
("Why do you worry" "Me? Worry?")  What I mean is, is the 'worry'
or the 'russian' in the examples you give an adjunct to the simple use
of "me" and "him" in  echo questions. Possibly not, since straight responses
of "me" or "him" can't be extended in a similar way.

A: Did he speak?  B: Him?
A: Did he speak?  B: Him speak?
A: Did he speak?  B: Him do what?
A: Did he speak?  B: Him be interesting?
A: Did he speak?  B: Him break the habits of a lifetime?

(all with *he)

A: Who did this?  B: Me.			
A: Who did this?  B: Me, by accident.		
But
A: Who did this?  B: *Me do.	
A: Who did this?  B: *I.	
A: Who did this?  B: I did.

To what extent is it possible to echo the original question using 
different lexical items? It seems ok to me so long as there is
some obvious inference that links, say, "speak" and "be interesting".

Jim


-- 
James M. Scobbie: Dept of Linguistics, Stanford University, CA 94305-2150, USA
                  scobbie@csli.stanford.edu