Gulliver’s Travels author ‘used baby language in love letters’
January 29th, 2011 - 2:43 pm ICT by ANILondon, Jan 29 (ANI): The language Jonathan Swift, the author of Gulliver’s Travels, used in a series of letters to two women reflects the way babies talk, suggests a new research.
Dr Abigail Williams - of St Peter’s, Oxford University - has studied the early 18th Century correspondence.
Williams claimed that the only way to understand Swift’s letters was to read them out loud, reports the BBC.
She has dubbed it “little language” - a form of juvenile wordplay in which consonants in familiar words were replaced.
In one letter, Swift wrote: “I expect a Rettle vely soon; & that MD is vely werr, and so Nite dee MD.”
According to Dr Williams, this translates as: “I expect a letter very soon, and that my dears are very well, and so night dear my dears.”
The letters were written to Esther Johnson (”Stella”) and her companion, Rebecca Dingley.
Some of the correspondence included sexual innuendo, while Swift also used derogatory terms - such as “saucy sluts” and “rogues” - to describe the women. (ANI)
- ‘Gulliver’s Travels’ Movie Review: A Very Disappointing Journey - Dec 31, 2010
- ‘Gulliver’s Travels’ Movie Preview: Christmas Treat For Children - Dec 23, 2010
- Gulliver’s Travels Review: Why Is This A Christmas Disappointment? - Dec 24, 2010
- The many 'Shah Rukhis' of Vienna head for Berlin - Jan 20, 2012
- Charlotte Bronte's love letters to Belgian professor found - Jan 27, 2012
- Pub owner gets surprise royal wedding invitation - Feb 25, 2011
- Mallika Sherawat Bags Her Third Hollywood Film - Jul 31, 2010
- 'Black Girls Rock' Honors The Legandary Ruby Dee - Nov 08, 2010
- Laughter lights up our faces, brains - Jun 29, 2011
- BJP asks Manmohan Singh to recall Karnataka Governor Bhardwaj - Oct 13, 2010
- 'Gulliver's Travels' - a hurriedly made parody (IANS Film Review; Rating:*1/2) - Jan 01, 2011
- Connolly's role in 'Gulliver's Travels' inspired by Prince Charles - Jan 02, 2011
- Operators urge Sibal to auction total spectrum, reduce reserve price - Apr 27, 2012
- Taylor Swift Speaks About Kanye West, John Mayer And Others In 'Speak Now' Album - Oct 26, 2010
- 'Talking dictionaries' to preserve vanishing languages - Feb 19, 2012
Tags: abigail williams, baby language, consonants, dears, derogatory terms, dingley, dr williams, esther johnson, gulliver, jan 29, jonathan swift, london jan, love letters, oxford university, research dr, rogues, sexual innuendo, vely, werr, wordplay