Mark Twain expressed similar sentiments:
Quote:
"Why, Huck, doan' de French people talk de same way we does?"
"No, Jim; you couldn't understand a word they said - not a single word."
"Well, now, I be ding-busted! How do dat come?"
"I don't know; but it's so. I got some of their jabber out of a book.
S'pose a man was to come to you and say Polly-voo-franzy - what would you
think?"
"I wouldn' think nuffn; I'd take en bust him over de head - dat is, if he
warn't white. I wouldn't 'low no nigger to call me dat."
"Shucks, it ain't calling you anything. It's only saying, do you know how
to talk French?"
"Well, den, why couldn't he say it?"
"Why, he is a-saying it. That's a Frenchman's way of saying it."
"Well, it's a blame ridicklous way, en I doan' want to hear no mo' 'bout
it. Dey ain' no sense in it."
"Looky here, Jim; does a cat talk like we do?"
"No, a cat don't."
"Well, does a cow?"
"No, a cow don't, nuther."
"Does a cat talk like a cow, or a cow talk like a cat?"
"No, dey don't."
"It's natural and right for 'em to talk different from each other, ain't
it?"
"Course."
"And ain't it natural and right for a cat and a cow to talk different from
us?"
"Why, mos' sholy it is."
"Well, then, why ain't it natural and right for a Frenchman to talk
different from us? You answer me that."
"Is a cat a man, Huck?"
"No."
"Well, den, dey ain't no sense in a cat talkin' like a man. Is a cow a
man? - er is a cow a cat?"
"No, she ain't either of them."
"Well, den, she ain't got no business to talk like either one er the yuther
of 'em. Is a Frenchman a man?"
"Yes."
"Well, den! Dad blame it, why don' he talk like a man? You answer me
dat!"
Unquote
Jonathan
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