Speaking 'properly' or not

[Mary Ann]

Lynn wrote:

>>>When I first heard how I was supposed to pronounce "sch" in 
Dutch, I informed my husband that I was always taught a lady didn't 
make that sound.  For those who have never heard it, think of the 
sound made when people reach for flem in their throats getting ready 
to spit.  That's the sound.  LOL<<<

Dutch is my mother tongue and your description gave me a good 
laugh.  And let's not forget the Dutch "g", which sounds as if 
you're in need of someone performing the Heimlich manoever on you. ;)

That gutteral Dutch "g" (said *way* down the gutteral) is a sound 
similar in a few other languages.  It seems to be one of those 
sounds that you either learn as a child or you never master it, a 
lot like the English "th".  I've heard similar gutteral noises in 
Welsh, Gaelic, Arabic, Persian, and a few other languages I couldn't 
identify.  Also, coming from the southeast Netherlands my 
gutteral "g" is very gentle compared to Dutch northerners.

The Netherlands may be small but there are an astounding number of 
dialects.  I moved to Canada when I was very young so I'm only 
familiar with universal Dutch and my parents' provincial Limburg 
dialect.  If I travel to any neighbouring province I honestly cannot 
understand a word of those local dialects.  It provides hours of 
amusement for some distant relatives who IMO should learn another 
hobby.

Mary Ann, who has fond memories of an anthropology prof teaching the 
class Inuit grammar just for fun