25 July 2013

Thursday

You done ea'in'?

Spoken quickly with little enunciation of consonants and run together as if the phrase was to have been spoken as one continuous set of vowel sounds. Yewduneden, with the slight uplift in tone that serves as an indicator of a question being asked, instead of a statement of fact.

U. Duneden. Never heard of it.

You duneden, related to the Brythonic Din Eidyn (meaning fort of Eidyn) which through some linguistic changes of successive languages eventually was usd to describe the place as Edwens burh (meaning the same hill fort only attributed in reverse order) Edwin's fort instead of the other way round “fort that belongs to Eidyn”. Over time and through the endless use without knowing the background, Din Eidyn became synonymous with what is now known as Edinburgh in Scotland. After people migrated they named new places with names familiar to them from their earlier placements. There became Dunedin, New Zealand and Dunedin, Florida …

But why would this woman with an African-American background be thrusting her head into my room to inquire of me about some ancient name for Edenburgh Scotland? Why not a newer , more familiar name from the early age of industrialization like Auld Reekie? And why would she ever think that I might hold some information regarding possible three citys or towns known as Dunedin?

Then I swallowed the chewed masticated entirely pulverized load in my mouth of sausages wrapped in toast, when it hit me, she was inquiring if I was finished eating my breakfast by now (which had been a very short amount of time since I had received it).

Ahhh, she was interested in discovering whether I was finished eating my breakfast as she was ready to reclaim my tray, if I was finished using it, yet. These CENAs have to get a lot done in a short time on their shift.

With a quick zip of my tongue through my mouth with a sweeping, raking motion to clear everything so I would not spray food when I spoke, I replied, “Nope”. I could have responded “Chan eil mi”. But I don't think she would have appreciated the irony of my comment.