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From: iad@cogsci.ed.ac.uk (Ivan A Derzhanski)
Subject: Re: life and death of words Re: Thank You
Message-ID: <CwtzJK.3Fu@cogsci.ed.ac.uk>
Organization: Centre for Cognitive Science, Edinburgh, UK
References: <CwHtq7.AMM@news.cis.umn.edu> <3616ed$685@news.cs.brandeis.edu> <CwtACF.2MJ@spss.com>
Date: Wed, 28 Sep 1994 08:28:32 GMT
Lines: 21

In article <CwtACF.2MJ@spss.com> markrose@spss.com (Mark Rosenfelder) writes:
>In article <3616ed$685@news.cs.brandeis.edu>, <jacob@max.cc.brandeis.edu> wrote:
>>It is somehow difficult to imagine a culture that does not have
>>a phrase which fulfills the role of "Thank You".
>
>Imagine a little harder.  I'm told that in parts of East Africa,
>it's not the custom to thank people for favors received.

Never mind East Africa.  In Bulgarian until maybe a hundred years ago
there was no word for `thank' or common expression for `thank you'.
Favours were acknowledged, but there was no single standard way for it.
Usually one made a wish more or less along the lines of `may you grow up'
(to a child), `may you live (long)' (to an adult) or `may you be alive
and whole' (to anyone).  Expressions of this sort are still widely used,
even though now there are standard ways to say `thank you'.

-- 
`Pilate, tryin tae be clever, said, "So! -- whit is truth?"'  (The G-- G--)
Ivan A Derzhanski (iad@cogsci.ed.ac.uk, iad@chaos.cs.brandeis.edu)
* Centre for Cognitive Science,  2 Buccleuch Place,   Edinburgh EH8 9LW,  UK
* Cowan House E113, Pollock Halls, 18 Holyrood Pk Rd, Edinburgh EH16 5BD, UK
