James Whitcomb Riley - The Father of Kindo?

29 Oct 2007

I was pretty sure “Kindo” didn’t mean anything before this site launched, especially not in the English language. But James Whitcomb Riley would disagree. He would probably even be offended.

James was an American poet who lived between 1853 and 1916. To a Swede as myself he’s completely unknown, but in Indiana, USA, children still learn some of his poems by heart.

James has written a poem called “When Frost Is on Punkin”. In the middle of it, this sentence shows up:

“They’s something kindo’ harty-like about the atmusfere”.

WHAT!

And then later down in the text: “The stubble in the furries–kindo’ lonesome-like, but still”

WHAT! (AGAIN)!

I was confused, and asked for help. And I got it from a fellow blogger:

“Something “kind of” hearty like about the atmosphere. Just a country colloquialism in spelling”.

Anyway, I hope James Whitcomb Riley (and the state of Indiana) doesn’t mind us trying to claim Kindo for ourselves.

(Thanks to Wikipedia for sources and picture).

485px-james_whitcomb_riley_1913.jpg

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Posted by Nils Hammar in Culture, General, Team | Trackback |

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2 Responses to “James Whitcomb Riley - The Father of Kindo?”

  1. Jeff Noble On:
    30 Oct 2007 At 23:53

    Returning the favor of your visit and the link to my blog. I am in the state of Kentucky, south and east across the Ohio River from the state of Indiana, but close enough to have memorized Riley’s poems as a child.

    “Kindo’ nice having you visit a spell.”

  2. Farhan Rehman On:
    10 Jul 2008 At 16:54

    I think that Kindo’ as used by Riley could also be written as Kinda’ and has a different pronunciation, with the emphasis on the last syllable, compared to Kindo, which I imagine has the emphasis on the first syllable, which would make it a different word, making you guys the first ones to be anglicising it!

    Of course if the pronunciation is meant to be like the way Riley uses it, then I guess he does qualify!

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