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Re^3: Untillian Headache or about the semantic of untilby BrowserUk (Pope) |
on Feb 11, 2013 at 16:16 UTC ( #1018172=note: print w/replies, xml ) | Need Help?? |
In italian the double negation is admitted and correct: I don't speak Italian, but I do note the OP said: In italian the double negation is admitted and correct: I do know that in English, there are some sentiments that cannot be adequately captured without a double negation: Eg. I like toast. does not fully capture the semantics of I don't not like toast. (Or perhaps more grammatically correct; I don't dislike toast.) I cannot attempt to divine the true sentiments of the double negation in a language I do not speak; but from my limited experience of other non-English languages that have constructions that make little or no sense when translated literally to English, I know that often such constructions are perfectly logical in that language. Eg. When speaking English, a Dutch person (who are usually very competent in English) will often say "When you were a woman..." instead of "If you were a woman ..." and conversely, "If the baby is born ... " when they actually mean "When the baby is born ...". It all comes down to the duality of the Dutch words 'als'. Similarly, expressing 8:35 in English as 5 minutes past half an hour before 9:00 makes no sense at all; but that is exactly how it is commonly expressed in Dutch: vijf over half negen. Which I read as "I will wait until you have not arrived". Basically, your attempts to apply non-native logic to a language you do not speak doesn't make for a sound basis of argument. With the rise and rise of 'Social' network sites: 'Computers are making people easier to use everyday'
Examine what is said, not who speaks -- Silence betokens consent -- Love the truth but pardon error.
"Science is about questioning the status quo. Questioning authority".
In the absence of evidence, opinion is indistinguishable from prejudice.
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