Re: Some or any

On Fri, 31 May 2002 08:09:59 +0200 Maarten van Beek
<dungeonmaster@...> writes:
> > The problem
> > i *do* have to deal with in Rokbeigalmki is distinguishing between
> the
> > negative versions of 'some' and 'all' words:
> > iltao = always
> > tatao = sometimes/anytime
> > natao = never
> > niltao = never
> > |iltao| and |niltao| are opposites, and |tatao| and |natao| are
> > opposites.
> You could try something like:
>          positive              |   negative
> ---------------------------------------------------------
> some   | tatao - sometimes     |  natao - never
> ---------------------------------------------------------
> all    | iltao - always        |  niltao - not always
> ---------------------------------------------------------
> "Sometimes" and "not always" are close in meaning, though the latter
> sounds more negative.
> Maarten
-

Hmm... interesting idea... although i don't think i'll adopt it, i like
the idea of having a kind of 'emphatic never'; i even used it in a poem:

...natao azii'nyih-shek esh
niltao sha'esh.

"...i will never forget you
 never-ever you."

the last line is completely emphasized, due to the use of |niltao| and
the redundancy of the direct object prefix |sha'| before the non-subject
pronoun |esh|.


-Stephen (Steg)
 "an aroma for home-a, and a reek for the street."
     ~ _earth_ by david brin