Re: Sayings of the Wise #1

On Friday 15 April 2005 18:58, caeruleancentaur wrote:
> On Wednesday 13 April 2005 11:02, caeruleancentaur wrote:
> >> µààti me munííyo, mum pòsa me tutérpe.
> >> µààti me mu-nííy-o, mu-m pòsa me tu-térp-e.
> >> for not 1s-lead-SUBJ, I-MOT.sg behind not 2s-walk-IMP
> >> Do not walk behind me, for I may not follow.
>
> --- In conlang@yahoogroups.com, Sylvia Sotomayor <kelen@I...> wrote:
> >I assume you meant "Do not walk behind me, I may not lead" and
> >that "may not" here is "might not" rather than "be not allowed to"
>
> I screwed up on that English translation, didn't I?  Sorry for that.
> However, I stand firm on "may not follow."
>
> American Heritage Dictionary - usage note: "_May_ and _might_ are
> basically alike in meaning, in the senses of possibility and
> permission; they differ principally in intensity, not in time.  _May_
> is stronger than _might_ in both senses.  _He may leave_ suggests
> greater likelihood than _He might leave_;...."
>
And there I wasn't clear. I wasn't asking about word choice, I wanted to
disambiguate the meaning. I use "may" for permission and for possibility, but
"might" only for possibility, particularly when negated. (I should have said
'"may not" here means "might not"'.) In my Kēlen translation, hīja only
denotes possibility.

-Sylvia
--
Sylvia Sotomayor
sylvia1@ix.netcom.com
kelen@ix.netcom.com

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ā (a-macron)		ē (e-macron)
ī (i-macron)		ō (o-macron)
ū (u-macron)		λ (lambda)

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