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Re: Conjunctives, etc...

From:R A Brown <ray@...>
Date:Tuesday, May 15, 2007, 7:12
Chris Weimer wrote:
[snip]
> I don't personally find my own response offensive. I mean, the guy > was giving me a layman's introduction to Latin conjunctions, which is > nice, but I just didn't need it.
With respect, you did exactly make that clear in your original request. As Dirk has pointed out, the majority of members on this list are not academics, but 'hobbyists' who are conlanging for fun. Quite frankly I thought your request came from a young "newbie" and my reply was made appropriately. *It was meant to be a layman's introduction* because I thought that's probably what you were after. Had I known you were an academic with possibly more knowledge of Latin that I (I've known the language for 50+ years), I most certainly would*NOT* have replied as I did.
> I thanked him and said that I was sorry that he provided something > which I wasn't looking for.
You wrote, in fact, and I quote: "Thanks Mr. Brown for the Latin, but they're not quite right. For example, you've left off one use of -que where it can join two clauses together." ...which miffed me a bit. I felt like replying - "Of course I didn't !!- 'Johnson', 'Jack' and 'Jill' are NOT CLAUSES - you weren't asking about clauses!" (actually that's a polite version of what I immediately felt like replying)
> Not only that, but he himself didn't indicate in his post that I was > somehow "rude",
Indeed not - I've learnt from past mistakes that immediately replies are not a good idea in such circumstances. When I did reply, I tried to couch my reply in such a way as to avoid just such a interchange as that now taking place. *I did NOT want to cause flames.* [snip]
> > How would you feel if you asked for a beer, and someone gave you an > O'Doules?
I assume "O'Doules" is a non-alcoholic drink - I'm not familiar with it in the UK. For the record, if some one asked me for a beer, I would *NOT* give them an non-alcoholic alternative. Actually I would ask what sort of beer - lager, bitter, mild, stout or what?
> I mean, that's mighty generous that they would offer you a > non-alcoholic beer, I'd politely turn it down. At least, it was > polite to me. > > What could I possibly have said to him if he offered me something > which to me was useless?
As I have said, if the request was clear I would not have offered something useless. Can we please stop this thread NOW. -- Ray ================================== ray@carolandray.plus.com http://www.carolandray.plus.com ================================== Nid rhy hen neb i ddysgu. There's none too old to learn. [WELSH PROVERB]