Re: A prioi vs. A posteriori ?

Nik Taylor wrote:

> Peter Bleackley wrote:
> > "I did it because I could" - an opportunity arose, and I took it.
> >
> > "I did it because I can" - I can do it, so I did do it, and I'm quite
> > prepared to do it again.
> >
> > The infinite subtlety of English strikes again!
>
I get those same readings, too, even though "could" could contain the "can"
reading; technically I suppose "can" violates the sequence of tenses rule.

I certainly hope not, but probably within the next few weeks (hopefully not
days) we will no doubt hear Someone Prominent say "We did it because we
can!! "

>
> Interesting that some dialects have such a distinction and others
> don't.  :-)  On the other hand, I also have a distinction between "might
> be able to" and "might could", while the second is flatly ungrammatical
> in most other dialects.
I sometimes use it, humorously and without any distinction.  It's always
worth a chuckle here in Michigan (despite underlying negative connotations).