Re: CHAT: "nur" [was Re: CHAT: Hrushevs'kyj]

 --- "Thomas R. Wier" wrote:

> > Neither am I (in BOTH cases): mi ne estas "ukraino", mi estas nur
> > "ukrainiano", as it may be said in Esperanto.
>
> Your comment in Esperanto reminds me of a distinction made
> in German that English does not make, namely, that a sentence
> like "Ich bin nur Student" implies a kind of self-deprecation
> generally absent from the English "I'm only an undergrad [right
> now, but I'll going to graduate school soon]".  Does Esperanto
> have this kind of distinction, and what about other languages?
And what if you say: "I'm just a student", or "I'm but a student"?

Anyway, in Dutch you can say: "Ik ben maar een student", "maar" having exactly
the same meaning as German "nur". Indeed, this sentence expresses
self-deprecation and nothing else. If the speaker wishes to underline the fact
that currently he is nothing but a student but soon he will be a doctor, then
he would say: "Ik ben nog student" ("nog" = "still").

If you really want to insult a guest upon arrival, then say: "Oh, jij bent het
maar" (Oh what a pity, it's just you :(( )

Jan

=====
"Originality is the art of concealing your source." - Franklin P. Jones

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Everything you'll ever need on one web page
from News and Sport to Email and Music Charts
http://uk.my.yahoo.com

Replies