> Joe wrote:
>
>
>>On Sunday 23 February 2003 9:48 pm, David Barrow wrote:
>>
>>>Muke Tever wrote:
>>>
>>>>From: "David Barrow" <davidab@...>
>>>>
>>>>>However, if people think about it, there is something illogical about
>>>>>the construction "i don't think........" rather than "I
>>>>>think......not..."; after
>>>>
>>>>all if
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>we have an opinion or belief about a negative we still have an opinion
>>>>>or
>>>>
>>>>belief,
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>don't we?
>>>>>
>>>>>Spanish also has both the logical "creo que no..." and the illogical
>>>>>"no creo que..."
>>>>
>>>>I dont think it's *illogical* to say "I dont think [X]" ... taking this
>>>>sentence as an example, I'm trying to say that while you may think it's
>>>>illogical, that's not what I think.
>>>>
>>>>If the more common use of "I don't think [X]" is in contradiction to what
>>>>someone _does_ think, it's likely that the use of the phrase'll just
>>>>carry over to different kinds of sentences (if there are any... I cant
>>>>atm.. just woke up).
>>>>
>>>> *Muke!
>>>>--
>>>>
http://www.frath.net/
>>>
>>>I don't think she knows
>>>I think she doesn´t know
>>>
>>>or your example
>>>
>>>I don't think it's illogical
>>>I think it's not illogical
>>>
>>>They're illogical because "not" is negating the wrong verb
>>>
>>>compare
>>>I don't insist you do that
>>>I insist you don't do that
>>
>>But 'insist' has more than two possibilities. a) insist - positive b)don't
>>insist - negative c)insist you don't - oppositional(I'm making up terms on
>>the spot here, I'd be grateful if someone could help me out)
>>
>>However, with 'think', you only have two possibilities. Because if you don't
>>think one is true, you obviously think it's not true. Therefore, the
>>Negative and Oppositional have merged, and we just have picked the negative
>>as the default.
>>
>>It's perfectly logical.
>>
>
>
> I could lack the opinion one way or the other as to whether something is true or
> not, which would be the logical interpretation of I don't think
>
> My point is that we use I don't think not to indicate the absence of an opinion
> but the presence of one.
>
> And I did ask about similar constructions in other languages including conlangs;
> any replies?