Re: NATLANG: Dutch (jara: Has anyone made a real conlang?)

--- John Cowan <cowan@...> wrote:>
> In the Scottish Tragedy (it's thought to be
> excruciatingly bad luck to
> name it), Macbeth says, when Lady Macbeth challenges
> him,
>
>         I dare do all that may become a man;
>         Who dares do more, is none.
>
> This is pure modal use; "become" = "be appropriate
> to", now lost except
> in the adjective "becoming" = "fitting, appropriate;
> attractive, beautiful".
> I had occasion to quote this yesterday.
>
Well....I could also say:  "X does not become you"

...but not in the affirmative: *"X becomes you"

hmm...interesting

Elliott Lash

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