bn wrote:
>
> --- Andreas Johansson <and_yo@...> wrote:
> >
> > Is it a more-or-less consciously created auxlang, or
> > some sort of "organic"
> > lingua franca that got promoted to the language of
> > the powers that be*?
> >
> > * Why is it "the powers that be", and not the
> > "powers that are"?
> >
>
>subjunctive. i imagine it could be paraphrased 'such
>powers as exist', using the subjunctive to mark
>generality. not sure if this is a native germanic
>useage or a nicking of the latin one
Nice to see you unenlightened anglophones keeping the subjunctive at least a
little bit alive! :-)
Andreas (who to his surprise has started using alot
more subjunctives in Swedish after studying German ...)
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