Re: OT: THEORY Fusion Grammar

Gary Shannon wrote:
> --- René Uittenbogaard <ruittenb@...> wrote:
> > Even more can go inside the "er .. mee" construct:
> >
> > Steek er  de niet-brandende fakkel  vandaag nog
> > met beide handen
> > Light it [the non-burning   torch] [today still]
> > [with both  hands]
> >
> > binnenshuis mee aan  om        de deur te openen.
> > indoors    with up  [in-order the door to open].
> >
>
> I really having trouble understanding the function of
> "er...mee" in this sentence. What, exactly, is the
> "er...mee" telling us? It's not what the torch was lit
> "with", so what is it?
It is what the torch is lit with:

On 7/17/06, Roger Mills <rfmilly@...> wrote:
> I been wondering about this too. Is there more context? Has the speaker
> previously mentioned some device, and you are supposed to light the torch
> _with it_ (er...mee)??
Exactly that is it. When it concerns things rather than people, "with it"
should be rendered as "er .. mee".

I'm leaving with John. - Ik vertrek met John.
I'm leaving with him. - Ik vertrek met hem.
I'm leaving with my suitcase. - Ik vertrek met mijn koffer.
I'm leaving with it. - Ik vertrek ermee.

In the same way e.g.:

I'm waiting for John. - Ik wacht op John.
I'm waiting for him. - Ik wacht op hem.
I'm waiting for the TV programme. - Ik wacht op het TV-programma.
I'm waiting for it. - Ik wacht erop.

And this "erop" is separable, again:

Ik  wacht    er  vandaag al    een half uur  op.
I'm waiting [it] today already half an hour [for].

René

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