> taliesin the storyteller scripsit:
>
> > > Of *them*? Don't you do that in Norway?
> >
> > (Is the affirmative here "yes" or "no"? Always forgets, N. has a third
> > word "jo" to answer affirmatively here.)
>
> It's "yes". In English, negation is ignored in questions except as a way
> of indicating what answer is expected. A negative question expects the
> answer "yes"; a non-negative question either expects the answer "no" or
> is neutral about what it expects
>
> Isn't Fido a dog? (expects "yes")
> Yes (Fido is a dog) or No (Fido is not a dog)
>
> Is Fido a dog? (neutral)
> Yes (Fido is a dog) or No (Fido is not a dog)
>
> IIRC, French and German have the third form (affirmative answer to negative
> question), whereas Russian and Japanese use the "logical" answer, saying
> "No" to the first question if Fido is a dog, and "Yes" if Fido isn't a dog
>
> --
> I suggest you call for help, John Cowan
> or learn the difficult art of mud-breathing. jcowan@reutershealth.com
> --Great-Souled Sam
http://www.ccil.org/~cowan
>
>