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Re: "to be" or "not to be"

From:Eugene Oh <un.doing@...>
Date:Saturday, June 14, 2008, 14:21
On Sat, Jun 14, 2008 at 12:29 PM, Scotto Hlad <scott.hlad@...> wrote:

> Precisely what I was thinking. Thank you! > > I thought it would be interesting the case of how strong would deny > something using a negative copula. If combined with a negative particle, > one could have the positive copula with the negative particle, then the > negative copula, then the negative particle plus the negative copula. > > Example > > Child #1: You're silly. > Child #2: I NEG.PARTICLE COPULA. > Child #1: Yes you are. > Child #2: I NEG.COPULA!! > Child #1: You are too! > Child #2: I NEG.PARTICLE NEG.COPULA!!! > > Double negatives notwithstanding, emphasis would be come higher each > time. Normally, one would simply use the negative copula, but this > special case seems interesting to me. > > Can you name a few of the languages that do have the negative copula? > > Scotto > >
It slipped my mind, but Korean does have another verb that is exactly the negative copula! I kept racking my brains for it when I last replied but couldn't remember. Now I do. The word's "anida". So, your example conversation would be A: Pabo-eyo! (Silly-person.COP) B: Aniyeo! (No) A: Keuraeyo! (That is so!) B: Anieyo! (NEGCOP) A: Keuraecchago! B: Aniyeo, anieyo! (No, NEGCOP!) Note, of course, the confusing similarity between "aniyeo" and "anieyo" (a conjugated form of "anida") when Romanised. When spoken or written in Korean, the problem disappears. Eugene

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Scotto Hlad <scott.hlad@...>