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  3. The teacher said "In English a double negative forms a positive.

The teacher said "In English a double negative forms a positive.

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  • kibcol1049@mstdn.socialK kibcol1049@mstdn.social

    The teacher said "In English a double negative forms a positive. In some languages, though, such as Russian, a double negative is still a negative. However, there is no language wherein a double positive can form a negative."
    A voice from the back of the room piped up, "Yeah, right."

    lactarius@mamutovo.czL This user is from outside of this forum
    lactarius@mamutovo.czL This user is from outside of this forum
    lactarius@mamutovo.cz
    wrote last edited by
    #63

    @kibcol1049 Fucking Bastard...

    1 Reply Last reply
    0
    • E This user is from outside of this forum
      E This user is from outside of this forum
      ef@mastodon.bsd.cafe
      wrote last edited by
      #64

      @AlexanderVI @rzeta0 @kibcol1049 disagree. The taught rule is, based on the mathematical rule but it is not actually the case. Even QI klaxoned it! The context defines whether it applies or not.

      Admittedly it is seen as poor form and it can usually be avoided but the taught adsolute rule is not correct.

      E 1 Reply Last reply
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      • E ef@mastodon.bsd.cafe

        @AlexanderVI @rzeta0 @kibcol1049 disagree. The taught rule is, based on the mathematical rule but it is not actually the case. Even QI klaxoned it! The context defines whether it applies or not.

        Admittedly it is seen as poor form and it can usually be avoided but the taught adsolute rule is not correct.

        E This user is from outside of this forum
        E This user is from outside of this forum
        ef@mastodon.bsd.cafe
        wrote last edited by
        #65

        @AlexanderVI @rzeta0 @kibcol1049 even though the article is clear as mud, it does explain https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double_negative

        kibcol1049@mstdn.socialK 1 Reply Last reply
        0
        • lily_and_frog@mastodon.artL lily_and_frog@mastodon.art

          @eleder @jack @Wolf_Baginski @kibcol1049

          That's opening a totally different can of worm about how to respond to a negative question!!!

          "Are you not finishing that?"

          Does "yes" means "I will finish it" or "your statement is correct, I will not finish it".

          I've learnt recently that French uses "si" (I will finish it) instead of "yes" (your statement is correct, i will not finish it) to answer a negative question. Native French speaker myself, I feel a bit ashamed about not knowing it before.

          wynke@mendeddrum.orgW This user is from outside of this forum
          wynke@mendeddrum.orgW This user is from outside of this forum
          wynke@mendeddrum.org
          wrote last edited by
          #66

          @Lily_and_frog @eleder @jack @Wolf_Baginski @kibcol1049 German has a word for that, 'doch', which as I understand means something like 'on the contrary' but far less formal (even though it's German) and used specifically for replies to negative questions.

          jack@mastodon.sdf.orgJ 1 Reply Last reply
          0
          • kibcol1049@mstdn.socialK kibcol1049@mstdn.social

            The teacher said "In English a double negative forms a positive. In some languages, though, such as Russian, a double negative is still a negative. However, there is no language wherein a double positive can form a negative."
            A voice from the back of the room piped up, "Yeah, right."

            zer0unplanned@friendica.rogueproject.orgZ This user is from outside of this forum
            zer0unplanned@friendica.rogueproject.orgZ This user is from outside of this forum
            zer0unplanned@friendica.rogueproject.org
            wrote last edited by
            #67
            @kibcol1049 So nonnegotiable is negotiable?
            1 Reply Last reply
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            • lankohr@mastodon.socialL lankohr@mastodon.social

              @sibrosan @kibcol1049 Insert your poly and non-binary versions.

              asprinkleofsage@mastodon.socialA This user is from outside of this forum
              asprinkleofsage@mastodon.socialA This user is from outside of this forum
              asprinkleofsage@mastodon.social
              wrote last edited by
              #68

              @lankohr @sibrosan @kibcol1049 A man sends his polygamous wife a text to get the other husband to go to the grocery store for a loaf of bread...

              He follows up with "and if they have eggs, get a dozen". The programmer wife returns home with 12 husbands and says: "They had eggs."

              lankohr@mastodon.socialL 1 Reply Last reply
              0
              • E This user is from outside of this forum
                E This user is from outside of this forum
                ef@mastodon.bsd.cafe
                wrote last edited by
                #69

                @AlexanderVI @rzeta0 @kibcol1049 sorry but saying the same thing repeatedly do not make it so. Happy to read any evidence supplied.

                1 Reply Last reply
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                • E ef@mastodon.bsd.cafe

                  @AlexanderVI @rzeta0 @kibcol1049 even though the article is clear as mud, it does explain https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double_negative

                  kibcol1049@mstdn.socialK This user is from outside of this forum
                  kibcol1049@mstdn.socialK This user is from outside of this forum
                  kibcol1049@mstdn.social
                  wrote last edited by
                  #70

                  @EF @AlexanderVI @rzeta0 👍

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                  • asprinkleofsage@mastodon.socialA asprinkleofsage@mastodon.social

                    @lankohr @sibrosan @kibcol1049 A man sends his polygamous wife a text to get the other husband to go to the grocery store for a loaf of bread...

                    He follows up with "and if they have eggs, get a dozen". The programmer wife returns home with 12 husbands and says: "They had eggs."

                    lankohr@mastodon.socialL This user is from outside of this forum
                    lankohr@mastodon.socialL This user is from outside of this forum
                    lankohr@mastodon.social
                    wrote last edited by
                    #71

                    @ASprinkleofSage @sibrosan @kibcol1049 It's also polyfunny.

                    1 Reply Last reply
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                    • kibcol1049@mstdn.socialK kibcol1049@mstdn.social

                      @Lily_and_frog @eleder @jack @Wolf_Baginski The text book English language rules are different to the current spoken language trends. The meaning is usually clear when spoken even though grammatically incorrect. I feel sorry for non English speakers.

                      deltawye@tiggi.esD This user is from outside of this forum
                      deltawye@tiggi.esD This user is from outside of this forum
                      deltawye@tiggi.es
                      wrote last edited by
                      #72

                      @kibcol1049 @Lily_and_frog @eleder @jack @Wolf_Baginski I was going to say - at least where I’m at in the United States, if someone says in the vernacular “It ain’t no…” that double negative is understood to be a negative.

                      1 Reply Last reply
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                      • echopapa@social.tchncs.deE echopapa@social.tchncs.de

                        @kibcol1049

                        Bavarian:

                        "Bei uns hod no nia ned koana koa Bia ned drunga!"

                        zynmaster@troet.cafeZ This user is from outside of this forum
                        zynmaster@troet.cafeZ This user is from outside of this forum
                        zynmaster@troet.cafe
                        wrote last edited by
                        #73

                        @echopapa Im Ruhrpott so: *Ja, ja!* heißt "Leck mich am Ar*** ☝️

                        In the Ruhr area, we say "Yeah, yeah!" actually means "Kiss my ass" ☝️

                        @kibcol1049

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                        • wynke@mendeddrum.orgW wynke@mendeddrum.org

                          @Lily_and_frog @eleder @jack @Wolf_Baginski @kibcol1049 German has a word for that, 'doch', which as I understand means something like 'on the contrary' but far less formal (even though it's German) and used specifically for replies to negative questions.

                          jack@mastodon.sdf.orgJ This user is from outside of this forum
                          jack@mastodon.sdf.orgJ This user is from outside of this forum
                          jack@mastodon.sdf.org
                          wrote last edited by
                          #74

                          @wynke @Lily_and_frog @eleder @Wolf_Baginski @kibcol1049 "On the contrary", but in an affirmative way. So to say.

                          wynke@mendeddrum.orgW 1 Reply Last reply
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                          • jack@mastodon.sdf.orgJ jack@mastodon.sdf.org

                            @wynke @Lily_and_frog @eleder @Wolf_Baginski @kibcol1049 "On the contrary", but in an affirmative way. So to say.

                            wynke@mendeddrum.orgW This user is from outside of this forum
                            wynke@mendeddrum.orgW This user is from outside of this forum
                            wynke@mendeddrum.org
                            wrote last edited by
                            #75

                            @jack @Lily_and_frog @eleder @Wolf_Baginski @kibcol1049 Yes, that's how I understand it (I'm Dutch, not German).

                            1 Reply Last reply
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                            • lankohr@mastodon.socialL This user is from outside of this forum
                              lankohr@mastodon.socialL This user is from outside of this forum
                              lankohr@mastodon.social
                              wrote last edited by
                              #76

                              @AlexanderVI @EF @rzeta0 @kibcol1049 Depends on the definition of education. To me they criticized dumb, blind memorized ... stuff.

                              lankohr@mastodon.socialL 1 Reply Last reply
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                              • lankohr@mastodon.socialL lankohr@mastodon.social

                                @AlexanderVI @EF @rzeta0 @kibcol1049 Depends on the definition of education. To me they criticized dumb, blind memorized ... stuff.

                                lankohr@mastodon.socialL This user is from outside of this forum
                                lankohr@mastodon.socialL This user is from outside of this forum
                                lankohr@mastodon.social
                                wrote last edited by
                                #77

                                @AlexanderVI @EF @rzeta0 @kibcol1049 because that would be another brick in the wall.

                                1 Reply Last reply
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                                • sinabhfuil@mastodon.ieS sinabhfuil@mastodon.ie

                                  @kibcol1049 Also, of course, the usage in Ireland “I will, yeah”

                                  plumbert@thecanadian.socialP This user is from outside of this forum
                                  plumbert@thecanadian.socialP This user is from outside of this forum
                                  plumbert@thecanadian.social
                                  wrote last edited by
                                  #78

                                  @sinabhfuil. And in every bureaucracy (corporate and public) ever "Sure, OK."

                                  @kibcol1049

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                                  • echopapa@social.tchncs.deE echopapa@social.tchncs.de

                                    @kibcol1049

                                    Bavarian:

                                    "Bei uns hod no nia ned koana koa Bia ned drunga!"

                                    andreas_sturm@mastodon.socialA This user is from outside of this forum
                                    andreas_sturm@mastodon.socialA This user is from outside of this forum
                                    andreas_sturm@mastodon.social
                                    wrote last edited by
                                    #79

                                    @echopapa@social.tchncs.d "A Recht host. Schon weilst a Preis bist" (Austrian) 😅😂 "Your are right, simply because you're Prussian" - sounds positive but means that the other person is neither right nor will they be proved right, simply because they are German.

                                    @kibcol1049

                                    1 Reply Last reply
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                                    • the_wub@mastodon.socialT the_wub@mastodon.social

                                      @mfeilner @kibcol1049 @chillicampari Then there is "jo" in Norwegian which (among other uses) is a "Yes" that preceeds the other person first affirming and then disagreeing with you in some way.

                                      "Kan jeg ta bussen herfra til Ullevaal?"

                                      "Can I get to Ullevaal from here by bus?"

                                      "Jo, men det er lettere å ta en taxi"

                                      "Yes, but it is easier to take a taxi".

                                      mfeilner@mastodon.socialM This user is from outside of this forum
                                      mfeilner@mastodon.socialM This user is from outside of this forum
                                      mfeilner@mastodon.social
                                      wrote last edited by
                                      #80

                                      @the_wub @kibcol1049 @chillicampari "Doch!"

                                      the_wub@mastodon.socialT 1 Reply Last reply
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                                      • kibcol1049@mstdn.socialK kibcol1049@mstdn.social

                                        The teacher said "In English a double negative forms a positive. In some languages, though, such as Russian, a double negative is still a negative. However, there is no language wherein a double positive can form a negative."
                                        A voice from the back of the room piped up, "Yeah, right."

                                        andreas_sturm@mastodon.socialA This user is from outside of this forum
                                        andreas_sturm@mastodon.socialA This user is from outside of this forum
                                        andreas_sturm@mastodon.social
                                        wrote last edited by
                                        #81

                                        @kibcol1049 In German it varies from case to case. Emphasis, gestures, facial expressions, comma placement, context, the personal relationship, geographical region or dialect and regional humour - all is playing a role.

                                        "Ja ja" - "yeah yeah" / "yes yes" can be positive but just as easily negative.

                                        1 Reply Last reply
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                                        • stevewfolds@mastodon.worldS stevewfolds@mastodon.world

                                          @kibcol1049
                                          First day of English class, prof says that there two words that he never wants to see or hear. One of them is “nice” and the other is lousy. Someone in the back asks, “what are the two words?”

                                          npettiaux@mamot.frN This user is from outside of this forum
                                          npettiaux@mamot.frN This user is from outside of this forum
                                          npettiaux@mamot.fr
                                          wrote last edited by
                                          #82

                                          @stevewfolds @kibcol1049 thanks. I have appreciated and written a little based on your words

                                          1 Reply Last reply
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