Double negatives and linguistics

clayton stirling bartholomew c.s.bartholomew at worldnet.att.net
Sun Sep 26 12:42:24 EDT 1999


> N & RJ Hanscamp wrote:
> 
> Recently read in the OM Relay newsletter....
> 
> A linguistics professor was lecturing to his class one day. "In
> English," he said, "a double negative forms a positive. In some
> languages, though, such as Greek, 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."
> 
Nigel,

"Yeah, right" includes a non grammatical element which is irony.

Clay


-- 
Clayton Stirling Bartholomew
Three Tree Point
P.O. Box 255 Seahurst WA 98062



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