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CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY
BOUGHT WITH THE INCOME OF THE SAGE ENDOWMENT FtJND .QiyiN. IN .1891 BY r,
HENRY WILLIAMS SAGE
PE 1199.J5T"
""'*""•" "^'"^
'**ffili{!iiM'a'l!.,S.nl.9Mr..!anouaQes.
3 1924 026 632 947
The tine
original of
tiiis
book
is in
Cornell University Library.
There are no known copyright
restrictions in
the United States on the use of the
text.
http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924026632947
Det Kgl. Danske Videnskabernes Selskab. Historisk-filologiske Meddelelser.
1,5.
NEGATION IN
ENGLISH AND OTHER LANGUAGES BY
OTTO JESPERSEN
K0BENHAVN HOVEDKOMMISSION^R: ANDR.FRED.H0ST & S0N, KGL. H0F-B06HANDEL
BIANCO LUNOS BOGTRYKKERl 1917
nucleus of the following disquisition
The
collected during in vol. Ill or
MEG),
IV
of
my
which the
of
many years
is
the material
for the chapter
on Negatives
Modern English Grammar (abbreviated
first
two volumes appeared
1914 respectively (Winter, Heidelberg).
me
prevented
(provisionally,
my
tinuation of
book,
I
as the
and
war has
hope) from printing the con-
have thought
I
But
in 1909
fit
to enlarge the scope
paper by including remarks on other languages so as
of this
to deal with the question of Negation in general as expressed
Though
in language.
adequacy pages
history,
my
of
may
I
am
studies,
it
painfully conscious of the in-
my
is
hope that the following
be of some interest to the student of linguistic
and that even a few
some use to the
logician.
My
of
my
work
in
paragraphs
what DELBRtJCK has written on negation languages (Vergl.
Syntax
519
2.
if.),
may
be of
some respects continues in
Indo-European
but while he was more
interested in tracing things back to the "ursprache",
I
have
taken more interest in recent developments and in questions of general
psychology and
With regard languages
I
logic.
to the older stages of Teutonic or Germanic
have learned much from B. Delbruck, Germa-
nische Syntax
I.
Zu
den negativen Satzen (Sachs. Gesellsch.
Wissensch. Leipzig 1910), supplemented by G. Neckel,
den germanischen Negationen
Of much
(in
Kuhn's Zeitschr.
d.
Zu
45, 1912).
less value are the treatments of the specially Old
English negatives in M. Knork, Die Negation in der alteng1*
4
Otto Jespersen.
and M. Raubrt, Die Negation in den Werken Alfred's (Kiel 1910) as well as E. Einenkel, Die englische Verbalnegation (in Anglia 35, 1911, .p. 187 ff. and liscken Dichtung (Kiel 1907)
401
As
ff.)-
English;
in
my
Grammar,
many
a great
my
chief interest
interesting
in
accessible to us
is
everyday conversation as well as in an all-comprehensive
literature.
much
Besides,
of
what
follows will be proof posi-
tive that the English language has not stagnated in the
period, as Einenkel ist
Modern
problems can be best
treated in connexion with a language that in
is
would have us believe
(p.
234 "Bei Caxton
Further literature
der heutige zustand bereits erreicht").
on the subject
be quoted below; here
will
only the suggestive remarks in
J.
I
CHAPTER
mention
shall
van Ginnekbn,
(Amsterdam
de linguistique psychologiqae
modern
Principes
et Paris 1907, 199
ff.).
I
General Tendencies.
The
history of negative expressions in various languages
makes us witness the following curious fluctuation the :
negative adverb therefore
is first
strengthened,
word, and this in
and
may then in
ment
its
original
weakened, then found insufficient and generally through
turn
may
be
felt as
some additional
the negative proper
course of time be subject to the
same develop-
as the original word.
Similar renewals of linguistic expressions in other
domains as
may be found but in this instance they are due
well,
not only to the general inconstancy of specific
causes
human habits, but to on these particular words. The
operating
negative adverb very often
some other word stress of contrast
in the
— the
is
rather weakly stressed, because
same sentence
receives the strong
chief use of a negative sentence being
5
Negation.
to ^ontradict and to point a contrast.
which
is
logically very important,
is
The negative
thus
made
some other notion; and
tually subordinate to
notion,
to be accen-
as this
happens
constantly, the negative gradually becomes a mere proclitic syllable (or
even
than a
less
syllable) prefixed to
some other
word. The incongruity between the notional importance and the formal insignificance of the negative (often, perhaps, even
the fear of the hearer failing to perceive
make
the speaker to add something to
it)
may
then cause
the sense perfectly
clear to the hearer.
On
the other hand there
is
a natural tendency, also for
the sake of clearness, to place the negative
first,
or at
any
rate as soon as possible, very often immediately before the
particular
word to be negatived
At the very beginning
(generally the verb, see below).
of the sentence
often in the early stages of
it is
found comparatively
some languages, thus
in
oii
Homer
Od. VI 33, 57, 167, 201, 241, 279, VII 22,
(see, for instance, in
32, 67, 73, 159, 205, 239, 293, 309, besides the frequent in-
stances of ou gar; ou
is
far less frequent in the middle of sen-
Readers of Icelandic sagas will similarly have noticed
tences).
the numerous instances of eigi and ekki at the beginning of In later stages this ten-
sentences, especially in dialogues.
dency, which to us seems to indicate a strong tradiction, effectively first.
But
is
spirit of
con-
counterbalanced in various ways, thus very
by the habit it is still
of placing the subject of a sentence
strong in the case of prohibitions, where
it is
important to make the hearer realize as soon as possible
that
it is
not a permission that
is
imparted
;
hence in Danish
frequently such sentences as ikke spise det! with the infinitive
(which
is
chiefly or exclusively
due to 'echoism',
see
my
Nutidssprog hos b0rn og voxne, 1916, 164) or ikke spis det! with the imperative sig
noget endnu
the
German
|
;
ib.
cf.
Ibsen Vildanden 79
105
Men
Hys
— hys
ikke fordserv 0jnene
nicht hinauslehnen, etc.,
!
;
ikke
Further
corresponding to the
first
b
Otto Jespersen.
mentioned Danish form; and we night also include prohibitions in other languages, Lat. noli putare, etc.
Now, when the negative begins a of that very position
more
sentence,
it is
on account
than elsewhere to
liable
fall
out,
venture to coin the term of prosiopesis (the opposite of what has been termed of old apo"siopesis): the speaker begins to articulate, or thinks he begins
by the phenomenon
for
which
I
to articulate, but produces no audible sound (either for .
want
because he does not put his vocal chords in
of expiration, or
the proper position)
till
one or two syllables after the begin-
ning of what he intended to say. The phenomenon
and
cularly frequent,
may become
is
parti-
a regular speech-habit, in
may
the case of certain set phrases, but
spread from these to
other parts of the language.
Some examples
of prosiopesis outside the domain of negatives be given here by way of illustration. Forms of salutation like E. morning for Good morning, Dan. (God) dag, G. (Guten) tag are frequent in many languages. Further colloquial E. See? for Do you see (Do you re)member that chap? (WiU) that do? (I'm a)fraid not (The) fact is ... (When you) come to think of it (I shall) see you again this afternoon (Have you) seen the Murrays lately? (Is) that you, John? (God) bless you. Colloquial Fr. turellement for naturellement (en)tends-tu? (Est-ce) convenu? (Je ne me) {Par) faitement
may
I
\
\
|
\
\
\
|
\
\
\
Swedish {(!)d)mjukaste
The interplay
of
these
curiously similar, though in
and
Latin with
in
in
A
Enghsh.
its
tjenare.
tendencies
strengthening, and protraction
ments
|
\
rappelle plus.
—
will
—
weakening and
be seen to lead to
some respects
different develop-
continuation French, in Scandinavian,
rapid sketch of the history of negatives in
may, therefore, be an appropriate introduction to the more specified investigations of the following
these three languages
chapters.
The tive ne,
starting point in all three languages
which
I
is the old negatake to be (together with the variant me) a
primitive interjection of disgust, accompanied
by the
facial
gesture of contracting the muscles of the nose (Dan. rynke
pa
:
7
Negation.
nsesen, G. die nose rumpfen, Fr. froncer les iiarines; the E. to
up one's nose is not so expressive). This natural
turn, or to screw,
origin will account for the fact that negatives beginning with
m)
nasals (n,
many
are found in
languages outside the Indo-
European family.
we have
In Laiin, then, (1)
at first sentences like
ne dice.
This persists with a few verbs only, nescio, nequeo, nolo.
Ne
also enters into the well
numquam, nemo, ne
.
known combinations
quidem, quin,
.
and
etc.,
is
neque, neuter, also used "as
a conjunction" in subjunctival clauses; further as an
"inter-
rogative particle" in scis-ne? 'you know, don't you?'.
otherwise ne
is felt
to be too weak, and
But
strengthened, by
it is
the addition of oenum 'one thing'; the resulting non becomes
the usual negative adverb and like ne
is
generally placed
before the verb:
non
(2)
dico.
In Old French, non becomes nen, as in nenil, nenni, properly 'not he, not
weakening
ne
(3) jeo
French
but more usually with further phonetic get:
di.
form of negative expression survives
This
je
it',
and thus we
ne,
till
our
ne saurais
own days
le dire, je
the second ne, like the
in a
few combinations,
je
literary
ne
sais,
ne peux,. nHmporte; but in most cases, first,
was
felt
to be too weak, and a
strengthening was found to be necessary, though in a different way,
in
namely by the addition
it is effected
after the verb,
thus separated from ne, of some such word as mie
'a
crumb',
point 'a point', or pas *a step': (4) je
ne dis pas (or rather:
Everyday ne,
re'
colloquial
disappears and
(5) je dis pas.
je
re'
dis pas).
French does not stop here: the weak
we have
as the provisionally final stage
:
.
b
Otto Jespersen. If
we turn
to Old Norse,
we
=
the old ne before the verb, inherited from Old Arian,
OS.
ni,
(1)
OHG.
OE
ni,
Haraldr ne
of
some remnants
find
first
Got.
ne; thus
veit; cf.
Lokasenna:
fii
gefa ne skyldir 'thou
shouldst not give'.
by adding
This was strengthened in various ways,
=
thing'
= Got.
Got. ainata, or
a,
aiw, Lat. ievum, but
a weakened form of at;
which
may
is
generally explained as
according to
(2)
Haraldr ne
Kock be merely
both were placed after the verb and
eventually became enclitic quasi-suffixes
veit-at
at 'one
veit-at; or,
;
the result being
with a different word -order, ne
Haraldr.
In the latter combination, however, ne was dropped through prosiopesis (3) veit-at
Haraldr.
This form, with
enough
-at or -a as
in poetry; in prose,
the negative element,
way
however, another
is
frequent
of strength-
ening the negative was preferred as having "more body",
namely by means first
of eigi or ekki after the
negative idea, as they are like
verb
;
these also at
must have had a ne before the verb as the bearer the corresponding
which was at
first
OE
positive
compounded a, (it
and
eitt
of
ei,
orig.
'one (neutr.)'
of the
'always'
+ge,
gi,
corresponds to Got. hun, having
a voiced consonant in consequence of
weak
stress; see Del-
brtick for relation to Sanskr. cand) but acquired a negative signification
through constant employment in negative sen-|
tences. This, then,
languages;
e. g.
becomes the usual negative in Scimdinavian ej (now chiefly poetical; colloquial only
Dan.
in a
few more or
ej")
and ikke (with regard to
less settled
combinations
like "nej, jeg vil
The use of the with a verb has in these languages disappeared centuries ago, leaving as the only curious remnant the first sound of nogen, which is, however, a positive pronoun inte see below).
original negative ne
'some, any', from ne veit {ek) hverr 'nescio quis'. Sic transit
9
Negation.
The Danish
ikke shares with
French colloquial pas the
disadvantage of being placed after the verb: jeg veed ikke just as je sais pas, even after the verb det veed jeg ikke ;
and subject
in cases like
but in dependent clauses we have protraction
of ikke: at jeg ikke veed
\
fordi jeg ikke veed, etc.
In English the development has been along similar lines,
though with some interesting new
due chiefly to
results,
changes that have taken place in the Modern English period.
The
was
starting point, as in the other languages,
(1) ic
This
ne secge. is
the prevalent form throughout the
OE
period,
though the stronger negatives which were used (and required)
whenever there was no verb, na (from
ON
ei),
nalles 'not at
meaning
'nothing'),
all',
ree
+
=
a
Got. aiw,
and noht (from nawiht, nowiht,
orig.
were by no means rare after the verb to
strengthen the preceding ne. The last was the word surviving in
ME
Standard English, and thus we get the typical (2)
form
/ ne seye not.
Here ne was pronounced with so
little stress
that
it
was apt
to disappear altogether, and not becomes the regular negative in all cases:
/ say
(3)
not.
This point
— the practical disappearance the not — was reached
exclusive use of
Thus to
far the English
in
then
(2) ne,
means the
nicht
and the
development presents an exact parallel
what had happened during the same period
Here also we find as the
is
of ne
fifteenth century.
German.
earliest stage (1) ni before the verb,
often weakened
syllabic n) before
in
into n- or en (which probably
and niht
after the verb
;
niht of course
compound that corresponds to E. not; and finally (3) alone. The rules given in Paul's Mittelhochdeutsche
Grammatik
(4th ed. 1894) § 310
ff.
for the use of ne alone
and
10
Otto Jespersen.
be applied to Middle date with hardly any change
with niht and of the latter alone English of about the
same
migM
the correspondence.
except in the form of the words, so close
is
But German remains
development reached
at the stage of
ne, en
towards the end of the middle period, when the weak
Jiad been given up; and thus the negative continues in the awkward position after the verb. We saw the same thing in
colloquial Fr. pas
and in Dan. ikke but these are never separa-
ted from the verb
German, the
;
by so many words
as
is
often the case in
some-
result being that the hearer or reader is
and thinks that the sentence is to be understood in a positive sense, till suddenly he comes upon the nicht, which changes everything; see, for instance "Das times bewildered at
leben
end
ist
first
der gtiter hochstes nicht".
of the following sentence as
I
remember
something
like
when
it in an article by Gabelentz (Zeitschr. f volkerpsychol. "Man unterschatze den deutschen stil der zopfzeit, den
reading 8.153)
feeling the
a shock
.
der canzleien des vorigen und vorvorigen jahrhunderts nicht". In dependent clauses nicht, like other subjuncts, before the verb: dass er nicht
kommt
\
wenn
is
placed
er nicht. kommt.
we witness a development The Elizabethans began to
In English, on the other hand,
that obviates this disadvantage.
use the auxiUary do indiscriminately in i)ut
gradually
it
was
all
kinds of sentences,
restricted to those sentences in
which
it
served either the purpose of emphasis or a grammatical purpose.
In those questions in which the subject
is
not an inter-
rogatory pronoun, which has to stand
first, do effects a compromise between the interrogatory word-order (verb-subject)
and the universal tendency to have the subject before the verb (that is, the verb that means something) as in "Did he come?" (See Progress in Lang. p. 93 for parallels from other
And in sentences containing not a similar comachieved by the same means, not retaining its place
languages).
promise
is
11
Negation.
after the verb
which indicates
number and
tense,
person, and
yet being placed before the really important verb. Thus we get / do not say.
(4)
Note that we have a corresponding word -order in numerous sentences like / will not say
But
etc.
\
I cannot say
stressed pronunciation
and through
;
I have not said,
|
keep up
in this position, not cannot its
strongly
its
weakening we arrive
at the colloquial (5) / don't say.
many
In here,
combinations even the sound
and thus nowiht, nought has been
[t] is
often dropped
reduced to a
finally
simple [n] tagged on to an auxiliary of no particular signification.
If
we
common
contrast an extremely
two opposite statements / can do
of the
and
it
pronunciation / cannot do
the negative notion will be found to be expressed else
but a
du-
it].
slight
Note
change of the vowel
also the
ksen du-
[ai
extreme reduction in
"a
and
nothing
tically
that some
new
[ai
dm-maind] or
is left of
[ai
it
|
ai ka-n
familiar pro-
nunciation of / don't know and / don't mind as or [ai d-nou]
it,
by nothing
[ai
dn-nou]
d-maind], where prac-
the original negative.
device of strengthening
may
It is possible
at
some future
date be required to remedy such reductions. It is interesting to
and
(5)
observe that through the stages (4)
the English language has acquired a negative con-
struction that
we have
is
closely similar to that found in Finnish,
before an unchanged
main verb: en
sido
I
do not bind,
sido thou dost not bind, ei sido he does not bind,
we
.
.
There
.,
where
a negative auxiliary, inflected in the various persons
ette
is,
the tense
sido
you
(pi)
.
.
.,
eivdt sido
emme
et
sido
they do not bind.
however, the important difference that in Finnish is
marked not
in the auxiliary, but in the
the main verb: en sitonut
I
did not bind,
did not bind (sitonut, pi sitoneet
is
emme
a participle).
form
sitoneet
of
we
;
Otto Jespersen.
12
few things must be added here to supplement the brief
A
sketch of the evolution of English negatives.
The
old ne in
some frequently occurring combinations lost its vowel and was fused with the following word thus we have the following ;
and negative words:
pairs of positive (a)
verbs (given in late
ME.
forms):
— nam — nart —
am art is
nis
has -^ nas had(de)
— nad(de)
— nas — nere(n) — — nolde wolde was
were(n) will(e)
These had
which
nill,
is
all
ni!l(e)
become extinct before theMnE.
found rarely,
Kyd
e. g.
Sp.
I.
period, except
4. 7. I
nill
refuse
twice in pseudo-Shakespearian passages: Pilgr. 188 in scorn or friendship, nill relate.
will you, nill 1.
19);
nill ye,
I
construe whether
Shakespeare himself has
you (Shr.
and the
which
latter
all
II.
W.
Byron
D J.
6.
Per. Ill prol. 55
I, nill I; will ye,
would yield the same phonetic 118 Will
I
—
spelt
Nill
I
as
— where both the person
{he)
result) sur-
separate
(rimes with silly)
64 they would obtrude themselves, will he,
him
words (given
one, an, a
\
Allen
upon
and the tense shows that
— neither
forms):
— none,
— naught,
— nor ever — never.
or
MnE.
(OE an)
aught, ought either
in
words,
nill he,
the whole has really become one unanalyzed adverb. (b) other
I nill
273) and will he, nill he (Hml. V.
combination (or will
vives in mod. willy-nilly, rarely as in
|
only in the combinations
it
no
nought, not
;
13
Negation.
It
should be remembered that no represents two etymolo-
OE
gically distinct combinations:
also in nowhere);
The
OE
and
in nobody, nothing), cf.
MEG.
ne II
130
the snow ne were, but
other negative word not suffre
ne watre
:
45
52 ne ben not
1
181 ne
|
may not
of isolated ne in that play
.
.
it
.
Gammer
ill
No
?
(3) is seen, for in-
where ne by is
rare:
itself is
more frequent with some 51 yee ne schulle
\
58 there nys nouther mete for hors
|
But ne
nevere.
enlarge
is
and
ne reynethe not
it
you
are
:
16. 7.
in Mandeville (14th c),
45 they
a (as in
transition between stages (2)
stance, zif
ne an (as in no man, also
-\-
.
not required, see
is
—A
reyneth not.
it
e. g.
example
late
140 he ne can; the usual negative
is not.
Before the do-construction was fully developed, there was
a certain tendency to place not before the verb, in of sentences, thus not only in
in word-order
between main sentences and dependent
which we have alluded to
kinds
all
dependent clauses (the difference
in
clauses,
Scandinavian and German, was
never carried through in English).
The word-order
"And
in
God let me neuer thrive" for performe not by Puttenham, The Arte of Engl. Poesie 1589,
not performe,
if
I
is
considered
a "pardonable fault" which ''many times giues a
p. 262, as
pretie grace
vnto the speech"
it is
;
pretty frequent in Shake-
speare, see Al. Schmidt, Lex. p. 779, but
Examples: Sh. H4B. IV. III. 2.
217 For
IV.
2.
(ib.
IV.
1
who
1.
107
it
is
rare after the 17th
not appeares to
|
meruell our mild husband Not met vs on the
2.
50 both orders closely together)
not doubt
I
Otway 239
if I
not revenge
Brooke Poems 23 Himself not
When
lives,
Tp.
II.
1.
121
I
|
but
;
way
Thy sufferings Cowper is
inebriate
Rup.
|
a thing that
do became the ordinary accompaniment of
at first extended to all verbs
Lr.
|
I
|
c.
Hml.
not needs, shall neuer lacke a frend
Task IV. 39 the cups That cheer but not
was not
me
cries.
not, it
besides the well-known
instances with can, may, must, will, shall, am, have, dare, need.
;
14
Otto Jespersen.
ought
we must
here mention know, which
was long used
in the
and often
in the seventeenth
the
form know
now
and even in In poetry forms
in the eighteenth
part of the nineteenth century.
first
takes do, but
thus pretty regularly
not,
now
without do are by no means rare, but they are
must
archaisms, and as such
also be
is
probably done in direct imitation of Biblical
usage, thus in Bennett
comprehended not
also in
know.
Hope I
—
cf.
is
1.
47 Somehow, in a
A. V. John
—
Lat. nolo, Engl,
ne
sais,
way
that Darius
the light shineth it
not. Perhaps I
combination occurs Luke
this
a curious agreement
tive construction after
je
And
don't 2.
50
in the Bible.
in the kind of verbs that tend to
cf.
1. 5.
Haddington breaking up?
F. 43 Isn't
understood not
and elsewhere There
G
and the darknesse comprehended
in darknesse,
as
In some in-
stances in which prose writers dispense with do. stances this
felt
considered those in-
MHG.
different lan guages
has been abandoned in other verbs
it
nill,
among
keep up an old type of nega-
MHG.
i-n weiz,
en will and Lat. ne
Eng. / know
not.
scio, Ft.
These syntactical
correspondences must, of course, have developed independently in each language
dencies on a
—
in consequence of natural
common basis. (But I do
explanation which
is
accepted
human
not beheve in Miklosich's
by Delbruck, Synt.
CHAPTER
ten-
2.
523).
II
Strengthening of Negatives.
There are various ways of strengthening negatives. Sometimes it seems as if the essential thing were only to increase the phonetic bulk of the adverb
meaning, as when in
by an addition of no particular Latin non was preferred to ne, non being
according' to the explanation generally accepted
compounded
15
Negation.
(= unum)
and oenum
of ne
the addition serves to
But
'one' (neutr.).
make
most cases
in
the negative more impressive as
being more vivid or picturesque, generally through an exaggeration, as
when
substantives meaning something very small
Some
are used as subjuncts.
Engl, examples will show
how
additions of this kind are often used more or less incongruously,
no regard being taken to
GE
|
TroUope D.
ment's fault a bit I
Di D. 649
it's
|
1.
189
Kipling
J. 2.
not a bit of use
among them,
hid
know one
A. 173 She didn't
gentleman
I
\
how
bit
don't believe
1
to speak to a it
was Pepper-
127 he was not a bit impressed |
Scott A.
suppose.' 'Not a
/of.'
|
17 'An accomphce
2.
Kipling
|
Shaw P. 55 Am Were you tired ? Not
got a sniff of any ticket
— Not a scrap
meaning:
their etymological
not to care at
I
—
58 Never
S.
a scrap
|
all
?
Philips L.
93 he doesn't care a snap of his strong fingers whether he ever
me
sees
that
again
Doyle M. 29 he doesn't care a
|
about
Kipling L. 112 the real world doesn't care a tinker's
I
doesn't care a bit [he breaks oil
worth a
damn, or
tinker's
Page
491
J.
I
;
curse,
Who now cares
Review 1917. 328 I
toss
cf
.
see
all
—
Farmer & Henley, not Lawrence Fortn.
also
a tinker's curse for Cheops?]
don't give a blank what you think.
Collections of similar expressions have been
made by
J.
Hein
"tjber die bildliche verneiriung in der mittelenglischen poesie'^
(Angha
15.
41 and 396
ff.)
andH.
Willert
"Uber
bildliche ver-
neinung im neuenglischen" (Herrigs Archiv 105.36
term
"bildliche verneinimg",
is
The
by the way, does not seem a
very happy one for these combinations, as tion itself that
if.).
it is
not the nega-
expressed figuratively; the term would be
more suitably applied to some
of the instances
I
have collected
below under the heading of "Indirect negatives". There
which i.
e.
is
is
a curious use of the word cat in this connexion
paralleled in Danish (der er ikke en kat der veed det,,
nobody) in Philips L. 285 there
is
not a cat he knows
Otto Jespersen.
16
(cf.
R.
the old:
shold not auaylle
it
me
a cattes tayl, Caxton
50).
order belong, of course, the well-known French
To the same
words already alluded
goutte, pas, point.
mie (obsolete),
to,
etc., Originally pas could only be used with a verb of motion, but the etymological meaning of all these words was soon
forgotten,
and they came to be used with
— Similar
all
kinds of verbs.
supplements to negatives are frequent in
lan-
all
guages; I have noted, for instance, the Itahan "non mi battero un fico secco'" (Bersezio, BoUa di sapone 71). In Dan. spor 'trace' etc.,
is
the most usual addition: "ban Iseser ikke spor",
by
followed
partitive af not only before subs., as in "der
var ikke spor af avisef, but also before adjs. and verbs: "han A. Skram, Lucie 187 Han skulde ikke er ikke spor af bange" \
fare op, ikke spor af fare op.
jeg
mig
frequent combination
We
must here
simply 'not'
;
mention the extremely frequent
Thus Lat.
'not'.
Greek ouden, which has
nihil
?iot
a
bit,
also non, above),
(cf.
become the usual Mod.Gr. word
for
din (pronounced Sen), Engl, not from nought, nawiht.
'not'
Germ, ikke,
in-
meaning 'nothing' come to mean
these, of course, are closely related to
meaning
forstar
Another
ikke skygge 'not a shade'.
is
also
stances in which words
etc.,
One may even hear "Det
ikke spor af pa", where af has no object.
nicht (cf
Swed.
.
ON
icke; also
in educated speech,
vsettki)
;
further
Dan. and Swed.
ON
inte, in
Dan.
eittki,
Dan.
now obsolete
though very frequent within living memory
even in the highest classes; in dialects it,
as the
pronoun 'nothing',
int, etc.
it
The expanded form
forms,
et,
ekki from
chiefly
however
survives in
many
intet is still in
use
in literary style.
Where the word for 'nothing' becomes usual in the sense 'not', a new word is frequently formed for the pronoun: thus (probably) Lat. nihil, when non was degraded, Engl, nothing (besides nought, the fuller nichts.
But
in its turn, the
form
of not),
Dan. ingenting, G.
new word may be used
as a sub-
17
Negation.
junct meaning 'not', thus nihil (above), Engl, nothing as in nothing
word meaning is
the
loth, etc., see
Another way
is
OE
+a =
na (we
was very frequent
OE
in
and
South: canna, dinna,
etc.
;
later as a rival of not,
In Standard Engl,
where
dialects,
way
attached to auxiliaries in the same
is
ff.
Got. ni aiws, Germ, nie)
and has prevailed in Scotch and the northern it
36
II. 17.
by using some
'never' without its temporal signification. This
the case with
this 710
MEG.
treatment in
full
of strengthening the negative
as -nH in the
its role is
more
restricted; besides being used as a sentence-word in answers
found in combinations
it. is
more, see
MEG.
we have
this original
OE
from
ON ON
nan, ne
like whether or
8 sometimes
II. 16.
it
;
no
\
no
better,
no
may be doubtful whether
adverb or the pronominal adjective no
+ ««, see also ib.
— The corresponding
16. 7.
nei has given Engl, nay (on which see below); another
compound
of the
same
ei is eigi,
which gradually
loses
temporal signification and becomes the ordinary word for
its
and Neckel, KZ.
'not', see Delbriick,
45. 15
ff.
Engl, never also in some connexions comes to 'not': Kipling L. 109
know]
James
I
A
moved.
6 he
S.
never knew
I
knew
transitional case
it
that for a
mean merely
[= didn't moment Brown never
was
so chilly
Di. Do. 76 never once looking
is
over his shoulder.
a
Never in this sense
is
especially frequent before the (OE^V-
py) with a comparative (as in nevertheless), and in the com'no', which has become a kind of combination never a
=
(adjunct) pronoun, used to a great extent in some
pound
dialects (see
EDD.
:
never
a),
and very frequent
English, especially in the phrase never a word:
we be neuer
then deal
would
tell
||
Ch. C. 670
More U. 264 to neuer a penny
I
thou
the nearer
.
.
tell
ne're
.
coste
it
i
in colloquial
Gammer
134
nedeth never a
Gammer
136 he
you neuer a hen on-liue Eastw. 482 Canst Marlowe F. (1616) 759 thou canst not nere a one on't Sh. H4A. II. 1. 21 you [Q: they] will word a leaue
Vidensk. Selak.
1
|
|
Hist.-fllol.
Medd.
I, o.
2
18
Otto Jespersen.
allow us ne're a jourden [note the difference from: they will
never allow us a
j.]
|
232 the
man
H4 B.
Sh.
in the world keepes the
and have got a three-legged to cover
you
62 neuer a
answered never a word
and said never a word
lip,
II. 2.
|
mans thought
rode-way better then thine
|
|
|
Buny.
Di F. 445 he
GE. A. 62 when you're married,
stool to sit on,
and never a blanket
Stevenson JHF. 39 he answered never a word
Kipling L.-218 but never a word did Dick say of Maisie J. 2.
P.
bit his
53 but never a beast came to the shrine
|
|
|
id.
Wells T. 21
blank slopes, with never a sign of a decent beast.
A
Danish parallel
smuk Why, 406!
is
it's
—
1.
7
Jeg seer aldrig en
paa denne Helene.
plet
Never
Holberg Ul.
is
also used in surprised exclamations like
Shaw M. 203 Why, it's never No. way in Danish: det er da vel aldrig
never Bella!
In the same
Di F. 680
|
Bella!
Dan. aldrig also means
'not' in the
combination aldrig sa
snart 'no sooner' as in Goldschmidt Hjeml.
1.
105
Men
aldrig
saa snart var seiren vunden, fer den hos den seirende vakte
den dybeste anger.
The frequent adverbial strengthenings not at
gar
all,
pas du
tout,
nicht, etc., call for
of negatives as in
aldeles ikke, slet ikke,
durchaus
nicht,
no remark here.
It should be mentioned, however, that by no means and corresponding expressions in other languages are very often used without any reference to
what might
really be called 'means', in the
the instances just referred to there
element of 'never'.
In colloquial
same way as in no reference to the timeDan. one may sometimes
is
hear sentences like "Jeg synes, at brevet var ikke ud af stedet t0rt" for 'not the least'.
On the flux and reflux in Greek oudeis, strengthened into oude hds, soldered into ouih'hds, which was weakened into outMs, and replaced in its turn by oudds, see the interesting
19
Negation.
account in Meillet, Aperiju d'une histoire de 1913 290
la
Langue Grecque,
f.
On strengthening through repeated negation see chapterVII.
CHAPTER Positive
III
becomes Negative.
The best-known examples of a transition from positive to negative meaning are found in French. Through the pheno-
menon which
Breal aptly terms "contagion" words like pas,
which were extremely
point, jamais, plus, aucun, personne,
frequent in sentences containing ne with the verb, acquired
a negative colouring, and gradually came to be looked upon as more essential to express the negative notion than the diminutive ne. As this came to be used exclusively in immediate juxtaposition with a verb, the other words were in them-
when
selves sufficient to express the negative notion
was no
verb, at
jamais?" "Jamais."
Now we
|
"Ne vois-tu personne?" "Personne."
have everywhere quite regularly: Pas de
quoi pas?
\
le
compartiment des pas-fumeurs
31 Permettez-moi de
Daudet Sapho 134
II
there
perhaps in answers: "Ne viendra-t-il
first
lui dire
un
seul
\
?a!
Merimee
|
Pour2 Her.
mot, rien gw'un seul
frissonnait rien que d'y penser
|
id.
[
Numa
105 une chambre et un cabinet ... la chambre guke plus grande,
etc.
252 Mais
si
In a somewhat different
way Daudet
Tart. Alpes
vous croyez que Tartarin avait peur, pas plus!
Maupass. B^casse 201
\
et toute la ligne [tous les enfants assis
en ligne] mangeait jusqu'^ plus faim
[=
jusqu'a ce qu'ils n'eus^
sent plus faim].
The next verb. This
step
is
the leaving out of ne even where there
may have begun through prosiopesis in
and imperative sentences: (ne) viens-tu pas?
\
is
a
interrogative
(ne) dis pas 2*
(jal
20
Otto Jespersen.
Gf. also (II ne) faut
pas dire
may have
It
(ja!
been a con-
comitant circumstance in favour of the omission that
many
in
in rapid pronunciation
jamais
|
la
on
:
bonne n'a rien
may
which
ne,
it
is
sentences impossible or difficult to hear ne distinctly
\
n''a
je
pas
on
|
ne nie pas,
n'est
pas
n' arrive
on
\
Sentences-without
etc.
be heard any day in France, also among the
educated, begin to creep into literature, as in Halevy Notes 91 c'est pas ces gredins-la (ib.
93, 240, 239)
cepter ce qui est ?
|
|
|
92 J'ai pas
ib.
oil
in
(Similarly ne
is
now
which "correct grammar" requires
its
Rene Benjamin's Gaspard there In the case of plus this
of
it'
and
[j
n'y en a plus and
Rolland
vieille
is
scarcely a single
had not been obviated
this
devise
new development might
popular pronunciation, in which
no more
|
use without any pas,
ne
if
Fort
id
\
In the soldiers' conversa-
tions in
to frequent ambiguity,
69)
Maupass,
|
often omitted in those cases
for instance de peur qu'il vienne).
left.
(ib.
96 Voudrais-tu pas que je reprisse la
de haine?
!
pour rien
I'argent comptait
68 tu seras pas mal dans quelque temps 7.
qu'elle disait
Gone. Germ. L. 200 As pas peur
Vie 132 une famille
JGhr.
fini,
Daudet Sapho 207 Vaut-il pas mieux ac-
[j
lead
in the
an a ply] means 'there
an a plys] 'there
is
more
of
it'
is
(== literary
y en a plus). In plus de bruit we have a negative, but in Plus de bruit que de mal a positive expression, though here the pronunciation is always the same. Note il
il
the difference between Jean n'avait plus confiance and Jean n' avail pas plus confiance [que Pierre] of. also Jean n'avait pas ;
confiance,
non plus 'nor had
.'.
— There
is a curious consequence of this negative use of plus, namely that mains may occasionally appear as a kind of comparative of its etymological
antithesis:
Merimee
.
.
2 Her. 50 Plus d'ecoles, plus d'asiles, plus
de bienfaisance, encore moins de theologie.
One
final
remark before we leave French.
From a psyexactly the same process that leads to the omission of ne in two sentences like il (ne) voit chological point of view
it is
21
Negation.
nul danger and
aucun danger; but etymologically
(ne) voit
il
they are opposites: in one an originally negative word keeps its
value, in the other an originally positive
word
is
finally
changed into a negative word.
In Spanish
we have some
curious instances of positive
words turned into negative ones: nada from Lat. nata
means
nata)
'nothing',
of quien instead of I
imagine that the
(res
and nadie, older nadien with the ending
nado from natus, means 'nobody'. In both
sound
initial
of n- as in
no has favoured
the change. Through the omission of no some temporal phrases
come to mean
'never' as in Galderon, Ale. de Zal.
todo el dia Se ve apartar de la puerta
A
|
me
pesar de tan buen ejemplo, en mi vida
a ejercer ima profecion
tido
.
.
Thus
.
'durchaus nicht', see Hanssen, Span.
ON
2.
12
En
Gald6s Dona Perf. 68 hubiera someabsolutamente
also
Gramm.
§ 60, 5.
words and forms are changed from
positive
to negative, as already indicated above: the ending
-gi (-ge)
In
several
in eigi, einngi (engi), eittgi {etki, ekki), hvdrrgi, manngi, vaettki,
and
aldrigi, sevagi, further the enclitic -a
kein from
German must be mentioned 'irgend einer' {dih of unknown
In orig.
-at.
origin),
OHG.
dihhein,
though the
really
negative form nihhein has of course also contributed to the negative use
(wedar
=
kein;
of
further weder from
OHG.
ni-wedar
E. whether).
In Engl,
we have
but
from ne
.
.
.
but, cf.
nobbut (see below ch. XII), and a rare more
northern
=
dial.
'no more', a
clear instance of prosiopesis, which, however, seems to be
confined to the South-Western part of England, see Phillpotts
M. 29 Not much
More am
of a scholar.
longer a child, and
more
am
I
|
ib.
I
|
ib.
144 You're no
12 Couldn't suffer
it
— more
:
Otto Jespersen.
22 could he
ib. I
322 you meant that
More
to like me.
that won't be choked
me
Similarly it
so
happens that
'nor
—
the wind Near!
NED.
near
—
— 'Me
ib. 181).
the helmsman when he
is
here also a kind of haplology) from
is
I).
M. Ill
either': Quiller-Couch
me
man man
is
too near
said to be shortened through prosiopesia
{near the old comparative
meaning what
is
now
"No near!"
called nearer),
adv. 1 c.
CHAPTER Indirect
In this chapter
ways
and more won't
have no small change about me.
I
Similarly the order to
see
with
Mrs. T. idiomatically (also
either', said
(which
neg. v. ib. 309 he's a
a thing
off
=
either
(Cf.
do.
I
couldn't expect that
I
IV
and Incomplete Negation.
we
many
shall discuss a great
of expressing negative ideas
different
through indirect or round-
about means, and finally words that without being real negatives express approximately the
same thing as the ordinary
negative adverb. A. (1)
(1)
=
Questions
Indirect Negation.
may be used implying a negative statement e. g. "Am I the guardian of my brother?"
nexal question, 'I
am
not
.
.
.'
;
inversely a negative question
tive assertion: "Isn't he stupid" (2) special question, e. g.
= 'he
is
means a
posi-
(very) stupid; — and
"Who knows?"
=
'I
do not know',
or even 'No one knows';
"And what should they know of England who only England know?" (Kipl.) 'they know nothing'; "where shall I go?" 'I have nowhere to go'.
=
=
Examples
Shaw
— Shall
2. I
16
of the first:
Would you know him
ever forget him!
|
again
if
you saw him?
Mrs. Browning A. 326 Could
I
23
Negation.
see his face, see]
I
sister I
I
wept
so
[=
1
wept
Caine C. 34 Well, didn't
now!
|
jolly well
Kipling
S.
I
so
much
that
could not
I
from the
just get a wigging
— Did
72 Did you hit Rabbits-Eggs.
not?
Must I not? = 'I must', e. g. Byron 627 milst I not die? Hawthorne Sn. 53 It has been a wilderness from the Creation. Must it not be a wilderness for ever ? Hardy R. 292 Must I I
|
not have a voice in the matter,
WonH I? I
not?
I
=
'I will':
now
am
I
Byron 573 And
Oh my eye, won't I give Waddy making up to
Di. N. 95
your wife?
wilt
Bronte P. 24 There's
— Will
thou?
to the boys!
it
her; won't
I
|
cut
him out ? Mered R. 27 I say, if you went to school, wouldn't you get into rows ib. 27 I never drank much claret before. Won't I now, though! Claret is my wine. The reply in Doyle S. 5. 75 was there ever a more mildI
|
mannered young man?
'It is true'
—
other person rightly vmderstood the
clearly first
shows that the
speaker's seeming
question as a negative statement: 'there never was
In the same
way
.
naturally in other languages as well.
Dan. this form has the curious the same meaning
.' .
may
effect
that after sd sandelig
be expressed with and without
ikke,
the word-order being the same, only in the latter case .
have the
slight rising of the tone indicating a question
Guds
62 Ja, saa sandelig er det ikke
fr.
In
:
we
Nansen
ham Og ban kommer ham]. In the same way in !
til mig! [= sandelig er det Norwegian and Swedish: Ibsen Vildand 61 Jo sa sandehg
her
glemte jeg det ikke ser
han
ej
|
Lagerlof Gosta B.
nagot svart och stort
quotations, however, there
A 164
f.]
Na
sannerligen
(In none of these
any question mark.)
variant of these nexal questions
a subject and a §
is
153
1.
komma.
('loose') infinitive
is
the elliptical use of
[see Progr.
in
with a rising intonation, implying that
impossible to combine the two ideas: Sh. Merch
Language it
is
III. 1.
quite
37
My
24
Otto Jespersen.
and blood to
owne
flesh
make
fat rascalls, Mistris Del.
rebell!
—
H4
Sh.
|
B.
II.
You
45
4.
make them? Gluttonie make them not Farquhar B. 341
and Diseases make them, I Oh la! a footman have the spleen me. Such a
girl as
you want
I
|
|
Goldsmith 660 you amaze
jewels!
|
Thack. P.
Why!
130
2.
they don't come down here to dine you know, they only make
They dine here,
believe to dine.
some
of the swell clubs
V. 180
id.
|
Law
bless
My
son and heir marry a
beggar's girl out of the gutter.
D — hiin, if
'Gracious God!' he cried out;
'my boy
my table!'
|
Kipling
worthy MP. 8
Examples
J. 2.
A man
Me
72
he does
naked men!
to sing to
[she
statements expressed
by
questions
hath not writ to me.]
made you or
Gals-
|
No, no!
thee to call thy selfe a sunne?
it
N. 163
on!
containing an interrogative pronoun: Sh. Tit. V. bootes
id.
|
gentleman at
insult a
know what he had
not
of negative
you! They go to
What need
write to your selfe?
|
Who
she.
cares?
|
When [=
18
3.
Gent
II.
What 1.
158
shee hath
'no one cares',
don't care'].
'I
way what not, especially after a long enumeration, mean 'everything' (double negation), as in Sh. Shr.
In this
comes to V.
110 Marrie, peace
2.
it
boads, and loue, and quiet
awfull rule, and right supremicie:
and happie
that's sweete
1
now we put the keen
man
money
and what not
into railways or
of business
An not,
silver, gold, pearls,
OM. 68 Robin, who was
Scott
\
life.
what
|
Seeley E. Ill As
what not?
took shares in the
new
so then
ship Hardy Whether Newfoundland, mastiff, bloodhound, or what was impossible to say id. L. 179 Talking of Exhibi-
F. 314 not,
our
to be short,
Buny. P. 121
precious stones, and what not butler, footman, gardener,
And
it
|
|
tions, I
World's Fairs, and what not
want
five shiUings for
whether he be Hindu or I
Shaw
1.
|
Galsworthy P.
a charity or what not
Mohammedan
|
2.
30
if
NP. 1912
or what-not in religion
18 he wont consent unless they send letters and
25
Negation.
and congratulations and the dence knows what Di D. 544 (vg) they would give me what-not for to eat
invitations
not
II
and
drink.
Hence a what-not as a sb, 'piece of furniture with C 399 on a whatnot at the door-side
nick-nacks': Caine
shelves for of the
room
another photograph stood. What not is used as a vb and adj in By DJ. 8. 110 Had been neglected, ill-used, and what not Morris N 46 the government, or the consul, or the commission, or what not other body of fools. |
Pronominal questions implying a negative frequent in
all
quien sabe?
=
languages: Dan. hvem veed? Ft. qui salt? Sp. 'no one knows', etc.
Here belong also questions with why: ['there
shouldn't he? S.
197
why
no reason
is
Why
=
are, of course,
Why
should he?
he should'] 'he should not';
'he should'.
— Note the continuation
in
=
Why
Locke
should she, any more than I?
In the following two quotations the continuation and not
shows clearly that the negative questions are to be taken
=
positive statements:
is,
Defoe G. 28
Why
and not
what he
for
should he not be accepted for what he is
not
|
Benson A. 40 Doesn't one
develop through one's passions, and not through one's renunciations ?
In colloquial Dan. one hears pretty frequently questions
containing nsesten, which tence
is
is
only justified logically
transposed into the corresponding negative:
nsesten se dserhenne?"
(= du kan
Knudsen
Lserer
med
Ur 104 Hvad
— andet
end
the sen-
"Kan du
visst nsesten ikke se)
hvordan kan her nsesten blive plads
tiden
if
til
os
allesammen?
|
|
skulde saadan een nsesten forslaa
med
det unaturlige!
|
Pontoppidan
Landsbybill. 162 Tror jeg nsesten ikke, det er f0rste gang, solen skinner for
A
similar
common
mig paa denne
phenomenon
is
egn.
the use of
heller,
which
is
not
except with a negative, in Jensen Brseen 230 Hvor-
ledes skulde de heller forstaa ksemper
med
lyst
haar?
Otto Jespersen.
26
Another popular way
(2)
ting
with
in a conditional clause
it
denying something
of
am
"I
a villain" or some-
thing similar in the main clause: Devil E. 534 Sh. H4. A. II. 4. 169 thee, I am a villain I
drunke to day
am
205
ib.
|
a bunch of radish
|
am
I
if I
serue the lew anie longer
I
No,
it?
A
am
I
variant
a rook
if
fought not with
Sh. Merch.
me"
am
a lew
if
damned" "Be damned"
or "I will be
the main clause, often with prosiopesis
etc. in
I
if
them,
do.
I
"the devil take
is
of
Don't you know
B. Jo. 3. 195
|
a rogue
fiftie
120
II. 2.
understand
If I
|
I
by put-
is
substitute for damn may of course be used: You may converse with them if you please, but me if ever I do Kipling L. 229 'We'll go into
"damned" any
or
;
Swift
428
J.
— take
the
the parks
if
|
'Will
you leave
P. 90
Darned
[also
Shaw
H. 346]
Dinged he
if
Di F. 343 Dashed
|
158 ding
S.
Be jown'd
1.
268 hang
me
or twyst that he
be shot
if I
tell
|
|
if it
if I
did not
horff
|
'is
Mered
[Also
Read K.
17
Hardy R. 56 be dazed
new
uncommon songs
Kipling L. 83 'Give
'Be hanged
must be
am
know!
if I
remember
don't learn ten
can
me
120 Blame
2.
I
if
the maid won't hae an
if I
for a little gumption'.
Shaw
me
oughtenter be plowin'
who do marry
ture F.
I
|
|
D. 283]
ef
'Be
like'.
|
if
GE.
!
damned if I do' Mered R. 394 Norris it to me?' 'Be damned before I do!' I know Kipling L. 121 I'm dashed if I know
you
my
into
chump
|
Smedley
me
credit
hanged then'
do!' 'Be
come
|
pic-
|
head once
Trollope D.
50
1.
Locke A. 95 I'm shot if you do Di M. 280 It does you honour. I'm blest if it don't Hughes T. 1. 220 blest if you ain't the best old fellow ever was. I'll
if I
I
|
|
With
these last sentences containing blessed
pared the following indirect negatives you,
my
if
ha'n't taken snuff
heart alive,
We I
you
have
but
if it
=
loue her heartily
'if
|
:
not' in Sh. Merch. if
I
be com-
God
bless
Di D. 132 why, Lord love
ain't a treat to look at
[= 'damn me
may
Swift P. 92
II.
do not'
6.
=
him!
52 Beshrew 'I
do'].
me
but
Thus often
27
Negation. in Sh.
Beshrew me, the knights
A hang
curious
variant
a
me
Lat. sed, as Beshrew
main sentence,
Tw.
e. g.
used 85
is
II.
3.
in admirable fooling.
is
found in Swift P. 110
that ben't fair,
if
fair.
we have
In Dan.
ma
=
hut here might be taken
;
as a single asseveration before
"Du
corresponding expressions, such as:
kalde mig Mads,
J eg er aldrig seriig,
cm om
jeg gar det",
Holb. Arab. p. 1
cf.
min gamle cammerat Andreas Faber Stegek. 33 Jeg vil aldrig d0e som en honnet kone, naar jeg de to sidste maaneder bar bert tale om andet det ikke er
|
end 6
1.
om
politik.
En skielm, By
—
der
nu bar flere penger (=
never beard', and
'I
There
est
venu
is
if
a pity comes to
of saying
English examples: Eastw. 444 as
make me blush
me
b.J
a lady there
|
Di N. 127
Why,
T. 13
in a carriage
I
|
I
declare
Tess,
Ridge L. 252 'Pon
woman
up the near
if
ever
if
'it is
|
|
me
'Now
if
if
be did not
I
beard the |
like
from
GE. A. 65
If
word,
Shaw
J.
if
this ain't
ain't all tired a'ready!
I've hardly patience to
lie
in the
In Dan. and Norwegian with
some adverb
what comes of
of asseveration: Nse,
|
If
||
this
if
is
Dr. D. isna comin'
Doyle NP. 1895 'Well,
London M. 276
|
he
monstrously unkind!'
102 Well, I'm sure!
MacLaren A. 110
[
hwome
this isn't too bad!'
'If this isn't
road! (also 47, 107, 169)
I
a
n'est pas venu'.
a pity
isn't
if it
this don't lick cock-fighting!'
ness! —
'il
a lady,
there isn't thy father riding
if
Gissing G. 196
English manners!
if
mean
left
mean
mine eyes stood a water [= he made
exclaimed in a thick voice.
trusting a
be
Captain Donnithorne a-coming into the yard!
isn't
Hardy
so that
am
I
Richardson G. 50 Mercy!
I
may
a parallel in French argot, where tu paries sHl
an emphatic way
is
clause
I ever heard comes to
if
isn't
it
Holb. Jeppe
jeg bar ikke flere p.).
main
a further development the
out entirely, and an isolated
pity'.
way
In a slightly different
My
good-
Jerrold C. 56 Well,
if
same bed!
om very
om
often preceded
jeg gjorde det!
|
by
Ibsen
28 P.
Otto Jespersen.
Gynt 195 De
g0r!
Nar
id.
I
—
Nej, om jeg At spede lidt til. 145 Kan du ikke mindes det nu laen-
lovte f0r
d0de
vi
v.
ger? — Nej, sa sandelig om jeg kan
om om
nei saagu'
ved gud!
men men
Kielland Fort. 40
jeg har gjort
hvad
jeg ved,
|
Horup
|
267
2.
jeg vilde undvsere oppositionen, ingen af os
den
vilde undvsere
Og ja, sa min ssel, Bang Haabl. si. derovre
Niels M0ller Kogl. 297
|
om
jeg ikke ogsa ser William sidde
357
Om
|
det just er sundt at ligge og d0se
i
saadan en hunde-
kulde.
way
In the same
and
Dutch: Fr.
in
Drommels goed.
in
v.
German: Ob
Eeden
Gf. Fr.
si je
me
As
if is
often used in the
As
the same
way
me
same
such a part againe
as 'don't play'
out after
let
i7-clause: see
Sh. H4. B.
if
II.
form'd him ape
|
the corner ... see
;
now
O. 137 I
154 "What
you know).
In
Somom du ikke vidste det Comme si tu ne savais pas!
|
!
|
—
let
me
And
2.
I'll
=
see" if
Bronte P. 27 if I
shall
punish
you'''
see (or
you
see)
with
shall':
'I
the fat villain haue not transI
see such a fine girl sitting in
don't get her for a partner in a jiffy!
get the
fortune, see
day
fixed;
Exactly the same phrase nr. 390 Stat op, her loen,
is
if
you
shall rise to the occasion, see
gi0r!" sagde loen
I
see, etc.
I don't
77
you
let t^& see
you play means the
see
a threatening "and
me
Thack N. 529 Make your G. 64
Du
the devil).
in other languages :
More often we have the imperative an
Jo. 3.
of couse
In Roister 38 Hence both twaine.
(3)
is left
below on
(see
same way: B.
you knew not (=
Als ob du es nicht wiisstest!
play
nom
souviens de son
if
Of ik niet besta!
(with an oath) Droz Mons. 3
diable
college?"
ich das verstehen kann!
Kl. Joh. 115
you won't
see
if I
if I
don't
|
don't |
|
TroUope |
Gissing
Wells L. 94.
usual in Dan., see,
e. g.,
och gach her-ud!" "See,
DgF.
om
ieg
— whence Baggesen: "Kom ud, ridder Rap,
29
Negation.
til
den avrige flok!" "Ja
Pol. kand. for dig
(4)
fire
A
Du
i
me
similar phrase
doing
=]
it'
at that,
way
like to catch her at it
own
ever you catch
my
in all
With
may
this
fra dyret; saa
= ['you it,
combined with the con-
Hughes T. |
Shaw Not
Swift P. 74 Catch
:
him
1.
:
I
should
127 Old Copas won't
2.
34 Catch him going
likely!
there again for
I
Fielding
||
was never
5.
down
526 but
so frightened
be compared the Dan. phrase with luri
i
2.
767 Talen er det eneste, der adskiller os
mangen
den kan holde en
om han
it
also with at
life.
Goldschm. Hjeml.
anmodede
|
rents!
me
saa lyst
Di Do. 108 Catch you forgetting
|
— catch him
to collect his if
doing
it';
Di D. 104 Peggotty go away from you?
|
say a word
me
catch
is
of expressing a negative
and hang him
anything!
see, at det er
shan't do
'I
at that; in the last quotation this is
ditional
Holb.
||
bormester staaer paa pinde
nok
skal
Rap
maaned.
januarii
somewhat
won't catch
jeg gi0r!" sagde
see, at
Du
1
1.
om
see,
nok
skal
Masc.
id.
I
klokken
1
5.
tale,
fredags
fugl synger poesi;
men
det
H0rup om
kan
jeg!
|
men
Horup
at tsenke resten.
luur den, 2.
om
105 bladet
Men
lur
ham,
ger.
my {me) doing is sometimes used in the positive sense 'forgive me for doing', but not unfrequently in the negative sense 'forgive me for not doing'. Examples of the latter (cf. NED. excuse 8, only one example (1726) of -ing): Hazlitt (5)
Excuse
A. 108 she said she hoped Scott 0. 76
you
criminate myself
[=
I
won't]
I
I
should excuse Sarah's coming up
will excuse |
Di F. 28
my
\
saying any thing that will
You must
Kingsley Y. 64 Excuse
excuse
my
my
rising,
telling
you
gentlemen,
but I am very weak Philips L. 64 you must excuse my saying anything more on the subject at the present moment. |
30
Otto Jespersen. (6) Ironical
what you
Go and
my father.
the marines!
tell
don't believe
98 Ah, go to bed, protested
|
ib.
and
Ridge G. 291
|
'Go along!' said cook incredulously
P. 84 Oh, get out, protested the broker ib.
'I
are just saying') are frequent in colloquial
jocular speech, thus:
That's
(=
phrases implying incredulity
|
Norris
now Dan. Ga
86 Oh, come
H. — Similarly
in
I
vsek!
Den ma du
I
Fiddlesticks
a
is
ud pa landet med!
laengere
used either by
to reject: Jerrold G. 53
.
.
I
(=
'nonsense') or after
— Twenty
twenty pounds.
.
men have gone
Caine C. 351 'Good
sticks
itself
some words that one wants scornfully
partial repetition of
fiddle-
to the mission-
'Mission fiddlesticks!'
field'.
Similar exclamations in other languages are Fr. Des navets!
and G.
blech!
In Dan. en god st0vle
is
by
said either
itself
or after a verb: H.C.Andersen 0. T. 1.88 Vilhelm forsik-
man maatte
krede, at "Ja,
ban I
De
Iseser
opfriskes lidt after
nok en god stovle!"
ligner Themistokles
H0rup
2.
viser en
.
.
|
Isesning.
Jacobsen N. Lyhne 299
Pyt, Themistokles, en god stevle!
228 Det viser dog "en
god
Among
.
den megen
serlig
og redelig
vilje".
Det
stovle, ,g0r det.
other rebuffs implying a negative
tioned Dan. pi det lag!
\
om
snak
en ting!
|
may
be men-
Fr. Plus souvent!
(Halevy Notes 247, frequent). Swift in the same sense uses a sidered very low:
J.
word which
57 they promise
archbishops here; but mine a
—
for
it
me all
|
is
now
con-
letters to the
two
Thus
also
ib. 61.
formerly in Dan., see Ranch Skuesp. 322 Min fromme Knep, kand du mig kiende? 0, kysz mig i min bagendel
—
(7)
A
frequent ironical
way
by placing a word hke much
Much 'I
I care
of expressing
a negative
is
in the beginning of a sentence:
=
(Stevenson T. 27, Di F. 659, Wells H. 122) Di D. 8 Mr. Gopperfield was teaching
don't care (much)'
|
31
Negation.
—
me
(Much he knew
—
yawned 3.
96
Much good
good your pity
will
old fellow
Kipling,
I
I
was
1
|
do
it
Hope
up
it
himself!)
it
id.
[England]
J. 1.
Id.
|
|
Galsworthy P.
Shaw J. 114 Much P. 5 much good you
|
Much you can do
R. 37
A lot
230
to stop *em,
should have cared whose
I
B. 58 Plucky lot she cared for idols
kissed her where she stud!
Shaw
|
you know about brogues!
lot
you
to
is
Hardy W. 224 you
|
that would have done
are to wait
fault
of
much my company
J.
14 His brogue!
when
A
fat
Hewlett Q. 117 She tossed
|
her head, 'Fine he knows the heart of a
lass'.
Similarly in Dan., for instance Fibiger Liv 236 han trak
spottende paa skuldren og sagde: Naa, det skal vel Ibsen Inger 98 Det skulde
hjselpe I
Niels Moller Kogl. 235
men
Stjerner 30
There
om:
sig
hjaelpe fedt
jeg
.
.
. |
Matthiesen
\
ligemeget hjalp det.
a curious use of
is
om
stort hjselpe,
Det skulde
stort
Pal.-Miiller
as a negative, only with bryde
fejl
Ad. H.
142
1.
Du
bryder dig jo
om
feil
eiermanden.
Among love
"to
=
'nothing'.
marry
must
ironical expressions
This,
I
take
for love, not for
antithesis "for love or
it,
also be
originated in the phrase
money", whence the common
money". Then
in the world of games, where
mentioned Eng.
it is
it
now the
was used extensively usual word in count-
ing the score, in tennis, for instance, "love fifteen", meaning
that one party has nothing to the other's 15, in football "win-
ning by two goals to love",
etc.
In this sense the Engl, word
has become international in the terminology of some games.
(8)
The
devil (also
without the
as an indirect negative;
of.
article) is frequently
from other languages
Personenwechsel in der Rede p. 23
f.
In English
J.
used
Grimm,
we have
the
devil joined either to a verb, or to a substantive {the devil a
32
Otto Jespersen.
=
word
=
'not a word'; the devil a bit
a well-known
When When
There
'nothing').
is
verse:
little
the devil was
monk would
the devil a
ill,
monk was
the devil got well, the devil a
be;
he.
(Sometimes quoted with a saint instead of a monk).
The following may serve
way
as an illustration of the natural
which the devil has come to play
in
guised negative: Black F. 184
take a sketch of the luncheon party'. of the devil!' said this
Examples
4.
going to
is
— 'Let her take a sketch
very angry and inconsiderate papa. with a verb:
of devil, etc.
Fielding T.
this part of a dis-
Lady Rosamund
[=
174 the devil she won't
she will]
|
Sheri-
dan 11 Captain Absolute and Ensign Beverley are one and the same person.
—
room now. I
was
— The
The
devil they are
devil she
is
|
ib.
|
256
ib.
242 she's in the
Trollope D.
|
2.
52
Richmond yesterday. 'The devil you am going back. The devil you are
at that place at
were!'
0. 204
id.
|
Hope M. 102
[= you
can't!'
Examples
left
My
+
'The devil you
subst. (in Sc. also with pronouns):
parents are al dead, and the diuel a peny
me, but a bare pention
The diu'U a Puritane that hee devil a bird
|
you the money'.
can].
of devil
Marlowe F. 766 they haue
—
I
can't give
'I
have
I
seen
|
is
|
|
Sh.
Fielding
Tw. IL 4.
3.
159
290 and the
Goldsmith 613 But now-a-days the
own about them, except their faces Di N. 76 Has nothing been heard? 'Devil a bit'. QuillerCouch M. 210 If she did not tell you Tell me ? Devil a devil a thing of their I
|
bit of it I
Scott A.
in afore the fifteen,
could
make
the day
ony
ib.
|
ib.
31 the
The
it
[the law-suit]'s
and
deil
de'il
ane
them daur hurt a
o'
ments
|
o't
21
been four times ony thing the wisest o' them 30 the deil a drap punch ye'se get here
1.
wad hae
hair
o'
stirred
|
ib.
341
de'il
auld Edie's head.
following quotations exemplify
(Irish?) of devil as a negative:
more unusual employBirmingham W. 6 Devil
33
Negation.
the other idea there
no other
i.]
in your
head
on your behalf
is
speak to Mr. Eccles
I'll
185 They're good anchors.
ib.
|
minute [= there
this
34 and devil the word
ib.
|
is
Devil the
better you'd see.
In Scotch there
[=
'have
an idiomatic use of
is
in the sense of a negative:
it']
deil (or fient) hae't
Burns
1.
16 For thae
frank, rantin, ramblin, biUies, Fient haet o' them's [not one
them
of
is]
[nothing] hae't do
ill-hearted fellows
Scott A.
|
I
2.
17 Tho' deil-haet
ib.
|
What do you
348
Instead of the word in the same
deuce
(the)
way; the word probably
from Fr. deux, OF.
is
NED.
at dice, but
now
is
=
'a
hate sb
2.
very often used
identical with deuce
is
deus, to indicate the lowest,
most unlucky, throw
nym
devil,
left; see
them De'il
This leads to a curious use of haeH
expect.
anything': She has-na a haed
bit,
ails
expect?
and therefore a milder syno-
felt as
of devil.
Examples with the verb negatived:
Housman did!'
I
room
his
149
J.
'I
heard what you
Mered R. 287 'Deuce he upstains.
— The
has'
a
bit,
130
the
have
rule
me
J.
of
I
my tears,
will
|
Z. 37
if
doubt of
is
there of
|
Shaw
J.
you stay
it
Hardy R. 209
|
bit
would they
38 Jeuce a word here,. the
I
deuce a
ib.
|
my
sit
down
ever heard of
|
it |
man [= nobody]
may
be used as substitutes for
with negative purport: Di Do. .447 'You He'll not
will com.Q here.'
Vidensk. Selsk.
40 The
down,
'Sit
it.
him up, mother.
He
Hazlitt A. 38 she did beguile
|
but the deuce a one did she shed
Occasionally other words the devil
by
But the deuce a
people'.
Hope
pronoun) negatived: ;
deuce a bit more
good
(or
Sterne 98 the deuce of any other
to govern myself
Mered H. 468
174 he hesin
thought to have been very wise but the deuce
company stayed I
Z.
deuce he does.
Examples with a substantive Swift
|
'The deuce you
said'.
Hope
Hiat.-fllol.
|
come
Worth
Medd.
I,
6.
here'.
S. 238
may
give
'Death give him up.
But we're not mixed up 3
Otto Jespersen.
34 in the party fight.
A.
— The
hell you're not!
[= you
are]
Scott
|
145 but ne'er-be-Hcket could they find that was to their
1.
purpose.
In Irish sorrow (pronounced "sorra", [sorg])
synonym
of the devil (see
Joyce
empty stomach
to cross the mountains on an
and sorra a bite
of
all
him
any more news? Sorra news, except that 163
ib. I
Do you
'Sorra doubt'
|
ib.
114
ib.
Sam tells me
Quiller-Gouch T. 181 [Irish
|
Ward
|
The corresponding use
you get out
of
Da. fanden
|
Ulyss.
2.
7
Havde
1
er en tyr.
|
Blicher
ham ?
0. T.
67 Jeg vidste fanden hvad det var
.
.
.
Fanden kan
vi,
1.
|
BJ0rnson Guds
sang og solskin.
Holb. Er. Mont. det ...
I
—
4.
4.
2 jeg vil
skal bevise
I
|
43
1.
han
|
Kan
v. 71
Pal.-Mtiller
eiermanden
han brydde
Similarly with the
2 Jeg siger, at
skal bevise dievelen.
I
)
This
is
Ad. H.
Drachm.
—
Jeg er
sig
fanden
synonym
er en'hane,
vi ikke
H. C. Andersen
195 De er virkehg fodt kommentator!
fanden, er jeg
om
svarte
om
140 Jeg bryder fanden mig
Forskr.
30
—
extremely frequent
is
sejle fra
1.
boy
—
jeg ikke voeret en politicus, saa
havde jeg ski0ttet fanden derom
1.
113
ib. 3.
|
my
me,
o'
Holb. Er. Mont.
later, see e. g.
bevise af den sunde logica, at
fanden
2.
bit.
Holberg and
in
D.
and saddles himself with another
bit o' pity will
[
town we'd rather
in the
sorrow a bit will he stop at home for either of them
sorrow a
there
he's lying in the
sorra a sowl goes nigh ut
gets rid of one wife
But sorrow a
Is
172 Did one of them think .... Sorra one
be listening, to than yourself
He
|
think the intention was to hit the car?'
Birmingham W. 308 Sorra the man lady:]
[
books and book-learning; and
for
sorra a colleen ever troubled the heart of
gaol
to say Mass,
bread or ship of water to stay his stomach
Ill Anthony was
ib.
70), also as a negative,,
Ir.
Buchanan F. 110 when he had
the following quotations:
cf.
used as a
is
djsevelen:
og skal bevise
not usual nowadays.
35
Negation,
Fanden often stands .
staae her Isenger
[=
for 'not
I
V: Holb. Ulyss. Gid nu fanden
maa
won't], vi
ogsaa have noget af
Drachmann Kitzw. 85 Fanden forstaa sig paa kvindBang Ludvb. 38 Fanden ved, om det holder. Thus also saian: Nexo Pelle 2. 129 Satan forstaa sig paa havet. Fanden (Satan) heller is also used in a negative sense ('I
byttet folk!
I
—
I
would rather have the
devil'),
thus Blicher
3.
547, Goldschmidt
Kol. 92.
Sometimes fanden
is
used simply to intensify an expressed
negative: Wessel 204 "Gaae
du
fanden
ei til
fanden
fanden
ikke,
hvordan det gik
Two modern suffice:
|
til
fanden!" Den anden Gik
Juel-Hansen Ung.
186.
og saa ved jeg
til.
G. examples of den teufel
=
may
'nicht'
Sudermann Fritzchen: Die fremden weiber gingen teufel was an "Im theaterstuck sagt ein mann
mich den
|
zu seiner stets keifenden, zanksiichtigen frau: "Ich weiss ja
— worauf
doch, dass ich einen sanften engel zur frau habe"
mit artigem widerspruch schreit: "Den teufel hast du",
sie
wobei
sie
zunachst nur an widerspruch denkt,
ob
als
sie
sagen
woUte "nein, gar nichts hast du" (Bruchmann, Psychol, For older examples,
dien zur sprachgesch. 172).
stu-
Grimm,
see
quoted above.
As pox
name
(originally the
of a disease)
was popularly
used as a kind of substitute for the devil in imprecations,
can also be used in indirect negation, as in Swift
Dean
friendly! the
Dean be poxed [= he
In the same way Dan. pokker kierte pokker, I! og ikke
Han
tror vistnok, at
pokker, gar han Also with
med
|
aarene.
2.
above:
173
is
22
it
The
not].
used, as in Wessel 4
majoren
han g0r mig
Herup
heller, as
til
is
J.
|
Tops0e Skitseb. 107
en hel glsede '
Han bar
1
.
.
.
Han
pokker, bar han!
g0r
—
Kielland Jac. 67 Det retter sig
Det gj0r pokker
heller.
3*
Otto Jbspersen.
36
God
Heaven] knows
[or
of saying
'
I
don't know' the underlying want ;
of logic
knowes.
dost not thou know?
brought
is
— God heauen — Yes know, but in
out in Marlowe F. 200 wheres thy maister?
— Why,
way
languages a usual
in all
is
I
that followes not. also serves as a strong asse-
But inversely Heaven knows
"We were happy
veration, as in Di D. 786
"Heaven knows we
were!" said
Elsewhere (Festskrift
Feilberg 1911 36),
til
tioned that in Dan. gud veed
and
is
det veed gud, certainty; cf.
(uncertainty), but
(9)
gud
termed "clauses condition that
:
if
han
if
I luas rich) or
At any
(and mood) that something
as a pure negative, if
dum
dum
er
(certainty).
I
if
had been
rich are often
but as
which
it
(or
is
is
not the
would be)
/ should travel, or
name would be "clauses of by the tense
rate they express
is irreal,
— The negative idea may be would do
have men-
am han
vide
er
(for instance,
should have travelled) a better
rejecting condition".
I
I were rich (nowadays also
rejected but that
dependent on the condition, I
Gud ma
of rejected condition",
is
think".
I
used to express uncertainty,
skal vide,
Hypothetical clauses, like
in the indicative
then,
I.
implying
'I
am
not
rich'.
strengthened in the same
way
Hope D. 202 What your poor wife I don't know im-
cf.
—
she cared a button for you,
plying: she does not care a button for you.
(10)
There are other more or
sing a negative,
e. g.
Scott A.
thing rather than agreeable in anything but a reverse of
happy
important to
stitution of his
|
less indirect
my
Trollope
\
I
W.
mind
position it
ways
of expres-
65 recollections which were any
state of
mind made
to credit himself with ...
1.
|
85 leaving her lover |
Di F. 275
Gissing. B.
339 the con-
the opposite of natural for
am
at a loss to
the
it is
him
understand
it.
;
37
Negation.
Dan. Drachm. Forskr.
Cf.
hvor ban laa
afsnit,
we
shall see a further
On
the whole
it
190 Der havde vseret tids-
2.
andet end paa den lade side.
alt
development
may
— Below
of andet end.
be said that words
like other (other-
wise, else, different) in all languages are used as negative terms cf.
[=
had to decide upon the
also "I
desirability or otherwise
or the undesirability] of leaving
Negation
also
is
impbed
in
too poor to give us anything
him
there".
expressions with too (she
=
she cannot
.
.)
.
and
second members of a comparison after a comparative (she
=
than you think
richer
you do not think that she is so hence we understand the use of Fr. ne
as she really is}; est plus riche
used to
nor
it
I,
J.
(elle
|
of
499 you are more
Raymond says GE Mill 1. 6 and Shaw G. 69 (vg) I'd sooner be a dog nor
as Mr.
often nor as dialectal
is
rich
que vous ne croyez) and the development
negatives to signify 'than', as in Swift
is
in all
!
a trainer. See Holtbausen IF. 32. 339 and for Slavonic Vondrak Vgl. gr.
The
336.
2.
indirect
way
of expressing the negative notion
responsible for a pretty frequent continuation with
(which
is
practically
much
is
less
synonymous with "not to speak of" and
corresponds very nearly in
many
instances to Dan. endsige,
G. geschweige denn to introduce a stronger expression), as in
Browning cerning Italy
1.
395
— much
[=
I
How less
very long since
wished for
have thought Con-
I
— aught Beside the good
have not long thought
.
.
.]
|
Harrison R. 73
of it
woiild need long years, not a few crowded months, to master
the history of Venice,
much
less
that of Italy, for the whole
[= it is impossible in the course of a few months] id. [on Mark Pattison] Why did he ever write, much less Hardy pubbsh, his memoirs ? [= he should not have .] Middle Ages I
.
L. 46
-Why were you
so
weak
as to
.
|
admit such an enemy to
..
Otto Jespersen.
38
— one
your house
him
accept
gloom
so obviously
husband?
as a
at this hour,
where you could not see
read
it,
'97.
.
.
.
less
.]
development of a to a
man who
Thus
hvem '15 i
.
also
know
precisely
is
in
a
less] it
how
Is it right
much
single child,
man and |
Det
a marvellous feat to to chant
it
[=
it
Dan.,
e. g.
— langt
less
a class of children,
Gravlund Da. studier 1909. 86
mindre
In a similar
way we have
'much
possible':
that this should be,
Market
|
NP. 1914
much it
is
F. 105 to
make any
han overhovedet bar
|
NP.
vseret
talt der.
by much
impossible followed
London M. 314 less in
less
was impossible
It
the labour ghetto south of
impossible for a Prime Minister to
follow, far less to supervise, the
Dobson
was
to entrust the mental
ignorant of mental science?
er vistnok forste gang, at
less
[=
a child
Zangwill in Cos-
skulde ta sig det naer, langt mindre blive hidsig
Ramersgade
=
much less ... much
NP. 1907
|
less
201 a place of Dantesque
619 the child thought
much
not, easy
ib.
|
— much
evil genius
which would have afforded secure hiding
for a battery of artillery,
mopolis
your
make any
work
of individual Ministers
extracts from
it
—
extracts which should do justice to
it,
is
|
to
still less
almost
impracticable.
By a similar confusion Cariyle uses much more, because he is thinking of something like: "it is impossible for to foster the growth of anything": S 73 How can an inanimate Gerund-grinder foster the growth of anything; much more of Mind, which grows by mysterious contact of Spirit? .
.
.
.
.
.
.
Much more would have been more
apposite than much kss in 181 I loved you hard enough to melt the heart of a stone, less the heart of the hving, breathing woman you are.
London
much
M
B.
Incomplete Negation.
Among approximate negatives we must first mention hardly, which from signifying 'with hardness, i.e. with difficulty' comes to mean 'almost not' the negative import is shown ;
by
39
Negation.
the possibility of strengthening hardly by adding at is
(which
all
only found with negative expressions). In this sense hardly
follows the general tendency to place negatives before the
notion negatived (see above, p.
New
5): /
hardly know. Cf. Sweet,
E. Gr. § 1847 on the difference between
we want a
and
fire
to
Corresponding words in other languages, ligt,
hardly think
/
think hardly of a person.
Dan. vanske-
like
G. schwerlich, Fr. d peine, also have approximately the
value of a negative, though perhaps not quite so
much
as
hardly.
Scarcely (obsolete adv. scarce) also
"a restricted negative"
(=
— Note
knap, naeppe, knebent, G. kaum.
meaning before
I
(NED.
before in
Avant de savoir h peine han knap
same way Dan.
the use after words
quot. 1795) Recollection returned
had scarcely written a
griffonner
what the NED. terms
is
'not quite'); in the
line
ecrire
|
ses
Rolland J.-Chr. lettres,
il
selv vidste deraf gik ,
Berg med en
In English scarcely any, scarcely ever
168
s'evertua
Henrichsen Maend fra forfatn.-kamp. 108
|
1.
politiker
i
Og
h
f0r
maven.
generally preferred
is
to the combinations almost no, almost never.
But almost with no, nothing, never grammarious would have us think; it
is
is
not quite so rare as most perhaps more Scotch (and
American) than British, hence Boswell (I 32*) in later editions changed "I suppose there is almost no language" to "we scarcely know of a language". In the following quotations I have separated British, Gammer 104 here Scotch, and American examples by means of Bacon, see B0gho]m p. 74 Cowper L. 1. 188 I shall is almost no fler remember almost nothing of the matter Austen M. 362 she has found almost nothing Ward D. 2. 51 almost nothing definite (see also Storm Scott A. 2. 66 rights which are now rarely practised in E. Ph. 942) Carlyle H. 76 Protestant countries, and almost never in Scotland id. F. 3. 62 Nothing, or almost open to all, seen by almost none nothing, is certain to me, except the Divine Infernal character of this universe Buchanan, Father Anthony 97 On first entering I could James A. 1. 265 He himself was almgst never see almost nothing G. R. Carpenter The Teaching of English 44 the academies bored 1
:
1
|
|
|
|
1
1
|
|
|
1
1
|
paid almost no attention whatever to English instruction. Little
and few are
also incomplete negatives; note the
frequent collocation with no: there
is
little
or no danger
|
Otto Jespersen.
)
or no attempts at denial; note also the
have been few
lere
295
of yet in Shelley Pr.
ie
ther examples (the last o. 3.
J.
I
have yet seen
with
know me
There's few or none do
626 with few wise longings and but S
little
little is
her negatives, see p. 5)
it is
Wordsworth
P.
Hope
F.
1
love
little
|
seen very clearly
when
placed before the verb.
these"
(NED. with examples thought, when
so far
352
I little
)on
my
Pegasus, that he would become so famous
.J. 5. 1 1.
"This
back as 1200): Cowper
mounted him [John
1.
,
(like
confined to the vbs. know, think, care, and synonyms
is
le
Florence,
signs of speedy development.
the situation showed
The negative
force of
little of
before a pL): Sh. John
little
21
They I
little
little
1
think what mischief
hand
in
is
Gilpin]
Byron
|
|
Scott
thought to have seen your honour here |
ingsley H. 236 Little they thought eir
amusement
what he saw. e
thing that
e
same
Hope R. 205 He
|
It
little
may
and much
little is
I
little
was plotting
knew
for
the cause
be mentioned for the curiosity of (see
above
in Little {much) she cares
This negative
how
p. 30)
mean
exactly
what I say.
frequent with verbs and adjectives,
rarer with substantives; in the following quotations
it
ive
it
early the negative value of eir
we
with verbal substantives, and or in the second shows
minds their
294 as he or
While
little
1
little
had
little:
Austen M. 55 reading
approbation of a plan little
.
.
.
|
in
Garlyle R.
interest in that.
and few are approximate negative, a
little
and
few are positive expressions: he has
little money and he has much money and many lends and therefore mean about the same thing as no money id no friends but he has a little money and he has a few friends,
w
friends express the opposite of
;
with the verb stressed rather strongly, mean the )posite of no money, and no friends, thus nearly the same ling as some money and some friends. Little means 'less than inerally
)u
would expect', a
little
'more than you would expect':
41
Negation.
Unfortunately, little
a
ly,
there are few
who
former splendour
the former splendour
think clearly
used without the article
Do wrong
between a 95
On
the
are).
below on
Cf.
me
now
few would be
73 Loue
trust a
all,
the difference
well brought out in Sh. Merch.
he
best,
1.
I.
Al. Schmidt);
(see
little is
worst, he
hand
other
and love
is
All.
e. g.
to none
and
little
when he and when he is 2.
Unfortunately,
|
not a few.
little,
Sh. uses a few in some cases, where
few.
Fortunate-
|
Fortunately there are a few
|
think clearly (note here the stress on
a
not
who
of the
is left
little is still left of
a
is is
little
is
worse than a man,
little
better than a beast.
little
I.
positive
in
me
"love
long" (mentioned as a proverb
—
little
as early as
1548, NED.).
Note the only: there
ference
I
is
but
little
=
difference
there are but few traces
traces left.
have you
two synonyms
different idioms with the
— See
e. g.
Sh. Ado.
there
left
I. 1.
= 7
But few
lost in this action?
is
only a
but
and
little
dif-
there are only a few
How many any
gentlemen
and none NP. 1917 The fog has hfted only a little; only a few big landmarks are yet visible Bunyan P. 156 For but few of them that begin to come hither, do shew their face on of
name
of
sort,
|
|
these mountains
Merriman
|
S.
124 a passion such as a few
only are capable of attaining. In America a
term that
it
little is
to such an extent :
nearly the same thing as
good many'.
This
is
'a
good
Practically the
same
made between
deal',
and
a positive
little
means
quite a few as 'a
rare in England, see Wells Br. 264 In
quite a little time Mrs. Britling's
little is
felt as
can be strengthened by quite quite a
mind had adapted
distinction as
Fr.
between
peu and un peu,
It.
and a
and Sp. poco
and un poco, G. (MHG.) wenig and ein wenig. Has oped independently in each language?
little
itself.
this devel-
In Dan. the corres-
ponding differentiation has been effected in another way
:
lidet
Otto Jespersen.
kun
terary) or generally
=
smale
lidt
=
'little',
lidt
or very often
'a little'.
synonym Small has not exactly the same negative force as its you get for it either cf. however Caine G. 36 Small thanks Cf. also slight in Gissing lere either is due to the negative notion. 366 she had slight hope that any other caller would appear.
—
le,
The comparative
of
little
OE
the old combination id is
least
'in
which has become
order that' as in Sh. Merch
or two).
Lat. minus in quo minus
With and
lest
(With a following not
you should not vnderstaud me some month
)u here le
f)y Ises pe,
the equivalent of 'that not'.
eans the positive lit
has a negative meaning, especially
well,
I
III.. 2. 7
would detaine
this should
si
it
be compared
minus.
CHAPTER V Special and Nexal Negation.
The negative notion may belong Bfinite
illed
idea or to the combination of
logically either to one
two ideas (what
is
here
the nexus).
The.
first,
or special, aegation
Dme modification
of the
may
be expressed either by
word, generally a prefix, as in
7iever (etc., see p. 12)
wrehappy impossible,
mhuman, ^competent
disorder wo?z-belligerent
(See on these prefixes ch. XIII) r else
by the addition
of not {not
— happy) or no {no longer).
seem to be some words with inherent negative aeaning though positive in form: compare pairs like Jesides there
Negation.
absent
43
;
Otto Jespersen.
between she
see a great difference
I
The nexus t
is
negatived in
many others
did (NP. '17)
the two ideas
But
us.
many
in
Not many
of us didn't
Cf.
lich
the
the war,
combination
war and thus
pre-
below
eh.
wanted
it is
the
war we have a
special
and making that into few predicated that they wanted the of us
VIII on not
all
all,
Note also the difference between •der
want
rejects the
and want
of us
many
and about these
us;
Many
— which
of us
gative belonging to
.
.
.
not.
was
the disorder
perfect
negatived) and the order was not perfect (nexus negatived,
amoimts to the same thing
In a sentence like he won't
kill
en though
it
is
possible
as: perfect negatived).
me
subject he and the predicate will
e
and
something (though something negative) about many
lates
ir.
very happy
very unhappy.
is
;
isn't
it is
kill
the nexus (between
me) that
is
negatived,
by laying extra emphasis on one
the words seemingly to negative the corresponding notion "he won't kill
'
e won't kill
me"
me"
=
not
is
'he will
=
'not-he will
kill
me', nor
do the reverse of killing me',
is
etc.
the following passage from Stanley Jevons, Elem. Lessons Logic, p. 175: "It is curious to observe how many and various ly be the meanings attributable to be same sentence according as Cf. also
—
thrown upon one word or another. Thus the sentence is not supposed to communicate a knowledge many useful facts,' may be made to imply that the study of Logic ;s communicate such a knowledge although it is not supposed to; that it communicates a knowledge of a feiv useful facts; or that communicates a knowledge af many useless facts". iphasis is le
study of Logic
There is
is
a general tendency to use nexal negation wherever
possible (though
at in
many
we
shall later
on
see another
cases counteracts this one);
and
tendency
as the (finite)
rb is the linguistic bearer of a nexus, at any rate in all mplete sentences, we therefore always find a strong tenncy to attract the negative to the verb. We see this in the efixed ne in Fr. as well as in 't
in
Mod.
E.,
which
will
OE, and also in the suffixed be dealt with in chapter XI, and
Negation.
45
in the suffixed
ikke in modern Norwegian, as in "Er ikke fmt?" and "Vil-ikke De komme?", where Dan. has the older word-order "Er det ikke fint?" and "Vil De ikke (erke) det
komme?".
— In Mod. E. the use or non-use
do serves in many, but not of course in
of the auxiliary
cases to distinguish
all,
between nexal and. special negation; thus we have
Shaw
negation in
1.
He seems
160
special
not certain of his way.
In French we have a distinction which is somewhat analogous to that between nexal and special negation, namely that between pas de and pas du je ne bois pas de vin ceci n'est pas du vin, c'est :
|
du
vinaigre, see the full treatment in Storm^Storre fransk syntax, 1911 p. 87 fl. Good examples are found in Rolland JChr. 9. 192 ce
n'^tait plus de la pofeie,
ce n'6tait pas de
la prose, c'^tait de la 197 II n'y a pas ci'amour, pas de haine, pas d'amis, pas d'ennemis, pas de foi, pas de passion, pas de bien, pas de mal. With the partitive force of pas with de should be compared the well-known use of the genitive for the object in Russian negative sentences and with net 'there is not', etc., also the use of the partitive case for the subject of a negative sentence in Finnish.
pofeie,
mise en prose; but
ib.
—
In the case of a contrast
hence the separation of
and not in Macaulay E.
41 the remedy
1.
.
we have a
him
into bis. dungeon, but to accustom
sun.
— Do
I
is
came not
ruin
too
is,
not to remand
to the rays of the
not used in such sentences as AV. Matt.
.
I
him
to send peace, but a sword
came not from too little
special negation;
(with comparatively strong stress)
is
Dickinson
|
great individualism of
S.
14
We
meet not
10.
life,
.
34
my
Wilde P. 135
but from
in drawing-rooms,
but in the hunting-field.
Even is
in such contrasted statements, however, the negative
very often attracted to the verb, which then takes do
:
we
do not meet in the drawing-room, but in the hunting-field -^
we meet
in the
your words, but
of the
the latter part being then equivalent to: but hunting-field
|
I
do not complain
tone in which they were uttered
but
(I
do admire) her voice
but. that
it
was a pity
|
|
of |
I
do not admire her
Hfe didn't say that
Tennyson 464
I
it
did not
thee, Guinevere (contrast not expressed).
face,
was a shame,
come to
curse
46
Otto Jespersen. In such cases the
see
OE
Beow. 338 wen
e. g.
verb naturally had no ne before
it,
ge for wlenco, nalles for wrsec-
ic I)set
Bede IV. 3
Sset
he nalses to idelnesse, swa sume o5re, ac to gewinne, in
9set
si9uni ac for
higet)rymmum, Hro5gar sohton
mynster eode
|
Apoll. 25 5e ic lufode na for galnesse ac for
\
wisdome. The exception
in Matt. 10.
34 ne com
ic
sybbe to sen-
danne, ac swurd — may be accounted for by the Latin wordorder (non veni Horn.
pacem
234 we have: Ne
1.
getimode J)am apostole
forsceawodlice, fset he ungeleafful wses J)urh
Godes
But
mittere, sed gladium).
—
forsceawunge
.
.
in ^Elfric
Thome
un-
ac hit getimode
.,
where the meaning
is:
'it
happened not-unprovidentially', as shown by the indicative
and by the necessity
wses
sende
of
the repetition hit getimode.
ME. version ed. by Paues 56 For no3t me for to baptyze, bote for-to preche the
Cf. also
(= AV.
1.
Cor.
1.
17 For Christ sent
me
Christ
ne
gospel
t)e
not to baptize, but
to preach the Gospel).
Other examples of constructions in which not
some other word
to the verb instead of without',
'pay, not only'):
Wordsworth
('I
referred
is
stepped
P. 4. 16
I
.
.
not
.
did not
step into the well-known boat
Hope
Q. 132 Don't
Galsw. F. 332
Note
also:
it
Without a cordial greeting pay only the arrears, pay all you can
till
We
aren't here to talk nonsense, but to act
"we aren't here" in
(Differently in
"We
itself is
a contra-
are here, not to retire
compelled to do so" where not belongs more closely to
what
follows).
When the negation it
|
doesn't only concern myself.
— where the sentence diction in terms.
|
is
attracted to the verb (in the form nH),
occasions a cleaving of never, ever thus standing
In writing the verbal form
is
by
itself.
sometimes separated in an un-
natural way: "Can she not ever write herself?" (Hallam in Tennyson L. 1. 258), representing the spoken "Can't she ."; ever and thus we get seemingly not ever 'never' .
=
(different
.
from
47
Negation.
the old not ever as in More U. 244, which meant 'not always'). Wells H. 422 You shan't touch those hostels ever again.
Ever
Hope D. 40
I
Ward M. 242
I
suppose you don't ever write to him?
man
can't ever see that
I
again
Locke
|
|
26&
S.
Don't you ever go down beneath the surface of things? Caine P. 219 so don't you ever be troubled about that Sh. |
||
Hml.
III.
firme
bosome
2.
411 |
would not ever fade
Shaw
1.
A
not euer The soule of Nero enter this
let
Shelley 83 |
A
hght around
Trollope D.
2.
— not
40 you shall not
40
my
Do you
is
the rejection of
something as the cause of or reason for something
his riches, this
real, ex-
happy, not on account of
is
but on accoimt of his good health" expressed in
form "he
is
not
(isn't)
happy on account
but on account of his good health". that "I didn't go because
and was not
afraid, or,
I
I
was afraid"
is
ambiguous
— the clause gives the reason
not drunk deep of
life
be seen
by good
I
Ord 151
I
"I didn't call because
for
some other
because
reason), while
I
wanted to
it falls
wanted to avoid her"
have
on
made rises-
I
call in "I didn't call
(the reason for not calling).
to me, bewon't have you" the clause indicates the reason for the
prohihition.
Thus frequently.
In other languages
?
see her" (but
Mason R. 96 "You mustn't come whining back
In cause
I
not
have been unathirst.
In the spoken language a distinction will usually be
call in
^
In
can take care
for the speaker
Similarly Locke
because
I
and
stylists.
between the two kinds of sentences by the tone, which on
went t
(I
did not go, and was afraid),
Di F. 348 Don't patronize me, Ma, because
wanting to be patronized.
of his riches,
It will easily
sentences like this are generally avoided
of myself
[
ever.
special case of frequent occurrence
pressed in a negative form: "he
which
steps
not ever go?
we have corresponding phenomena.
Brandes's sentence (Tilskueren 1915. 52) "Napoleon handlede
''
48
Otto Jespersen.
ikke saadan, fordi han trsengte
til
sine generaler"
249, in speaking of
and when Ernst M0ller writes (Inderstyre
"Men retningens magt
"Christian Science"):
fremhsevet,
ikke
magt
eftergas og optrsevles dens ;
vil blive
that most readers will misunderstand
be taken in a positive sense
by a
gens magt ikke
.
.
is
if
I
suppose
oplases
were to
would have been made clearer fremhsevet opl0ses retnin-
alt
not
attracted to the verb in such a
is
that an adverb, which belongs to the whole proposition,
more
or less
awkwardly placed between words which should
not properly be separated, as in TroUope D. not probably aware
you
—
.
Not imfrequently
way
it
;
Men som
transposition:
as
alt
Iseressetninger
staende"
it
som
opl0ses,
argumenter og
dens
fordi
ambiguous;
is
.
.
.
(=
1.
76 you are
probably you are not aware,
are probably not aware)
|
Ward M.
or:
228 were he at that
moment Home Secretary, he would not probably be reading it ead. E. 2 Edward M., however, was not apparently consoled by her remarks NP. '17 This is a strong expression. Yet it |
|
is
—
not perhaps exaggerated.
The tendency to draw the
auxiliary and not together has, on the other hand, been resisted in the following passages:
Shaw
meet him untU he has spoken to
man
not a prosperous
|
simply not
You
27
me
|
will of course not
D. 21 he
id.
Black Ph. 280 they had
been unfavourable to him
whose blood was
1.
|
Ward M.
is clearly
clearly not
133 a music-master,
certainly not Christian
|
Galsw. P. 55
It's
other people (= is simply unfair) Wells H. 120 the smashing up of the Burnet family was disagreeably fair to
|
not in the picture of these suppositions. not evidently
is
—
In
most
of these,
a special negative, belonging to the following
word. It
has sometimes been said that the combination he cannot
possibly come
is
while.in- Danish
illogical; not is
here taken to the verb can, and German the negative is referred to pas-
Negation.
"hah kan umuligt komme", men". There is nothing illogical in
^ibltf:
49
^ '
"er
kann unmoglich koiur
either expression, but only Redundance: the notion of possibility is expressed twice, iil the Yerb and in the adverb, and it is immaterial to which
of these the negative notion
When
not
is
different
from
attached.
taken with some special word,
possible to use the adverb
The
tive sentences.
is
officers
still,
which
were
still
becomes
it
only found in posi-
is
not friendly (NP. '17)
is
the officers were hot yet friendly {not yet nexal
negative) in so far as the latter presupposes a change having
occurred after that time, which the former does not. Cf. also Letter '99 Although
wrote to him a fortnight ago,
I
not heard from him
still
good order
(=
'is still
Swift
|
J.
my
503
head
is'
I
still
bad', slightly different from
is
have in
no
not yet
•well).
Yet not is rare
....
Not a or
a kind
Johnson R. 112 P. was yet not
:
not one before a substantive (very often word) is
of stronger no; at
any
i.
e.
MEG.
II. 16. 73,
where
be
as an instancfe of
special negative, the verb consequently taking cf.
may
two words
rate the
treated as belonging closely together,
do;
satisfied^
many examples
no auxiliary
are given; see
further:
Austen M. 395 say not a word
of it
Hawthorne Sn. 46
|
the face seemed to smile, but answered not a word R. 356 he mentioned not a word
a word about that interview
|
|
|
Hardy
Bennett B. 66 she said not
Doyle
230 he
S. 5.
lost
not an
hour in breaking with the murderer. In a sinailar
and
way
no*
in recent usage at
Auxiliary do: Swift of us
TroUope
I
3.
W.
is all,
attracted to the as
shown by the absence
|.
Phillpotts,
of the
200 his Majesty took not the least notice 243
my
resignation of the wardenship
need offer not the slightest bar to person
least, the slightest,
'
its
occupation
by another
M. 350 he rested but two hours and
Vldensk. Selsk. Hist.-fllol.
Medd.
I, b.
4
slept
Otto Jespbrsen.
50
not at
all
|
an urgency that helped him not
.Wells L. 65
at
Quiller-Couch M. 59 this explanation enlightened the
all
I
Commandant not
at all
—
for a long time.
|
Galsw F. 209 they talked not at
all
415 he cared not the snap of one
Cf. ib.
yellow fingers.
of his thin,
Where we have a verb connected with an
infinitive, it is
often of great importance whether the negation refers to the
nexus (main verb) or to the
In the earlier stages
infinitive.
language this was not always clear: he tried not way was ambiguous; now the introduction of do
of the
to look
that
as the
auxiliary of a negative nexus has rendered a differentiation possible: he did not try to look that
\
he tried not
way; and the (not yet recognized) placing
that to
way
make
serves to
to look
of not after
the latter sentence even more unambiguous:
The
he tried
to
not look that way.
W.
2.
187 She did not wish to reflect; she strongly wished
nett
distinction
is
clear in Ben-
not to reflect.
Other examples with not belonging to an 112 Try not
do
to
again
it
defects with mental
id.
|
ib.
X
432 Try not
I
Ph. 61
Hope if
In.
38
Tommy
to associate
bodily
Macaulay E.
|
resolved not to go into the
swim
Di D.
20 the more he endeavoured not
the more he thought
to think,
who
|
infinitive :
water
till
1.
41 the fool
he had learnt to
deserved not to be hated
one were to live always
one would get not
among
|
Black
those bright colours,
to see them Galsworthy P. 6. 91 I soon Swinburne L. 158 I may come not to feel such unbearable shame as I do now Ward D. 3. 132 I knew he'd
got not to care
|
|
|
come not
to care
about the book-selling
1 1
you before you
me too
press the
Thack V. 200
go, not perhaps to return, once
hand
|
much absorbed
Mac Carthy
2.
beseech let
521 the Prime-minister was
in the zeal of his cause not
run counter to the feelings of
I
more to
men
||
sometimes to
Mrs. Garlyle F.
3.
24
I
51
Negation.
wished to not treat you to more tears not have gone.
1
Hope D. 94
||
might easily not have gone
I
might
above
(cf.
48
p.
and ch.VIII below).
When
do cannot be used,
it
not always easy to see
is
whether not belongs to the main verb or the
Merch
Sh.
heere
meant not
'it
My
III 2. 230
— where, is 'it
purpose was not to haue seen you
however, the next
was not
was
my
my
show that
.
Locke
S.
He And in
.
This paraphrase
.'
some cases word-order may
in
very often with a predicative;
of the negative, thus
such frequent cases
also
cf.
was beginning not to despise the day of
232
small things.
is
purpose to have seen you here', and
remove any doubt as to the belonging
as
shows that what
line
purpose not to have
further serves to
infinitive, as in
the spoken language the use of wasn't
strongly stressed not in the other, will at
by a once make the mean-
ing clear of such sentences as the one
first
[woznt] in one case, and unstressed was [waz] followed
Z)o?i'f let
us
is
quoted here.
the idiomatic expression, where logically
would be preferable to say (an injunction not to
.
.
,):
us with
let
Thack
P.
2.
it
noi to the infinitive
Do
213
not
let
us,
however, be too prodigal of our pity.
we
In the old construction without do tion of not to
let
(though the
placed with the infinitive): it
I
255
B. Jo. let
3.
183
let
not
my
attract
two quotations show
last
AV. John
19.
24
let
not
not vs rent
behaviour seem rude
|
Di N. 443 And
have been accustomed to let
same
|
Gongreve
not the prospect of worldly lucre carry us beyond
your judgment
219
see the
not add guilt to our misfortunes
imagine evil which
we
not those whose eyes
suppose that
not another dare suspect
do not
let
it |
||
.
.
.
|
Mered H.
Goldsmith 636
Johnson R. 101
let
let
us
us not
feel.
always in natural language placed before the archaic way of placing infinitive it belongs to, there is a poetic or one object which you 131 Wordsworth in infinitive, as the it after continuance of might pass by, Might see and notice not By 396 a
While now
not
is
|
4*
Otto Jespbrsen.
52
God blpss enduring thought. Which then I can resist rnot Caine C. 69 and when He smiles on you, may the frowij of a . you, my son, maxv^ affecVyoU riot. \
.
.
In other languages difficulties like those mentioned in
English are obviated in different ways. Thus in Greek im is used with a finite is used to negative an infinitive, while ow verb.
.
number
In Dan. a certain
Mager ikkt
at
kunne
hjselpe
of
combinations
Dem may
like jeg be-
be ambiguous, though
the spoken, than in the printed form; but in some
less so in
instances the colloquial use of a preposition shows where
ikM
belongs; instead of the literary pf0v ikke at se derhen
it is
usual to say either prev ikke pa at se derhen ov prov pa ikke at se derhen. There is another colloquial way out of the dif-
by means
ficulty,
of the verbal
phrase lade
at (a) la vaer at (a) se derhen.-
vxr:pr0V
In Latin the place of non before the the, infinitive will generally suffice to
ne pas
— il
regarder^
|
whence the
il
il
Thus
also
rather la
du
skal
main verb
or before
make the meaning
ne tdche pas de regarder
nepeut pas entendre-
possibility of saying
il
\
non
\
clear.
tdche de
il
peut ne pas entendre
non amare
potest
ne peut pas ne pas aimer == Dan. han kan ikke lade vaere
elske,
Eng. he cannot but
choose but lorn).
below
Cf.
In this connexion
I
Iq,
from du skal ikke se derhen.
vaer a se derhen, different
Similarly in French:
veere or
cannot help
love,
loving
l|
at
{cannot
ch. VIII.
must mention an interesting phenom-
enon frequent in Russian;
1
take
my
examples from Holgeir
Pedersen's Russisk Lsesebog (Kabenhavn 1916) p. 12; a pif
uz ne
stal 'but
sing
now
he not. began' which
is.
standing for the logical 'not-to-sing he began', to sing'
I
ne veleno kogo delaV 'order
instead of the logical 'order is
pTohibited to do
comes to the
it
this'.
is
is
i.
explained as e.
given not to do
this',
Similarly with dolzen.
that the negative ne
wrong word? There
is
is
'he ceased
not given to do this i.
e.
'it
But how
in such expressions attached
another
way
of
viewing these
53
Negation.
sentences, dictory,
we
if
take the negative to
but the contrary
beginning',,
prohibition,
given'.
is
the CoEtra-
terni: ne stal 'did the opposite of
velmo
'ceased'; ne
e.
i.
mean not
And
'the opposite of order,
i.
e.
in Vondr^k's Yei-gleichende slavi-
sche Granunatik (Gottingen 1908) 2.400,
"mitunter
find:
I
wird der begriff des verbs nicht durch ne aufgehoben, sondern in
sein
gegenteil
ndvideti 'lieben'), i
verwandelt: aksl.
nenavidUi 'hassen'
(b.
nestati 'verschwinden'.
s.
This closely resembles a Greek idiom, see Kriiger, Griech.
sprachlehre 5th ed.
§67
"Einzelne begriffe werden
a.2.:
1.
besonders durch ou aufgehoben, ja
zuweilen ins
o4 phemi nego, verneine
verwandelt, wie
.
.
gegenteil
ouk iKPiever-
.
lange dass nicht, ouk eo veto, verwehre, widerrate (auch er-
—
laube nicht)."
U.
2.
Kiihner, Ausf. gr. d. griech.
180: 'litotes liegt vor,
wiirde: o4 lb. p.
eo
phemi
182 this
prohibeo
As
.
.
touto kalos ekhein
die negation an sich infinitive stehen
nego hoc bene
se habere"*
ou stergo odi
.
.
an
as "accusative with
,
ou sumbquledo dissuadeo.
infinitive"
may
=
the dependent nexus. In
many
languages to attract
though I hope
(expect) he won't
/ do not hope
among the to
Irish,
who
is
my
as I didn't pretend
to
not to understand'.
think he has not come';
come
is
more usual than the
will.
also,
which
according to Joyce
at
say. eg. It
all,
is
not
my
is
usual
(Ir.
20)
wish that you
by which is meant the wish that you should not go',
America
assertion: 'It
'I
(expect) he will come,
Danish and German, apd
should go
logically belong to
cases / don't think he has come
and similar sentences really mean
in
many
main verb a negative which should
less logical
Gaium
say that Gains has not come' naturally leads u^
'I
to the strong tendency found in
to the
[
he considered
as a kind of .dependent clause, the mention of Lat. nego
venisse
Gerth
v.
explained as change into the contrary: ouk
is .
wenn phemi
beim abhangigen
zieht, die logisch richtiger
spt-.
positive
— as well
understand what he saidJot'l pretended
Otto Jespersen.
54
A
few Scandinavian examples
'
may
be given of this ten-
dency to insert the negative in the main sentence: Hostrup Schandorff NP.
og at
faerre
du maa mange har
blive gift
saa vil jeg aldrig 0nske, at
III. 6
Genb.
'97
Jeg tror
ikke, at
|
Brand
Isest
har f orstaaet den (note here the continuation, which
shows that what
is
meant
son Guds V. 21
Men
Strindb. Giftas
2.
is:
det lot
Han
134
mange som
tror at ikke 'o
[=
.
.
hun]
.)
ikke,
I
'o
BJ0rnh0rte
|
trodde icke presterna voro annat
an examinerade studenter och att deras besvarjelseord bara var mytologi (note also here the positive continuation). Cf.
from French Tobler's Verm,
164
beitr. 1.
ne faut pas
il
que tu meures.
we must note the
In English
suppose (/
am
not afraid),
am
and / suppose not
{I
but the object
whole sentence understood)
old
is
(a
knowledge ? Di N. 311 not'
ib. I
I
afraid
'I
—
|
how
you
can't learn
TroUope D.
—
it'.
of-
81
2.
you know 'I
am
that? No,
'I
my
I
not'
|
afraid
should
should not mind'.
dare say not, because you have nothing particular to say'.
have something particular to say'. should you hope not?' Kipling L. 217
'But
I
|
man
Please not, old
hold his tongue. Inversely
"the reason
—
Conway G. 1 He says not.
we have
main sentence,
I
positive,
ever came to
it
'Well,
590 can you bear the thought
imagine not, indeed!
is
negative;
is
:
believe not directly'.
am
'I
donH
/
negatived,
whole sentence ? Examples Congreve
Di D. 93 Whether
|
is
afraid not) where the nexus
this use of not for a
121 I'm afraid not
between
distinction
where the main nexus
is
not
|
I
'I I'll
hope
believe
I
not'.
'Why
the boys.
tell
asked him to
a negative adverb standing for a whole that
meaning
not that" as in Sh.
lou'd Caesar lesse, but that
I
lou'd
"I
do not say that"
Cses.
III.
2.
Rome more
or
22 Not that |
Bunyan
113 Not that the heart can be good without knowledge 213 Wilde In. 212 Not that I agree with everything I I
—
|
P. ib.
have
55
Negation.
said in this essay
— We
them.
W.
Locke
|
shall see in ch.
same
not but what in the
309 Not that he had forgotten XII the use of not but {that) and
sense.
In other languages correspondingly: Ikke at han havde
dem nicht dass er sie vergessen hatte Non pas qu'il parlat personne
skulde ha) glemt
(or:
RoUand
Chr.
J.
When we
predicative part of
it
(after
not
is
it
nexus, although the
the
unexpressed; the exclamation
is
He wonH!
equivalent of
Examples
back") Not he!
negatived, but
is
|
h,
say ("He'll come
reaUy he that
complete
|
306
5.
(with stress
on
a
is
won't).
with the accusative used as a modern
||
(vulgar or half-vulgar) 'disjointed' nominative): Sh. H4. A.
42
III. 3. I,
Who, I rob? la theefe? Not I Tp. Bunyan P. 142 Let us go see. Not Carlyle S. 169 Were I a Steam-engine, wouldst 153
I. 2.
|
Err. V. 420
I
said Christian
|
|
thou take the trouble to
Meg
don't
know what he
wouldn't touch us cats
.
.
likes..
Not they
.
T. 49
II
Not us
id.
Austen
I
were not you?
OE we
In
Voc.
1.
We shan't
S.
it!
|
Di X. 30
Galsw F. 255 They 'It'll
Bennett
\
|
id.
perhaps rain
W.
1.
Gd. 244
Do
263 |
Wells
all in
the same
room together,
us'.
have the corresponding nic in Wright-Wtilcker,
94 Wilt
'yes',
|
!
hang upon any misunderstanding.
269 you were
fon
t>u
21 spelt n%c and nyc,
=
!
M. 44
W
'No indeed! not
sumne hwsel? Nic John, ed. Skeat 18. 17 spelt nice and nick. This (with |
the positive counterpart
ay
|
GE
long? — Not
will last
it
V. 338
me ? Not thou
Not she
and dogs to-morrow'. 'Not
you think
1.
tell lies of
and ye we
in
/,
which
is
probably the origin of
Caxton R. 58
wille
ye doo this
ye we, lorde) closely resembles the French naje 'not
I'
(in
.
.
.
the
third person nenil) and the positive oje 'hoc ego' (in the third
person
oil,
G. Paris,
oui), see
Romania
7.
Tobler K. Z. 23. 423, Verm. Beitr. 465.
1. 1,
56
OtTOt JjeSPERSEN.
CHAPTER
-
VI
'
Negative Attraction.
While the preceding chapter has shown the universa] tendency to attract the negative to the verb even where
some other word, there
belongs, to
,In
is
logically
another tendency to
any word that can
attract the negative notion to inade: negative.
.
it
easily be
language ;the former
colloquial
the
is
stronger tendency, but in literary English the latter often
predominates because
Thus
it
yields a
to the colloquial "we didn't
more elegant
expression.
meet anybody" corresponds
a more literary "we met nobody".
Gf. alsd
"union won't be
an easy matter" and "union will be no easy matter".
,
,
In the following sentences the negative, jeally belongs to
the nexus and should therefore be placed with the verb; note especially the tag question in the last senterice {have
we haven't
after a negative
give nothing for nothing
Hay
B. 68 She
got); Scott Iv.
[=
was aware
we?
as
89 those of thy tribe
don't give anything for nothing]; df
having done nothing wrong
[
|
Hewlett Q. 50 she found that she could count certainly upon
nobody cousin.
Hope R.
I
We
_23Q
we ask him
ask only his silence
|
so well that she has the heart to
GE
M.
we ?
—
part of
you
thwart you in ndthjng
;.|
114 we've got. a glass of nothing in the house, have' In Defoe R. 2. 299 'tis none of my business, or any
my
examples
ladders
Gilbert 90 she loveS
2.
I,
thaS'
is felt
MEG.
is
— the continuation with or any shows to be == — also any
design
the beginning
This
to do nothing against his
II.
'it
isn't
.
.
.'
Cf.
particularly frequent with need: Swift:T.
need say nothing
no uneasiness |
foolish story.
Scott A.
—
ths:
16. 74.
1.
26 of
Goldsmith 24 you need be undej!: 63 ye need say nothing about that |
with a comparative: Swift J. 461 I need tell you no more Di N. 125 We need detain you no longerj A curious example is Darwin E. 93 the whole subject is Cf, |
Negation.
SO obscure, that light
on
logical
it
have succeeded in throwing hardly anf
I
— where hardly any
expression would be:
throwing any
57
.;
is
used as a mitigated no; the
I
have hardly succeeded in
light.
Note also Galsworthy D. 101 to be able to do nothing [= unable to do anything] without hurting someone Benson D. 50 you and I will go to the smoking-room, and talk about |
nothing at^all subtle P. 183 I'm
[= something
that
no Bear any longer [=
is
am
not Subtle]
|
Norris
a Bear no longer].
Storm E. Ph. 694 has a few curious quotations like this from Marryat: O'Brien stated that we were officers, and had
common
no right to be treated like
[= and had
soldiers
a.
right not to be treated]. ,
This tendency leads to the use of combinations
like
he
was no ordinary boy in preference to the miidioniatic he was a not ordinary boy; for examples see MEG. II. 16. 751. Similarly in Spanish, Gald6s,,Don€i Perfecta 39, 'Era
santo var6n piadosa
The
attraction of the negative element
a pronoun,
ingen, ingenting, inlet
like,
un
y de no com&n saber.
is
the reason
is
very often
Why
Danish
in.
placed in a position which would be impossible in the case
pronoim, but
of a positive
ikke: del forer ingenting er ingen
shade
til
\
man
ndr ingenting
is
til
man
ndr
the one required for the adverb
[=
det
feirer
ikke til noget]
ingenting har, or,
har, etc.
|
det
more popularly,
the following quotations,
Gf. alsb
the last two or three of which are, perhaps,:not quite natural,
though the attraction in them Petersen Afhdl.
4.
123 Ti
Det franske sprog har ingen vernahte har gjort det intet
mserke
I
J.
ingen; kolighed
jordlod,
som
|
|
G.
easy to understand ingen gore uret
fordservet,
men den
Goldschmidt Hjeml.
P. Jacobsen
til
is
man ma
Bang
2.
2.
|
:
N. M,
ib.
126
franske gou-
841 lad poblen
406 Tage mserkede imidlertid
Tilsk.
1902.
386 Den
samme
for 2Q aar siden intet eller lidet, udbytte gav,,
58
Otto Jespersen.
fordi
der intet eller lidet arbejde var nedlagt
NP.
Jobs. Jergensen
dette bar gjort selv
Bygm. Soln. 204 mig ved.
Ibsen
]
dens drift
|
for at jeg ingen-
—
ting andet skulde ha' at hsefte
med ingen would
flager 48 de bserer over
i
Jeg veed ogsaa, at jeg intet af alt
'15
Bjornson Det
in natural Danish be
rather hserer ingen over med.
Whenever there
is
logically a possibility of attnacting the
negative element to either of two words, there seems to be a universal tendency to join
to the
it
first.
We may
say "no
one ever saw him angry" or "never did any one see him angry",
but not "any one never saw him angry" nor "ever did no one see
him angry". In the same way
ham
sinde s%l
ham vred", but woman would ever think of to say "any woman would never think possible to say "a woman would never
Instead of "no
impossible
it is
Dan. "ingen har nogen-
vred" or "aldrig har nogen set
not otherwise. that"
in
of that", though
it is
think of that", because no
not (now)
is
and the
of the negative element
felt
to be a combination
indefinite article.
The negative is also attracted to the first word in the wellknown Latin combinations nee quisquam (not et nemo), neque unquam; thus
ullus, nee
also ne quis, ne quid, etc., in clauses
of purpose.
The same tendency
like without
any danger
\
is
found also in combinations
uden nogen fare
\
sine ullo periculo,
where, however, English has sometimes with no danger
any one);
Ruskin
cf.
solemnity,
with
Williamson
S.
It
OE
EllJ)eodigra e51es ne |
etc.
mann.
9
it is
the
a spot which has
savageness,
poetry combinations in which
a verb with prefixed
553
1.
of
of
the
all
the Alps
|
231 she went out, with not another word or look. strikes one as contrary to this universal tendency to
find in
hyrde
Sel.
none
(to
mihte BIsedes brucan
377 senig ne wende, lb.
sefre
Andreas 15
ne, as in
t)a3t
493 both combined
or senig precedes J)aer
|
eenig I)a git
360 Mfre
he lifgende land begete :
swa
ic sefre
ic |
ne
499,
ne geseah xnigne
59
Negation.
When is
the negative
attracted to the subject, the sentence
is
often continued in such a
part of the
Ufe such sentences will is
only the
that the positive counter-
even hyper-critical, grammarian that
critical, or
wrong
sees anything
way
must be understood. In ordinary cause no misunderstanding, and it
subject
first
Examples: Marlowe T. 1560
in them.
by our swords [= but all Sh. R. 3. I. 3. 213 I pray him That none of you perish] may line his naturall age. But by some vnlook'd accident cut Bunyan G. 147 none of them are hurtful, but loving and off Not one should scape, but perish |
I
holy
[=
but they are
.
.
.]
judge another by looking
descend into the crowd
any
of us
|
Jacobs L. 51 Neither spoke, but lay
[= both
silently listening
lay]
|
Benson D.
130 Don't
2.
let
go to bed to-night, but see the morning come
Galsworthy P.
2.
then
[they'll get]
Coll.
Monographs
further light
51 Nobody'U get anything
only cold shoulder 15.
upon the
]
and
eight,
Miss Paton, Radcliffe
|
and are therefore not
original form,
[= These
versions throw no
same phenomenon with
find the
till
23 None of these versions throw any
important for our analysis
We
Merriman V. 265 no man may
|
down upon him, but must needs
.
.
.].
few, as that, too, has
a negative purport:
Johnson R. 40 few of the princes had any wish to enlarge their bounds, but passed their lives in full conviction that
they had
all
|
Mulock H.
2.
152
Few
[= they thought
only of themselves
of Jessop
thought
only of
.
.
Similarly in the following quotations: forget
remember'
(Gf. also
quented by
Sh. John
I.
back to some Garlyle R.
317
I
it
=
fre-
|
is
I
|
had a
Wilkins P. 67 the house vnfre-
quented, onely of their owne householde 22
'do not
my great grandfather
quite forget the details, only that
good deal of talk with him
War
=
188); unfrequented
no one: Di N. 607 I it was
old letters, whether
the
].
forget, without looking
(of)
2.
1.
—
idle to consider
|
Dickinson After
how much
territory
may
60
Otto' Jespersen.
how
may
be disposed of
[idle
Danish examples of sentences begun, negatively and
con-i
for settlement, nor
come up
=
it
'no use'].
tinued as
begun
if
Rask
positively:
Prisskrift 97 Intet af de
men
finniske sprog adskiller kj0n, hvori de ligne gr0nlandsken,
have
en
ellers
vidtl0ftig^ deklineririg
Andersen 181) Ingen
men
hjertet],
flyver tvert igjennem
begivenhed havde
interesse
kun ved den
eller fik
baron.
et led
2.
v^rdi ordnes
.
men
humor 104
sig selv,
i
.
.
id. 7.
|
mig have
holdt alle ud
til
men har kun
manden
H. C.
tilfseldigt,
men som
|
Br0chner 155 jeg
t.
den sidste time
|
til-s
H0ffT',
menneskeligti forhold kan have
Intet
naar det bevidst underi
vserdi,
uendelighedssynspunktet
brsendevih af
vil
Andersea
ikke en eneste af mine 10
|
Nar korn blev kort hjem, drak ingen fik
ingen,;
507 Bare ingen
ro!
som
Molbech brev
|
tilfredsstillelse, at
h0rere forlod mig,
ding St.
lade
(in Vilh.
Goldfechmidt,5. 1^6
|
66 Intet betragtede ban
den store kjsede
i
havde den
uden
Poul M0ller
hsengende derved [ved
som. del af bans indre historie
sin rette farve
men
skoptisere over mig,
To
.|
piil bliver Isenge
Feilberg Dania
117
af sin egen flaske, meii
L.G.Nielsen
|
5.
Tilsk. '98. 694 jeg
men forforte. hende og handlede W. Johannsen Salmonsen 9. 184 Ingen a£
saa, at ingen elskede hende, ilde
med hende
dem
[teorierne]
derfor her I«se!^e
|
|
kan
siges at vsere fyldestgorende
g0r sig rede hvorfor, og vil ogSEi have iiogen vanske-i
lighed ved
'at
indse grunden.
The following quotations Er. Mont. IV. 2 Jeg er ingen
bane
kand
eller at
viL
samstemme med
slutte sig
Thus
NP.
|
til
,0
are
somewhat
af
Aage
mine
Holberg
prof. Steenstrup..
with Dan. de
'92 de faerreste af disse
har vasret andet
f orseldre
Friis Politiken 6. 2.
Bricka's beskedne tvivl
also
different:
skaffe att^ster fra hele byen, at jeg
nogen
end christne mennesker alle
og forbigaas
Ax. S0rensen Ariadnetrad 52 Ikke In af huhdriede
fserreste
.
.
06 Langtfrji
men
vil hellere
[= mange vil ikke .]. [^ de fleste. ikke]i .
,
.
.
tropper er imidlertid -hevsebnede
:
61
Negation.
med nye gode skov Tilsk.
men
rifler,
'14.
liHJes
med gamle
flintebosser
29 D,e fserreste forstod ineniiigen.
|
Arn-
eller vilde
ikke forstaa den.
And ^ith Mitfwut -ing.
a negative infinitive means the same thing as This is felt to be perfectly natural in positive
sentences
but there
(a),
a growing awkwardness about the
is
conistruction in the following groups: negative sentences (b),
interrogative
statements
sentences,
generally
equivalent
to
negative
and negative interrogative sentences
(c),
(d);
the sentence in
(e) is, strictly speaking, quite unanalyzable. In "I couldn't see y-oa, and not love you" (h) couldn't refers
at the
way
in a :"!
we
same time to
and to not
see you,
love you, the latter
that would be quite unidiomatic
you"
couldn't not love
see that the expression
used by
unimpeachable
if
we
substitute^:
"Impossible (to see you and) not to. love you". But ficult to
apply the same test to
(a) Sh. Alls
not kisse
|
all
I.
1.
it is dif-
our quotations.
5.91 Strangers and.
II.
Sh. Lr.
itself
Latin non possum non amare);
(cf. is
if
foes do sunder,
228 that glib and oylie
art.
and
To speak
and purpose not. (b)
Di D. 570
couldn't see you, and not love you
I
|
Di
Do. 473 But he could not look at her, and not be afraid of her
I
Tenn. 342
I
Stevenson M. 179
cannot love I
my
lord and not his
thing was conceivable, and not probe the matter
riman
S.
not be true with
and do nothing
moved
|
him ||
it
(c)
home
|
Btmy
|
Henley B. 20
Hardy W. 265
I
|
Mer-
1
could not live and
must not stay here
Stevenson A. 84 no one can read
it
and
Harraden F. 54 No one could have had such
a splendid old father as >.
|
13 'what are we to do? Can't bury the poor chap
and say nothing about
not be
name
could not live in a house where such a
P. 68
I
have, and not believe in the people.
how can
hgnge^ as a traitor?
|
I
go back from
Richardson G. 28
this,
and not be
Who can
touch pitch
Otto Jespersen.
62
and not be defiled? perish not?
|
Ward
how
Shelley 457
|
E. 244 But oh!
Shall
I
descend, and
— what we can bear and
not die!
Otway 224 May not a man then
(d)
trifle
out an hour
With a kind woman and not wrong his calling? 270 why can't you many me, and live here with be a Methodist preacher any more? (e)
NP. 1911 I'm doing
punished
[= without
just as little as
I
Hardy W.
1
and not
us,
can and not be
being pimished].
Conditional conjunctions also have a strong attraction for
the negative notion in
many
colloquial hvis ikke (at)
han kommer instead of hvis han ikke
languages
unless (formerly onles, onles that) lees
pe)
'that
order) that
.
.
.
.
.
.
not'
not';
Lat. nisi, Dan.
in English the negative conjunctioa
kommer). Thus we have
=
(cf.
;
=
'if
.
.
for fear often
is
.
not'
;
lest
(OE py
equivalent to
also but {but that, but what), ch.
cf.
'fin
XII;
mains que, Sp. a menos que.
Dan. medmindre; Fr. A
CHAPTER
VII
Double Negation. Wlien logicians
insist
firmative" their rule
into
not corroborated
is
most languages. But
some that follow
that "two negatives
it
by
make an
af-
actual usage in
would be wrong to divide languages
this rule
and others that do not,
for
on closer inspection we find that in spite of great differences between languages in this respect there are certain under-
We
shall
with those instances in which the rule of the
logi-
lying principles that hold good for deal
first
all
languages.
Negation.
cians
is
GS'
observed; and afterwards with those in which th&
final result of
First, it
two negatives
in itself iiegative.
is
seems to be a universal rule in
all
languages that
make an affirmative, if both are special negatives attached to the same word; this generally happens in this way that not is placed before some word of negative import
two negatives
or containing a negative prefix.
But
should be noted that
it
the double negative always modifies the idea, for the result of
the whole expression
is
somewhat
Thus
idea expressed positively.
different
from the simple
not without some doubt
exactly the same thing as with some doubt; not
weaker than common, and not unhandsome
is
not.
uncommon
(Kipl. L. 246)
is
than
handsome, the psychological reason being that the detour
through the two mutually destroying negatives weakens the
mental energy of the hearer and implies on the part of the speaker a certain hesitation absent from the blunt, outspoken
common (Sh.
or handsome.
Merch.
Assertion
I.
1.
122)
by negative
"Tis not
=
vnknowne
to you,
Anthonio"
'you are to some extent aware'.
of opposite
is
a
common
—
feature of
English as spoken in Ireland (see Joyce, p. 16): "this
little
rasher will do you no harm" meaning it will do you good^ "Paddy Walsh is no chicken now" meaning he is very old,
This
etc.
is
really
on a par with "not untragical", "not un-
entitled to speak", "not
Carlyle (E. St.
a mannerism
6.
for
unpromptly",
388); with
which he
him is
not
etc.
which abound
in
without has become quite
taken to task by Sterling: not
without ferocity, not without result, not without meditation,, etc. etc.
A
special instance of this detour
non-nulli,
on the meaning of
Next, the result
is
positive
is
which see
if
Lat. non-nunquam,. ch. VIII.
we have a nexal
negative in
a sentence containing an implied negative, as in I do not deny;
"4
OttooJespe'rsen.
this,
course, closely,, resembles the first case.
;of-
such frequent Fr. phrases as
il
n'itait
Here belong
pas sans Ure frappi par
la difference; the
meaning
*yoli will readily
understand that he was struck.
of the
round-about expression .
."
In this place should, perhaps, be mentioned the Fr.
a pas que Jthere. is
pa,
which means the opposite
more than
The negation
of
of
is
i
il n''y
n'y a que ga, thus
il
this'.
words
like
nobody resulting in the meaning
bf 'everybody' (nemo non videt) will be treated in oh. VIII.
Yet another way of affirming through a 120 For
am
double, negative
is
seen
not criticall Hendersop Burns 3.297 The old Scots poets were nothing if not plain-spoken [= were pl.-sp. to a high degree]. But this hardly belongs in this in Sh. 0th.
II, 1.
I
nothing,,
if
|
—
chapter.
If
now we
proceed to those cases in which a repeated negatim
means, not an affirmative, but a negative,
we
shall
do well to
separate different classes in which the psychologicalexplanation is
not exactly the same.
(1) In the first place we have instances of double attraction. Above we have seen the two tendencies, one to place the negative with the verb as nexal negative, and the other to amalgamate a negative element with some word capable of ;
receiving a negative prefix.
now
We
have seen how now one,
the other of these tendencies prevails
;
but here we have
to deal with those instances in. which both are satisfied at
once in popular speech, the result being sentences with double, or even treble or quadruple, negation. This was the regular idiom in OE, so regular indeed that in the whole of Apollonius there is only one sentence containing ne with the verb in which we have another word that might
take n- and does not (22 ne ondraet pu Se seniges tinges), while there are 9 instances of ne -fvarious forms of nan, 3 of ne naht ('nothing' or 'not') and 15 of ne some negative adverb begin-
+
+
Negation.
65
ning with n- {nahwar, mefre, na, nader). There are 40 instances of ne or n- with the verb without any other word that might take
and 4
n-,
of
na
as special negative without
any verb.
In this text there are no instances of treble or quadruple negation, but these are by no means rare in OE prose, as in
man
wan
nan
reyste
t)ing
|
Boet. 102. 7 ne nan neat nyste
nsenne andan ne nsenne ege to odrum.
ME.,
al his lyf
He
Gh. A. 70
e. g.
noman ne
of
way
in
neuere yet no vileynye ne seyde In
unto no maner wight
to holde of
In the same
|
Recluse 200 ne take{)|noJ)ing
no womman, ne noither
of the
s^ruauntz
ne here non vncouj) tales.
Early
MnE. examples
of double negation:
Caxton B. 48 the harneis was nothyng
5f
1
id.
R. 38
hole,
and nought dammaged
whan he coude nowher none
ne neuer shal none be born fairer than she neuer
make none with anye nacion
More
|
[none
i.
see
|
84
ib,
U. 238 they
leagues].
e.
In Elizabethan English this kind of repeated negation
comparatively rare; from Sh.
may,
I
Yfiil
budge for no mans pleasure,
I
|
Tw.
one heart, one bosome, and one truth, has, nor neuer
none Shall mistris be
And
of
it,
I
cannot explain
how
it is
I
171
that no
saue
I
1.
58
I
haue
I
woman
alone.
violent
—
man.
that this particular redundancy
seems to disappear for two centuries that
III.
II. 1.
B0gholm has one from Bacon: he was never no
—
is
have only two instances (but
have overlooked others): Ro.
of course,
not
I
;
it
can hardly be accidental
have no examples from the beginning
of the seventeenth
when Pegge mentions "luxuriance" among the cockneys (I donH know
to the end of the eighteenth century, this
kind of
nothing about
"No,
I
it)
shall not
and says that he has heard
do no such thing" and that a
to have .enquired at a tavern,
"if
in Yorkshire, citizen
is
said
nobody had seen nothing of
never-a hat nowhere" s'i"
Recent examples, put
in the
mouths
of vulgar speakers
(sometimes, qo doubt, with some exaggeration of a, tendency Vidensk. Selsk.
Hist.-fllol.
Medd.
I, o.
5
66
Otto Jespersen.
Di D. 19 Nobody Di never went and hinted no such a thing, said Peggotty
however natural
ridiculed at school,
in itself):
|
Do. 279
he [the butler] hopes
all
is,
he
may
never hear of no
foreigner never boning nothing out of no travelling chariot
Thack 1.
P.
3.
We
85
never thought of nothing
wrong
me
327 There was niver nobody else gen (gave)
Hardy W.
23
canH do nothing without
I
my
staff
GE
|
nothin' |
Shaw
|
M. \
C.
24 you wont like to spar with nobody without youre well paid for
Zangwill G. 209
it I
cut off
I
No
pompensation nowhere for being
Herrick M. 87 you won't lose nothing by
hung
there won't be no
it
Cumulative negation exactly resembling that of very frequent in
nu
MHG.,
e. g.
diz e/i-mac
en-kan ich niemanne gesagen
naz (Delbriick
6).,
as in English
it
|
ib.
89
jury.
|
ir
OE
was
nu nieman bewarn
ougen diu en-wurden
|
nie
This was continued in later centuries, though
was counteracted by schoolmasters. Luther
has "Wir sind niemand nichts schuldig" and Goethe "Man sieht, dass er axi. nichts ist
partei
gebrauch
und
keimn
anteil
nimmt",
Schiller "alles
nirgend^ kein richter", etc. (Andresen, Sprack-
u. sprachrichtigkeit
1912 209). This
frequent in vulgar language.
sprache 1897 78
I
is
particularly
In 0. Weise's Unsere mutter-
And the following: "Die verneinung wird
nachdrucklioh wiederholt, damit
sie
recht ins gewicht
fallt.
In Angelys Fest der hahdwerker wird einem gesellen auf die frage: 'Hat keener
schwamm?'
nicht geantwortet; als er aber
dann der frage die form giebt: 'Hat denn keener keenen schwamm nich?'
fmdet er gehor.
Doch kann
einer der
seinen unwillen dariiber nicht zuruckhalten,
anwesenden
dass er nicht
gleich ordentlich deutsch geredet habe".
In Dan. similar expressions are extremely rare. stine
writes,
Jammersm. 132 saa hand ki0bte
El. Chri-
aldrig
intet
for mig.
In Fr. nul with ne to the verb {nul ne vient
|
on ne
le voit
Negation.
67
nulle part) is a case in point,
to be different
though now it is hardly felt from the corresponding usage with aucun,
which was originally
we have
force, as
positive, but has
quote Galderon Alcalde de Z.
mismo
el
acquired negative
seen above.
In Spanish repeated negation
Ni aun
now
sol,
J.
not at
is
all
rare;
may
I
545 Estar^mos, sin que nadie,
no sepa De nosotros
Gald6s D. Perf.
|
23 Aqui no vienen nunca soldados.
Thus
also in Slavonic languages
among
gives
odgovoriti rijeci 'and
the
first
few pages
langue russe, ne
davm
ze
Delbriick, Synt.
;
the other instances Serbian
I
nikto
mu
526
2.
ne mogase
nobody him not-could answer word'. In of Boyer et Speranski, Manuel de la
find:
muziM
i
i
nikomtji zla ne
nicegd
\
delaem
nicegd ne beret
\
Filipdk nicegd ne skazdl
|
|
na kryVce
nikogd net, etc.
In Greek, repeated negation
grammar.
Madvig, Graesk ordf0Jningsl8ere
instance from Platon:
an
humon
very frequent, see any
is
Aneu
oudds
toiitou
§ 209,
quotes for
ouden oudenos
eis
oudSpote genoito axios.
In Hungarian (Magyar) see J. Szinnyei,
we have corresponding phenomena,
Ungarische sprachlehre 1912 §119: Negative
pronouns like senki 'nobody', semmi 'nothing' and pronominal adverbs like
s'ehol
'nowhere', sehogy
'in
no wise' are generally
used in connexion with a negative particle or verbal form, 3.
g.
senki
sem volt
lobody there' nit) 'I
|
ott (or:
(or:
was
nem hallottam sem-
have heard nothing'. Sometimes there are three negative
'orget nothing'.
nem
felejtek el
Negative words begin with
Repeated negation hall
volt ott senki) 'there
semmit sem hallottam
vords in the same sentence:
xi
nem
is
found in
many
semmit sem
s-
'I
or n-.
other languages.
I
mention only a few examples from Bantu languages.
H. G. Guinness's "Mosaic History in the Congo Language"
London, Hodder and Stoughton,
n bena mambu mambiko
n. d.)
'not there are
I
find, for
words
example,
evil not' 6*
yetu |
Otto Jespehsen.
38
them
katuUndi kuba monako 'we cannot
see not'
|
kavangidi
kwandi wawubiko, kamonanga kwandi nganziko, kaba yelanga kwa-uko 'not did lie evil not, not feeling lie no pain, not they sick
they not,
In D. Jones and S. T. Plaatje,
etc.
Reader (London 1916)
p.
A
Sechuana
15 a sentence translated 'not will-not
you-be-destroyed by-nothing'
;
other examples occur p. 33, 41.
Various explanations have been given of this phenomenon, but they mostly
through not recognizing that this kind
fail
from that found,
of repeated negation is really different
when
instance,
in Lat.
form our second
will
non
ib
class,
followed
by ne
.
.
.
qaidem; this
but the explanation from "sup-
plementary negation" (erganzungsnegation), which all
is
there
right, does not hold in the cases here considered.
Ginneken
is
right
when he
psychol. 200) the view of
for
criticizes (Principes
Romance
"half-negation" (demi-negation)
scholars,
Van,
de linguistique
who speak
of a
— an expression which may
be more true of Fr. ne than of other negatives, but even there
Van Ginneken's own
is
not quite to the point.
is
that "negation in natural language
but the expression of a
is
explanation
not logical negation,
ffeeling of resistance".
He
goes on to
say:
"L 'adhesion negative logique ou mathematique (dont
deux
se
compensent) est leur signification figuree, nee
ment dans quelques
nulle part elle n'a p6netre dans le
true that
if
resistance,
we look upon it is
seule--
centres de civilisation isol6s; jamais et
domaine populaire".
not, etc., as
easy to see
why
repeated over and over again in
It is
expressing nothing but
such an element should be a.
sentence as the most eft
way of resisting; but
I very much doubt the primitivity and the theory looks suspiciously as having been invented, not from any knowledge of the natural mind
fective
of such
an
idea,
of people in general, tical
phenomenon
but from a desire to explain the gramma-
in question.
I
cannot imagine that when
69
Negation.
one of our primitive ancestors said "he does not sleep", he
understood this as meaning in connexion
with him"
resistance to
come
it
"let
or
in here?
I
us resist the idea of sleep
how
is
otherwise the idea of
rather imagine he understood
we do nowadays.
exactly as
But
—
quite agree with v. Ginneken,
I
when he emphasizes
the emotional character of repeated negation; already H.
Ziemer,
Junggrammatische
connexion:
this
streifzuge,
1883, p. 142 says in
"Der sondernde, unterscheidende verstand
bheb bei ihrer bildung ganz aus dem
spiel; wahrend das erregte und der auf den eindruck gerichtete trieb frei schaltete" (though Mourek is probably right when he says that the
geftihl
strengthening petition).
I
is
may
a result, rather than the motive, of the realso, like v.
Ginneken, quote with approA^al
Cauer's clever remark: "das negative vorzeichen
hochst unmathematisch, zugleich vor gesetzt,
indem
sich die negative
und
stimmung
ist,
allerdings
in der
klammer
iiber
den ganzen
gedanken verbreitet". There late
is
one theory that has enjoyed a certain vogue
years (though
it is
not mentioned by
which Imust deal with a
little
more
v.
in detail.
It
was started
by Gebauer with regard to Old Bohemian, but was better
known through
Moiirek's
of
Ginneken) and
work on negation
in
made
MHG.
(Konigl. bohm. gesellsohaft der wissenschaften 1902) and has
been faithfully repeated in the above-named works on Old EngUsh by Knork, Rauert and Einenkel. These writers go
back to Kant's table of
where the three categories negation, limitation" are ranged
of categories,
"position (or realitat),
under the heading of "qualitat", while under the heading of "quantitat"
we
find
the three
vielheit,
"einheit,
allheit".
This leads to the distinction between qualitative and quantitative negation; in the former the verb and by that means the whole sentence (die ganze aussage)
is
negatived, while in
the latter only one part of the sentence
is
negatived.
As
Otto Jespersen.
70
examples of qualitative negation are given "the
happy" and "my guests have not arrived"
truly
man
tative negation "no
truly happy, the rnan
is
is
truly happy, the
man ;
man
nowhere truly happy"
is
not
of quanti-
(I
is
never
translate
der mensch as the man, though perhaps the generic man is meant) and "none of my guests have arrived, I see nowhere
any
of
my
guests".
by having
started
Now
the supposition
qualitative
is
that language
and quantitative negation
separately, and that later the combination of both was
rived at in is
some languages, such
as
MHG. and OE, and
ar-
this
looked upon as representing a higher and more logical "Diese art der negation beruht auf der rein logischen
stage.
forderung, dass, tritt,
Dies
wenn
ein satzteil quantitativ verneint auf-
der ganze inhalt des satzes qualitativ verneint wird. sei
an einem
beispiel verdeutlicht
:
ne m^eg nan man twam
In diesem satz wird ausgesagt, dass kein
hlafordum hieran.
mensch zwei herren zugleich dienen kann.
Wenn
sich
nun
kein mensch fmdet, der 2 herren zugleich dienen kann, so
kann eben nicht mehr von einem "konnen", sondern logischerweise nur von einem "nicht konnen" die rede sein, daher in
dem
satz
angefiihrten
(Rauert
76).
— To
ganz richtig bei m£eg "ne" steht".
this line of reasoning several observations
Kant's table of categories
naturally offer themselves.
unobjectionable, and in ch. VllI
an improvement on the
I
not
shall venture to. propose
tripartition of einheit, vielheit, allheit.
Kant does not look upon negation
as
and sometimes quantitative, but thinks It
is
would seem to be more
sometimes qualitative it
always qualitative.
logical to consider it as always
quantitative; for even in such a simple sentence as "he does
not sleep" it is
we
indicate the
true that the
amount
amount
is
=
0.
of sleep
he obtains, though
The true
distinction between
the two kinds of sentences cited does not, then, depend on
two kinds
of negation, as this is
everywhere the same, but on two kinds of ideas negatived. In the so-called "qualitative"
Negation.
negation the
idea
while in the other
negatived
is
71
in itself non-quantitative,
in itself quantitative, for none, never
it is
and nowhere negative one (or any), ever, and anywhere respectively, and these are all quantitative terms. But however this
may
be, it is curious here to find that language ranged
highest that explicitly indicates the negativity of the sentence containing a quantitative negation (a negatived quantity) for ;
if it is
logically self-evident that such sentences are in
selves negative,
why
should
it
need to be expressed?
them-
And
if
some nations are praised because they have reached this high stage of logical development that they have understood the between qualitative and quantitative negation and have been able to combine both, it seems rather sad that they distinction
should later on have lost that faculty, as the Germans and the English have (at any rate the educated classes), for they
say "kein mensch serve
iann zwei herren dienen" and "no man can
two masters".
Cf. also Delbriick's criticism of the
theory from partly different points of view, which repeat here (Neg. satze 36
ff.).
— We
I
same
need not
note incidentally the
curious fact that the "logically highest" standpoint in this
theory
is
exactly the reverse of what
My own
pet theory
it
that neither
is
was is
in v. Ginneken's.
right; logically one
negative suffices, but two or three in the same sentence can-
not be termed
may
illogical;
they are simply a redundancy, that
be superfluous from a
stylistic
point of view, just as any
repetition in a positive sentence (every
on
all
occasions, etc.), but
is
and any, always and
otherwise unobjectionable. Double
negation arises because under the influence of a strong feeling the two tendencies
sj)ecified
above, one to attract the negative
to the verb as nexal negative, and the other to prefix
some other word capable be gratified in the same
of receiving this element,
sentence.
may
it
to
both
But repeated negation
seems to become a habitual phenomenon only in those languages in which the ordinary negative element is comparatively
Otto Jbspeksen.
72
OE
and Rus-
w) in Greek,
s-orn-in
small in regard to phonetic bulk, as ne and n- in
and n-
sian, en
in
MHG., on (sounded
Magyar. The insignificance
them
able to multiply
Hence
also the
elements makes
of these
it
desir-
so as to prevent their being overlooked.
comparative infrequency of this repetition
in
English and German, after the fuller negatives not and nicht
have been thoroughly established
— though, as already
stated,
the logic of the schools and the influence of Latin has had some share in restricting the tendency to this particular kind of
redundancy.
It
might, however, finally be said that
it
requires
greater mental energy to content oneself, with one negative,
which has to be remembered during the whole length
by the
the utterance both by the speaker and to repeat the negative idea (and have
an occasion (2)
A
may
the characteristic of which
is
sentence has been completed, something
be termed resump-
that after a negative
is
added in a negative
form with the obvious result that the negative This
negation".
In
its
pure form the supplementary negative
A
it,
not under any circum-
on any condition, neither at home nor abroad",
Danish example from Kierkegaard
afh. 41) is:
is
of the first sentence, generally as an
afterthought, as in "I shall never do stances, not
effect is height-
covered by Delbriick's expression "erganzungs-
is
added outside the frame
etc.
hearer, than
repeated) whenever
it
offers itself.
second class comprises what
tive negation,
ened.
of
(2 eth-rel.
smaa-
"saa afskyeligt bar aldrig, aldrig nogensinde
(,)
ikke den vserste tyran handlet". But as no limits of sentences
can be drawn with absolute certainty, the supplementary negative
may
be
felt as
belonging within the sentence, which
accordingly comes to contain two negatives. in a popular
ends with mte, as in Strindberg asigter inte! |
inte.
This
is
the case
Swedish idiom, in which the sentence begins and
Wagner
Roda
Nortullsl.
r.
283 Inte ha vi nagra
108 Inte markte ban mig
Similarly in a Greek instance like Od.
3. 27,
where the
Negation.
73
second ou might be placed between two commas: "ou g^ioio Oii se tbeon aeketi genesthai te traphemen te". On account of the difficulty of telling whether we have two sentences or a sentence with a tag
we have II.
8 "I cannot goe
4.
may
it
sometimes be doubtful whether
to do with this or the preceding class, as in Sh. As.
no further", which might be divided:
cannot go, no further".
"I
The most important instances of this class are those in is followed by a disjunctive combination with
which not
neither ... nor or a restrictive
addition with not even:
cannot sleep, neither at night nor in the daytime not even after taking an opiate"
sleep,
told
Locke
me
S.
neque
.
.
.
neque,
non
.
Examples are
etc.
of ikke in the
troer ikke, at
.
.
.,
you've
till
flat.
way
In the same
|
174 You'll do no such thing, not
about the
"he
he cannot
Bunyan P. 80 he had ears, nor to know etc.
not the discretion neither to stop his Cf. also
|
in other languages, .
.
ne
.
.
.
needless.
(In
...
.
oude
.
.
.
.
.
oude
.
Dan. also with insertion
main sentence, Christiansen hverken De
Lat. nan
e. g.
quidem, Gr. on
eller jeg skal
Fsedrel. 135
Jeg
tage nogen bestem-
melse). It is perhaps in consequence of the scholastic disinclination to repeated negation that some modern writers use even instead of not even, as in Shaw 1. 182 I cannot give my Vivie up, even for your sake. A' few similar examples are given by Bogholm, Anglia n. f.
—
26. 511. I
am. inclined to reckon among the cases
of
resumption
(with the last negative originally outside the sentence) also
the repetition if ikke or is
which
itik,
in various phonetic
forms
very frequent in Danish dialects (Seeland, Fyn, some of
the southern islands, some parts of Jutland); Feilberg also in his dictionary quotes
bination ik hsejer
it
from various places
and from Fjolde
the exact phonetic form colloquial
Dan. we have
1
oiler
in Jutland the
refer to the dictionary).
also
com-
ek (aldrig ikke; for
—
In
an emphatic negative [gu g0r
!
74
Otto Jespersen.
jeg] ikke nikke is
where nikke, which
tiej,
Nexo
Pelle Er.
otherwise unknown,
In literature
a contanimation of ikke and nej.
this only in
is
I
have found
19 Pipmanden havde delirium.
3.
Gu' ha'de jeg ikke nikke nej
An
English case of special interest
is
with hardly (on the
negative value of this see p. 38) in combination with a preceding negative word, which
down by the
softened
to be too absolute and
is felt
addition
;
(none in Shakespeare): Defoe R. 50
God
of
him
I
!
|
Swift
Cowper L.
childish fiction
|
GE
miss church before
J.
1.
it
Examples
gave us not time hardly
154 nothing hardly
M.
id.
:
372 and nobody hardly took notice
209
2.
|
\Yelcome but
is
known him
A. 197 I've never hardly
|
therefore
the two negatives thus in this
case neither neutralize nor strengthen one another
to say,
is
Darwin L.
2.
39 that no
one has hardly a right to examine the question of species has not minutely described
many |
|
Hardy R. 192 nobody hardly
165
understands criticism as badly as you do cant hardly
tell
who anyone
He wasn't changed
|
Examples
id.
|
HL.
it
|
|
|
Shaw D. 194 you
34
id. 1. 29,
at all hardly
seem hardly able to help care to stay
is
who
Q. 119
ib. 2.
|
Who was ther« ? Nobody hardly Hope
to
|
Kipling
S.
192
Wells H. 112 they don't
Bennett T. 354
I
don't hardly
17.
of scarcely) after a negative:
me not worthy scarce to touch thy kind Ward E. 411 There is not a yard of it, scarcely, been made by human hands Morris N. 129 but
Swinburne T. 137 strong hand that hasn't
1
|
no one scarcely could throw himself down. Hardly and scarcely are also used after without and other indirect negatives:
Byron D.J. 5.66 The black, however,
without hardly deigning
A
glance at that
without scarcely hearing a word
|
Thack V. 476
Norris P. 52 refusing to acknowledge hardly any fiction that was not classic Read Toothpick Tales 17 I'll be dinged if I hardly know. 1
|
75
Negation.
Cf. also
Drachmann
kede hinanden
Some
i
Forskr.
haanden
—
425 Edith og Gerhard tryk-
1.
uden at de knap vidste
which are not exactly analogues
neither,
deraf.
instances of double negation with words like nor and of those given here,
be found in the chapter on Negative connectives (X).
will
connected with resumptive negation
(3) Closely
is
what
might perhaps be termed paratactic negation: a negative
is
placed in a clause dependent on a verb of negative import like 'deny, forbid, hinder, doubt'.
way
The
clause here
some
is
known how this
well
ges to a fixed rule, especially
longer
its full
if
negative force:
develops in some langua-
the negative employed has no
need only very briefly
I
for instance, to the Latin use of ne,
But even
ne's).
Yoy may deny
see for Engl.
bidden 2.
.
.
185
.
it
by no means looked upon as
is
|
Sh. R.
e. g.
that you were not the
Hastings late imprisonment
Bacon A.
disappearing
which do not as
in languages
good writers, though generally
by grammarians,
an error
now
is
a rule admit a negative in such clauses, rare even in
meane Of 43.
3. I. 3.
my
90
Lord
34 we have for-
that they doe not shew any naturall worke
What
refer,
quin, quommus, and to
the Fr. insertion of ne (which, by the way,
the other
is
there had been no main sentence of that parti-
if
cular kind. It
E.
in
treated as an independent sentence, and the negative
expressed as
like
is
|
Lamb
hinders in your own instance that you do not
return to those habits
|
Darwin L.
3.
69
never occurred to
it
to doubt that your work .... would not advance our com-
me mon
object in the highest degree.
from German
Parallel instances
may be
found, for instance,
in Andresen, Sprachgebr. u. sprachricht. 209
Danish examples
:
ingen skulle lade mig satte l0gn
El. Christ.
faa naale
sammen om mig
|
|
ff.
Jamniersm. 62 forbaden, att ib.
ib.
85 forhindre, att hun icke
107 efftersom quinden saa
.
76
Otto Jespersen.
h0yt haffde forsoeren icke att sige ded
ded icke
altiid, att
ded
war ham
icke.
Holb. Ulyss.
|
ib.
|
201, 213 forhindre
ib.
Andersen Impr.
mine
.
7 for at hindre at misundelsens ssed
II.
1.
I.
kun vare poetigke
130
misfostre,
magt
at dette ikke skeer at tale for
meget
H. C.
|
kom
|
til
[Bang Fsedra 161 vogtede hun Carl.
at afvserge, sig for ikke
(Note here the difference between
"man ma vogte
the usual Dan. idiom
|
Kierkegaard 0jebl.
skal straibe ... at bidrage
om
for lyset
skulde anvendes for at forebygge, at
alt
pige ikke skulde blive koparret
lille
7 at jeg af al
2, I. 4, etc.)
136 mine venner burde forhindre at ingen
2.
digte, der
Sibbern Gab.
min
.
I
ikke skal saaes iblandt os (also Ped. P.
af
120 hand nseetede
sig for at overdrive"
and the corresponding Engl, "one must take care not to -exaggerate";
cf.
also
"jegadvaredeham mod
at g0re det" and
G. "ich warnte ihn, das zu tun", but E. "I warned him not to do
it").
In this connexion is
I
must mention a Dan. expression which
extremely frequent in colloquial speech, but which
variably condemned as illogical and put
worst mistakes possible:
"man kan ikke
This, of course
er S0d".
is illogical if
down
is
in-
as one of the
nsegte andet
end at hun
analyzed with andet as
the sole object of nsegte: 'one can deny nothing else except
that she at
hun
.
is .
.
sweet'
;
but to the actual speech-instinct andet end
goes together as one indivisible whole constituting
the object of
marked by a pause before and andet-end-at thus makes one negative conjunction comparable with Lat. quin or qnominus. In the same way •one hears, e. g. Der er ikke to meninger om, andet end (at) neegte; this is often
andet,
—
han
er en dygtig
.end at
han
mand
|
der er ikke noget
i
vejen
for,
andet
nok gare det jeg kan ikke komme bort fra, han har ret. From Norwegian I have noted
skal
|
andet end at
Garborg Bondest.
33 og det var ikke [draumar] tok hugen hurt fraa boki med.
The
following quotations
may
fritt,
annat
dei
serve to iUustrate the transi-
Negation.
77
tion of andet (end) to a negative conjunction or adverb; Chr.
Pedersen
4.
493 det er
skall fare vild
end
|
at lee ad
til
ellerss
wmweligt andet end
han ey
at
Goldschm. Ravn. 65 Det |
er sgu da ikke andet Pontopp. Landsbyb. 155 han bestilte ikke
man kan tsenke sig andet, end at drikke portvin Bjorns. Flag. 432 men det var umuligt annet sen i hennes omgang at komme til at ga for langt Grundtv. Folkesev. 65 Stodderen det,
|
|
laa
som en mus, andet end
stille
vejret tungt
at
hun kunde h0re ham
J6n forkelsson, Ark.
||
f.
nord. fdol.
honum annadt en hann 51 De war ett got anned
var ekki a5 sja a Blicher Bindst.
(4)
of
There
as
any
"hun
is
er umuligt andet.
a curious use of a seemingly superfluous nega-
which cannot be explained exactly of the
phenomena
Holberg
in the
hitherto dealt with,
which used to be the regular idiom
er langtfra ikke sa
superseded
som
— det
XII.
langtfra ikke, like
det
Giellerup
related use of E. but {but that, but what) will be treated
tive in Dan.,
way
]
|
311 Det er jeg vis paa
in ch.
— Bevares,
\l
bl.
Rom. 98 begge dele betydning, det kan man ikke sige andet id. Minna
vilde vsere mserkeligt andet
The
t)a5
E. Brandes Lyk.
3 Maaske hejesteretssagfareren kender mig?
har deres
163
ungur ma5ur
vseri |
6.
trsekke
till
by
same
namely
in phrases
kan som S0steren" from the time
the middle of the .19th century, langtfra without ikke:
"hun
when
it
was
er langtfra sa kian
S0steren"; Engl, here has the positive form, but inserts
the verbal substantive in -in^: "she
is
far
from being
as.
pretty
as her sister". Langtfra ikke
would be explicable as an instance
of blending (contamination)
if it
was used as but
I
could be proved that langtfra
in recent times before the rise of langtfra ikke,
have no material to decide
this question.
(Cf. J.
Levin,
"Dagbladet" som det danske sprogs ridder, Kabenh. 1861).
.
78
Otto Jespersen. here several partly heterogeneous instances of
(5) I collect
confusion in negative sentences, which
any other chapter.
difficulty in placing, either in this or in
Such
have found some
I
confusion will occur frequently, especially
two or more
if
negative or half-negative words are combined, but more frequently, of course, in everyday speech than in printed litera-
Shakespeare, in agcordance with the popular character
ture.
of Elizabethan plays, destined to
much more than
be heard
to be read, pretty frequently indulges in such carelessness (see Al. Schmidt, Sh.-lex. p. 1420), lesse
impudence [had
a begger without a
man that
feares
less
or
i.
less quality
e. g.
Wint
wanted
[with less
you lesse then he
III.
more]
i.
q.]
[fears
|
|
2.
57 wanted
Cymb.
Cor.
I.
you more].
4.
I. 4.
23
14 nor
A doubt-
II. 4. 141 you lesse know how to value Then she to scant her dutie for, as Koppel
ful instance is Lr.
her desert,
—
remarks, Verbesserungsvorschlage 70, everything
we understand 'you she
is
are
still less
capable of scanting her duty'. But Lr. V.
make]
[folio:
nothing
on thy heart. Ere
it
Then
lesse
— evidently
I
is
correct,
I
3.
94 He proue
taste bread, thou art in
haue heere proclaim'd thee
[i.
e.
a traitor]
a confusion of two ideas thou art nothing
is
if
capable of valuing her than
:
less
than... and: thou art in nothing [= in no respect] more than .
.
Gses.
II.
114
1.
if
not the face of men. The sufferance of
our soules, the times abuse off
betimes.
this is
if
If
these be motiues weake, breake
Here some editors change
not at
tinued:
;
all
if
necessary: the sentence
not these
suffice, or: are
continued in a different way, as
not into is
meant to be con-
strong enough, but is
but
if that,
is
then
very often the case in
everyday speech.
Modern instances of a similar character: Austen P. 133 he can have nothing to say to me that anybody need not hear [= that anybody may not hear; that it is necessary that nobody hears] |
NP.
'99 there
was none too poor or too remote
Negation.
not to feel an interest
Huxley L.
|
79
1.
man
118 a married
can-
not live at aU in the position which than six hundred a year
less
I ought to occupy under Matthews Father's Son 243
|
you know what a weak softy he is. If there was hardly amj mischief to be had he'd be in the thick of it [if there was any, even the slightest, m.
F.
or, there was hardly any m., but .]. German instances of confusion have been collected by Polle, Wie denkt das volk iiber. die sprache, 1889, 14, e. g. ;
.
.
Lessing: "wie wild er schon war, als er nur horte, dass der prinz dich jtingst nicht ohne missfalien gesehen!"
ohne wohlgefallen')
Man
]
versaume
legenheit unbenutzt vortibergehen zu lassen.
—
seeing in a notice in the Tirol: "Nicht unweit
dem walde
.
.
(=
'nicht
die giinstige ge-
nicht,
I
remember
von
hier, in
=
the meaning evidently being nicht weit
.",
unweit.
Madvigium
Siesbye, in Opuscula ad
241,
and Mikkelsen,
some examples Uke Hor.
Ordfejningsl. 328, collect
iracundus, iners, vinosus, amator,
Nemo
Invidus,
:
adeo ferus
ut
est,
non mitescere possit Goethe Musik, rollen mid schuhe, wasche :
|
und
italianische
blumen
andem
schaft des
couteleis, rien ne
|
.
.
keines verschmahte die nachbar-
G. Sand: Pistolets, sabres recourbes et
manquait pour
plus expeditif tueur
d'hommes
baerrene, intet blev glemt.
and the
quite correct,
.,
|
lui
donner I'apparence du
sangene, indskrifterne, jord-
But Mikkelsen's
description
is
not
real explanation evidently is that the
writer begins his sentence with the intention of continuing
fied, etc.)
sion.
Nor
series of
it
all
can be molli-
and then suddenly changes the form
of his expres-
in a positive
form (the envious, angry ...
is it
necessary, as Mikkelsen says, to have a whole
words, as seen in Wells V. 258 People, nobody, can
do as they
like in this world.
—
Cf.
Dan. NP-
'15
og endnu nodndre kvindeme kender begrebet linned
The confusion
is
somewhat
Msendene [i
Japan].
similar to the one found
when
an enumeration of things that are wanting ends with no nothing
80
Otto
izivs.9SK7i.
(no paper, no pen, no ink, no nothing), viUeh
negate
is
of everything: the origin of the phrase
meant
as a
conrse,
ia,
to be explained from a desire to go on -with no -7- some other noon, bnt as the ^eaker can hit upon no more things to enomerate, he breaks off after no and finishes nith nothing;
no thus 4.
is
(mly
eeeamt^ an
adjimct to mMhing'. Csaijie F.
223 no milk in the house! no nothing!
NED.
Aetp '11 c says "Often errcm. with negative omitted
(om
instead of eannof),
than
I
conid help
can hsip". Bnt
|
it
I did not tronhle
e. q.
your name
myself more
shall oeewr again as little as I
woold c^tainly be nnidicHnatic to
say, as
Whatehr danands, more than I eon not hdp; the idiom caused
by
the fact that erery comparison with than
is
realljr
imphea a negative idea (he has more than neeessarg implies *it i*
not necessary to hare more', etc.) and 'Ais
the logic that (fias qa'A ne
there
i-
is
pad) and in the dialectal
some
hna par with
shown, for ia^snee, in the French use of ne nj-jr
difficulty in expl&inin? this
note that where in
^gland
it is
lot Hhan'.
— Bnt
meaning of bdp;
nsoal to say "I eotdd not
help admiring her", Americans wiD often prefer the n^atire
expresdcm with bat:
Sddom or ener,
which
the school 5^{.j orn
or nexer
is
not help bnt admire her".
~l coold
and sddom
is said
if
ecer ate blended into
not strong; Ellis in Trans, of Philol. Soc. 73 4. 12
or ever coold I detect
any approach to a labiaL
CHAPTER The Meaning
A
sddam
to be frequent where the influence of
VIII
of Negation.
negative generalhr changes a term into what can the contradictory term (A and not-A comprising
linsTii- 10
I021 ;i^n=-
everytlung in exLrtence; and
is tfaos
rerr differmt from a
81
Negation.
negative in the matJiematical sense, where as
much beJow
+ 4)
as 4 (or
is
above
— 4 means a point We
0.
have, however,
seen instances in which a negative changes a term into the
when he begms-not to sing (for he comes to mean 'he ceases singing' (p. 52).
"contrary term", as not-to-sing)
we
If
means
say, according to the general rule, that "not four"
"different
from four",
whatever 4.
less
everj-thing"
*liot
than
generally means, not
it
above or below 4 in the
is
thus
be taken with a
this should
certain quahfication, for in practice
below
begins
but only what
scale,
something between 4 and
4,
is
0, just as
means something between everything and
nothing (and as "not good" means
'inferior',
but does not
comprise 'excellent'). Thus in "He does not read three books in a year"
"tbe
|
come is not
not two hundred feet high"
hill is
200 a year"
if
how 'not many languages
This explaiivs pression in
for 'nothing', as in
OE
|
OE
one' comes to be the natural exfor 'none, no',
=
nofi
nanping, whence nothing,
G. k~ein^
be destroy 'd p. 49.
Cf. also
etc. .
.
.
That
"his in-
|
"he does not see her once a week".
whence Dan.
eingi,
Tennyson 261 That not a
In French similarly:
worm
is
Pas im
'not one thing'
whence none and
ne-an,
ON
and
no,
iJigen.
not one hfe shall
cloven in vain; see also bruit
n'interrompit
le
silence, etc.
When
+
not
H.
numeral
is
exceptionally to be taken as
'more than', the numeral has to be strongly stressed, and generally to be followed
by a more exact
indication: "the hill
"his not 'two hundred feet high, but three hundred" income is not 200, but at least 300 a year" Locke S. 321 Not is
|
|
one invention, but
fifty
— from a corkscrew to a machine-
Defoe R. 342 not once, but two or three times Gissing R. 149 books that well merit to be pored over, not once but many a time Benson A. 220 he would bend to kiss her, not
gun
|
I
I
once, not once only.
But
nor once or twice always
TldcDSt. Sebk. Blst.-flM. Medd.
I, s.
means
'several times', as in
6
82
Otto Jespersen.
Tennyson 220 Not once or twice in our rough island-story The path of duty was the way to glory. In Russian, on the other hand, ne raz 'not (a) time', thus really without a numeral,
and
in the
same way ne odin
corresponding phenomena well,
see a valuable little
Leskien
zum
'several times, sometimes'
means
'not one'
means 'more than
one';
are found in other languages as
by Schuchardt, An Aug. He rightly con-
article
juli 1894 (privately printed).
4.
nects this with the use in Russian of the stronger negative ni with a numeral to signify
What dication or
what
the exact import
may is
'less is
than'
:
ni odin 'not even one'.
of a negative quantitative in-
some instances depend on what
in
expected,
is
While the
the direction of thought in each case.
two sentences "he spends £ 200 a year" and "he
lives
on
£ 200 a year" are practically synonymous, everything is changed if we add not: "he doesn't spend £ 200 a year" means 'less than'; "he doesn't live on £ 200 a year" means 'more than'; because in the former case we expect an indication of a maximum, and in the latter of a minimum. Or, perhaps, the explanation
former sentence
rather this, that in the
is
nexus or the numeral (he does-not-spend not-,£200),
but in the latter
for "he does-not-Uve
on so
little,
and "he
more idiomatic
if
we
does not matter whether
it
it
£
200
on 200" states the impossibility of
lives
on not-200 a year" (which
we add an adverb on not less
than 200. In the former
is
not negatived at
also: he is not content with
200 a year and he
— In the proverb that
also in
art musical en
all.
is
Compare
content with
"Rome was not
built in a
the old numeral and equals one) the meaning
also, of course, is
Rome. Thus
rendered
quite 200 a year)
sentence the numeral thus
is
is
living
:
on
day" (where a
he spends
|
changes the whole meaning,
states the possibility of living
not 200 a year.
negative the
un
it took more than one day to build RoUand JChr. 8. 98 on ne batit pas un
jour.
;
Negation.
Where scale, its
a numeral
negative
is
83
not used as a point in an ascending
really contradictory
is
"the train doesn't
;
seven" says nothing about the actual time of starting, which may be either before or after seven. But "he won't start at
be here at seven" implies "we can't expect him till after seven", because an arrival before 7 o'clock would naturally imply his being here also at that hour.
As
half
a numeral, not half generally means
is
half: the bottle
is
however, 'not at
not half
all
C. 1.
In the following quota-
strong stress on half) means 'more
shown
alive', as
In slang, not half bad means,
bad, quite good'.
tion, not half-alive (with
than half
full.
also
by the
continuation: Bennett
286 At any rate she was not half alive
every particle of herself. 'she didn't half cry"
than
'less
she was alive in
;
In the same way, in rustic speech,
means that she made a tremendous
noise
(Wright, Rustic Speech 117).
Not
means 'below the average'
quite the average generally
sometimes, however, average
and then the negative
and Soc. 61 Here average;
it
is
is
may
is
taken as a depreciating epithet,
be appreciatory
may
Dewey, School
another piece of work which
in English
less
than
number.
30,
certain of the exact
no
less
be negatived in two ways
less
In the
than ten children"
number, but
than ten children" ?
—
it is
less
not less than
:
than 30
less
he has ten, and
same way with more. Cf on
Stoffel, Studies in
.
English 87
In Latin both non magis
—
at least ten.
between not and no with comparatives and
But
implying surprise or wonder at the high
"He has not
large family
not quite
30.
30 means either 30 or more than thirty, and no
means exactly
is
better than the average.
Not above 30 means either 30 or than 30
:
am
I
not
"He has
isn't
that a
this distinction
MEG.
II.
16. 83ff.
ft'.
quam and non minus quam
favourite expressions for equality,
though of course used 6*
are in
Orro Je3pk»sk5C.
84
cwmexions: Csaar non minus aperibus paeis flardHi qaam rdtns in beUo gestis Perides non magis ap. paas fl. quam different
\
r.
L
Grammatica militans
(Cauer.
b. s-
52).
no perfect negative corresponding to as There rich as, comprising both Ticher' and 'poorer', for not *e> riA really
is
as (note the change of the
and means
We differ,
first
conjnnetion) eiehides
'hriefaer'
iess rich'.
hare already seen
that a litde and
(p. -tOi
the former being a positive and the latter
ZrtSe
ahno^ a
We may arrange these terms (with a fan and
negative term.
few) into a scale like this: 1.
mnch:
2.
a
little:
3. little:
only that
many (people) very careless mnch money a little money a few (people) a little eardeas little eardess little money few (people)
little
eardess
not qmte idiomatic, as Itde
is
often used with depreciatory adjectives:
is
not
eL on the other hand
litde intdl^ent.
Now
if
we
try the negatives of these
negativing 1 turns
many
not
(people)
it
into 3: not
not rery intelligent
2 bei::mes neariy
1 (or stands between 1 and 2i: not a
=
H.
S.
a few and a
oi 1.
Qot a
tittle I
18 1
2.
of true condition it 1-
they were not
am
[= by
IMe
=
mmdl
little
intd-
those
negatived:
by a
few.
And
Si. Lr.
I. 1.
286 %ter,
not
solicited
nit a few]
j
hane to say. Of what
ni 5:
neerely appertaina
F not little] BunyanP. 147 At whM^ a little sorry Lb. 124 ADen ia First 46 it gained
to vs both [Qnot a
me
{monen)
very intdligenL
Examples Sh.
little
= IMe
synonymous with
= many (people): not a
(money): not a few (pa>ple) ligent
discovo' that
muA {money) = IMe (numeg);
= few {people);
But a negative
intelligent.
we
little,
[
1
at once the friendship of not a
[
few whose &iendaliq> was
Negation.
worth having
me
not a
Whilo
|
Ruskiiv
St^l.
85
410 a phtMiomenon wliioh
I.
puzzlo;^
littlo.
it
seems to be usual in
languages to express con-
all
tradidory
terms by moans either of derivatives
mentioned
p.
42 or of an adverb eorresponding to
like
not,
those
languages
very often ivsort to separate roots to express the most necessary cotOrary terms.
—
bad, big
—
Heivee such pairs as young
Now.
sntall, etc.
it
pairs that intermediate stages are found,
pn^ssed negatively
by
young nor
neither
—
good
old,
eharaet eristic of such
is
which may be ex-
old, etc.;
the simple
negation of one of the terms (for instance not young) comprising
both the intermediate and the other cxti-eme.
Sometimes a
language creates a special expression for the intermediate
thus indifferent in the comparatively recent sense of
stagt\
'neither sized
good nor bad, what
is
between good and bad', medium-
between big and small.
There
may
even be a w^hole
long string of words with sliades of meaning running into one
—
another and partially overlapping, as in hot (stoeltermg)
— — — warm
tepid
cold
is
— lukewarm — mild — — these one
frosty
gt^nerally
icy.
of
If
frtsh is
—
cold or something between
e.
we lengthen the
If little)
i.
series given
in both directions,
thing),
—
chilly
iiegatived, the i"esult
analogous to the negativing of a numeral: not
lukavarm, for instance, in most cases means
warm,
cool
we
get
cold
less
than luke-
and lukewarm.
above (much
—a
on the one hand
little
—
all (every-
on the other hand nothing. These are contrary terms,
even in a higher degive than good and bad are, as both are absolute.
Whatever comes
in
between them (thus
three quantities mentioned above) something,
and we
denoting by
A
may now
is
all
con\prised in the term
arrange these terms in this way,
and C the two absolutes, and by B the
mediate relative:
the
inter-
86
87
Negation.
proverb "Ikke
alt
glanzt, ist gold"
hvad der glimrer or the subject
;
er
guld"
may
I
"Nicht
alles,
was
some way be trans-
in
posed so as to allow the negative to go with the verb, as in the more usual form of the Dan. proverb "Det er ikke guld
som
alt
glimrer", in G. "Es
Tobler quotes
MHG.
ist
nicht alles gold, was glanzt";
"ez en-ist nicht allez gold daz da glizzit"
and Rutebeuf "n'est pas tout or quanqu'il reluit". Cf. also Schiller's "Es sind nicht alle frei, die ihrer ketten spotten", and the proverb "Es sind nicht alle jager, die das horn gut blasen".
But very often and the negative
all is
is
placed
first for
the sake of emphasis,
attracted to the verb in accordance with
the general tendency mentioned above
(p. 44).
looked upon as
an instructive
franz.
gramm.
but Tobler,
illogical,
on Fr. Tout ce qui 1.
in
This
only one
member
call special is
article
reluit n'est pas or" (Vermischte beitr.
159
z.
rightly calls attention to the dif-
if.)
ference between sentences like "nicht mitgheder
gefuhrt werden"
often
is
(non-members
may
konnen
ein-
be introduced), where
of a positive sentence
is
negative (what
I
negative) and the Fr. proverb, where the negation
connected with the verb, "dem kern der aussage", and the
expression consequently sener,
indem
er besagt:
"ein
is
im hochsten grade angemes-
von dem subjekte
"alles
glanzende"
darf "gold sein" nicht pradiziert werden".
English examples of this arrangement are very frequent: Ch. B. 2708 but every
ye seken
|
Sh. Merch.
Lr. II. 4. 199
AWs
dotage terines so
vnto mee, but
all
every one cannot
Heaven, one
is
man may II.
65 All that glisters
1.
Cor.
6.
not gold
make musick
|
|
Walton A. 106
Richardson G. 72 thank
are not like this
|
Johnson R. 152 every
not able to stem the temptation of public
smith 20 As every person
may
|
And
12 All things are lawfull
things are not expedient
all scholars
is
not offence that indiscretion fiudes,
AV.
|
7.
not have the perfeccioun that
life
|
Gold-
not be acquainted with this
Otto Jespersen.
88
pastime
Milt PL.
|
Byron 436 But
all
1.
men
106 and SheUey 119 are not
All Valentines are not foolish
|
not lost
is
all
|
bom to reign Lamb. E. 1. 103 Browning 2. 170 AU women are |
not mothers of a boy,
live twice the length of
my
fool
whole
Book; is
life
|
Though they Ward M. 16 any
only, all the fools don't
lonely, but every one does not
For each man die
can get up a Blue
Harraden
j
know
it
|
62 every one
S.
Wilde Read. Gaol 3
man
the thing he loves, Yet each
kills
does not
Wells Br. 281 All our men arenh angels.
I
French examples from old and modern times have been collected
Deux
by Tobler;
Her. 88 Tout
les chefs d'oeuvre
pas le
fait
gros
pour
le
my own
add from
|
reading Merimee
mx>nde n'a pas I'esprit de comprendre
Holland JChr.
|
I'art
I
ib. 5.
5.
295 Tout
le
162 Tout
le
monde
n'est
mx)nde ne pent pas tirer
lot.
In Dan. the same order
is
not at
all
rare :
AU
er ikke tabt,
Note the positive continuation, which shows that 'some'
etc.
(or 'many') is
ikke saa vise
med
meant, in Kierkegaard Stad. 138
som
Men
alle ere
Socrates, og indlade sig ofte ganske alvorb'gt
dumt spargsmaal. German Tobler mentions the possibility
een, der gjer et
In
alle druckfekler
konnen bier nicht aufgezahlt werden,
With regard to Greek Kruger insists
of the same: etc.
in his Griech. sprachl. § 67
on the distinction ou pdnta
orthJbs
epoiesen nicht alles
— wohl aber manches; pdnta ouk epoiesen nicht — sondem pdnta ouk epoiesen mit recht hat nicht gethan — sondem unterlassen; but he adorthos
richtig
alles
falsch; orthos
er alles
mits exceptions for the sake of emphasis, especially with contrasts with
mSn and
from Xenophon Pdntes men ouk eUhon, Ariaios de kai Artdoxos.
On
de; he quotes
the other hand,
when a word
—
of the ^-class
{all, etc.)
placed in a sentence containing a special negative (or an implied negative), the result is the same as if we had the is
S9
Negstion.
corresponding (^woni and a positive word; thus the assertion is
absolute:
= = = = =
unnecessary
all this is
evervKHiy
imkind
\s-as
he was always unkind
everybody
fails
he forgets everything
The same
effect
with one of the
rare
is
nobody was kind. be was never kind, nobody succeeds. he remembers nothing.
Rolland JChr.
humains
p. e,
us4e et
que tout
tri-s-iale
ne pratique pas
quelque sorte d'envie s^[>ar4e
de
The
he
da
ren\-ie
.;
.
tout
U
au contraire
est
monde
quelquefois
know no Enghsh examples
I
word hke
not altt^ether
is
of
result* of the
by tie
idiomatically expressed
all is
tliis.
]
happy
pas
Wiv.
(Sh.
tout-A-fait
|
175
1.
I.
Hike hett
|
I
am
not
nidit ganz
—
B: not ai aJl
is
ikke It
que
suit, et
between two adverbs, as seen in
altogether an asse^ result
monde
Tobler
is].
La Bruy&re: maxime
between the two possible
difference
contrast
he
.
la jalousie,
negation of a
le
negative
141 Tous ces
Toute jalousie n^est point exempt e de
id.
\
S.
none of them
has a few examples from Fr.. thus
also
necessary.
is
when we have a nexal
.-l-worvis; cf.
gens-14 ne sont pas
notJiing
|
may
iriu-
happy (he
nickt (jgans
is
happy
not
at all)
und gar nida)
—
|
pas du tout
\
result C.
perhaps be doubtful whether we have
B
or
C
as
a result in the conmvon phrase Dan. "Det gjorde jeg ikke for
ab (E.
vearden"
i
i
=
shouldn't like to
often than
"
do
it
for all the
natural to take
am
G. "Das t^te ich
it
JChr.
0.
S3
(^des
There
is
ii
m
der
trelt
for anything in the world
world"\
It
is.
wcfe" "
more
however, more
to be an equi^'alent of -nothing', and in
the corresponding Fr. idiom rien
sent renonc^
alles
mondains. qui)
. .
is .
useil.
see e. g.
Rolland
pour rien au monde neus-
Phonneur.
a thiid
possibility,
when
not
is
for the sake of emphasis
put before «U in the sense of not even', though
it
should pioperiy
.
Otto Jespersen.
90
all here means the sum of II. 5. 4 between "all the boys ot the distinction made in this form are stronger that their teacher" (if working together) and "all the boys of this form are able to run faster than their teacher", Thus ShR2 III. 2.54 Not all the water in the (i. e. each separately).
go with the verb as a nexal negative;
.
.
MEG
(Cf.
Locke S rough rude sea Can wash the balme from an anoynted king 341 Not all the trying of Zora and all the Ladies Bountiful of Christendom could give her her heart's desire. Cf. with nexal negative ShR3I. Rolland JChr 2. 250 On me, whose all not equals Edwards moytie 7. 193 toutes les id§es ne comptent guere-, quand on aime. |
|
now we examine what results when a word belonging is negatived, we shall see corresponding effects,
If
to the C-class
only that immediate combinations are not frequent except
in
where non-nemo, non-nulli means 'some', non-nihil
Latin,
'something',
non-nunquam 'sometimes'. Here thus the
result
clearly belongs to class B.
The same
= 6.
the case in the frequent idiom not for nothing
is
even
'not in vain' or
25
was not
it
|
nothing
|
good purpose' as
nothing that
for
monday last the pack Hope
blacke led
'to
Kipl.
|
my
nose
Not
2.-66
J.
in Sh. Merch. II.
fell
a bleeding on
for nothing
have
Gh. 190 she would not have done so for
Raleigh Sh. 42 he was not the eldest son of
—
father for nothing.
In the same
way
his
in other languages:
Dan. ban er ikke
for intet {ikke for ingenting) sin faers S0n
Fr. Rolland JChr.
4.
ces
yeux
hardis.
as in "one cannot say that nothing is finer)
S.
|
314 Ce n'etait pas pour rien qu'elle avait
more usual to place the two negatives
It is
1
is
in
finer"
two sentences
(=
something
or at any rate in an infinitival combination as in Locke
285 "It's not good for a
to have some gods). Inversely
if
we
man to have no
I
'as it is
Quum
id
(= it is good class B.
begin with the word belonging to class C
and place the negative adverb nemo non videt 'everybody sees' thmg'
gods"
Here too the result belongs to
ipsum
dicere
after |
nihil
it.
Thus again
non
in Latin
videt 'he sees every-
nunquam non
sit ineptum (Cic.) always foolish'; the result thus belongs to class A.
.
91
Negation.
same
Thi^
when one of those words is by a word with a negative prolix or with implied
fdllowod
result is obtained
negative meaning:
nothing
= = = = =
unnecessary
is
nobody was unkind he was novor unkind nobody
fails
he forgets nothing
When same but
the negative
;
is
everything
is
necessary,
ovorybody was kind, ho was always kind,
ovor\body succeeds, he remembers everything.
a separate word, the result
is
tho
English as in Danish such sentences are generally
in
avoided because they are not always clear or readily understood
;
it is
rare to find combinations like Thack. N. 55 not a
clerk in that house
trembled)
|
Looko
not tremble before her
228 no other
woman (=
despised the pised).
diii
S.
There
is,
man
every other
(=
all
the clerks
but you would not have
man would have
however, no difficulty
if
des-
the two negatives
was no one weep" (= everybody wept); here t/iat often replaced by but, but that, but what, see ch.XII.
are placed in separate sentences, as in "There
present that did not not is
In Dan. "dor var ingen tilstodo,
curious negative force of jo: structions are frequent in son's epitaph
otlioi'
.
som som
'Everything' o.
que de chaste en
is
also
tetigit
est
toujours pur;
of
absolute element
mentioned
the contrary notion (A
not
=
A),
a rien
both A- and C-words when
is
.
n^ij
be brought under one general rule: when tho
is
.
il
lui.
prevails, and the result .
Dr. John-
of.
quod non ornamt.
absolute notion (A or C)
C
Similar con-
the result in such combinations as
133 L'art
The ordinary treatment
may
ikke grsed" or, with a jo grsed".
languages as well;
on Goldsmith: XOiil
Holland JChr.
negatived
".
if
first, tiie
on tho other hand, not oon\es
not
— C;
first, it
nega-
.
.
.
Otto Jespersen.
92
tives the absolute element,
A =
relative (not
seems to
It
result
is
the intermediate
B).
that the tripartition here established,
many
(vielheit)
—
all
B.
some
C.
none,
logically preferable to the tripartition in Kant's
famous
—
table of categories,
as
=
B; not C
me
A.
is
and the
A.
allheit
B.
vielheit
G.
einheit,
and one
(einheit) are
both of them comprised
under "some"; Kant does not take "none" here, but unplaces
intelligibly
though
it
confusion
is
caused
philologists'
negation a
clearly
by
under the heading "quality",
quantitative category. these
Kantian
treatment of negation,
The following remarks may the student of logic.
We may
p.
(See on the
categories
69
in
some
fl.).
also be of
some
interest to
establish another tripartition
between
and
if
A.
necessity
B.
possibility
G.
impossibility,
closely inspected, these three categories are
found to
be nothing else but special instances of our three categories above, for necessity really means that
comprised. sible
=
Note now: not necessary
possible;
it
is
=
all
impossible not to see
The verbal expression
possibilities
=
necessary.
for these three categories is:
A.
must
B.
can
G.
cannot.
(or,
(or,
need)
may)
are
possible; not impos-
93
Negation.
and we see their interrelation he must run
= he
in instances like these:
cannot but run (cannot help running),
=
no one can deny
every one must admit,
= everybody may = he must = he must remember.
nobody need be present he cannot succeed he cannot forget In the same
nan
potest
JChr.
5.
de lui qui 9.
I
Tie
12
il
With
be absent,
fail,
way we have
the Lat. expression for necessity
non amare, and the corresponding Fr. as
54 car
il
in
RoUand
ne pouvait pas ne pas voir qu'ils se moquaient
Meillet Caract. des langues germaniques 50 une variation
Even with ne
peut pas n'etre pas ancienne. I'entendait partout,
indirect negation
il
plus, JChr.
ne pouvait plus neplus I'entendre.
we have
the same,
ib. 9.
49 Et
le
moyen
de ne pas faire la comparaison!
—
from "Pas moyen de
impossible].
If
faire la
[= you must] comparaison" [=
to the three categories just mentioned
different
we add an element
of will with regard to another being, the result is:
A.
command
B.
permission
C.
prohibition.
But these three categories are not neatly separated actual language, at
the imperative B.
Thus
(A) a
may
is
rate not in the forms of the verb, for
usually the only form available for
take that!
command:
any
may
have one
of
two
A
and
distinct meanings,
'you must take that', (B) a permission: 'you
take that', with some intermediate shades of meaning
(request, entreaty, prayer).
Now
the same time (1) a positive
and
in
(2)
a prohibition (C) means at
command
the negative of a permission
:
to not (take that),
'you are not allowed to
(take that)'; hence the possibility of using a negative im-
perative as a prohibitive: Don't take that!
But hence
also the disinchnation in
many
\
Don't you
stir!
languages to use
Otto Jespebseje.
94
a negative imperative, because that ferent eto.
and milder sense, as a
And on
may
taken in a not
formulas expressive at
first
{Tu ne cede malis,
phrase with nrdi (Noli
to,
of
acquire the stronger signification of
a prohibition. In Latin the negative imperative poetically
dif-
polite request, or advice,
the other hand
such mild requests
may be
me
otherwise
Virgil),
is
only found
we have a
tangere) or a subjimctive
para-
{m
nog
inducas in tentalionem); in Spanish the latter has become the rule (no vengas 'don't come').
In Danish, where Tc^ del ikke! 'I
is
ask you, or advise you, not to take
pressed
by Lm
generally employed
=
a prohibition
ex-
it',
is
a ta del (lad vsere at tage det), which has
viBT
also the advantage of presenting the negative element
by Ikke
or colloquially often
ta(ge) det! (not
^
infin.),
first,
which
German formula (yicM hinaasUJmen)
like the corresponding
has developed through children's echo of the fuller sentence:
Du ma
ikke tage det!
(Dn
dar^gl nicht hinaaslehnenf).
In other languages separate verb-forms ('jussive') have
developed for prohibitions, or else negative adverbs distinct
from the usual ones
(cf.
Greek me), see MisteB, Charakteristik
der typen des sprachbaues p. 22. This will serve to explain some peculiarities in the use of E. mast
and may.
positive
command
.\s
we have
to not
take that (negative);
and
.
.
seen,
('1\
a prohibition means
(1)
a
thus: you must (positive) not-
,:
the negative of a permission:
yon may-not (negative) take (p^itive)
that.
But
in (1)
we
have the usuaJ tendency to attract the negation to the auxiliary (see p. 44 »,
and thus we get
which never has the sense of
'it
is
:
to take that' (negative must), but has
prohibitive auxiliary.
On
yon mustn't take
that,
not necessary for you
become the ordinary
the other hand, in (2i
we have the may -\-
competition with the usual combination of (positive) negative infinitive, as in
He may not be
rich,
but he
is
Negation.
95
a gentleman"; this makes people shrink from may-not in a
more so as may is felt to be weaker and than the more brutal must. The result is that to the positive "we may walk on the grass" corresponds a prohibition, the
more
polite
negative "we mustn't walk on the grass". See on such semantic changes as a result of negatives Wellander in Sprakvetenskapl. sallskapets forhandUngar 1913 15 p. 38.
—
The
may
old
common
in Sh.,
is
which was extremely
not in prohibitions,
now comparatively
rare, except in questions
=
implying a positive answer {mayn't /
'1
suppose
may')
I
and in close connexion with a positive may, thus especially in answers.
In our last quotation
sake of variation: Sh. Lr. IV. .
.
.
'Stay with vs'
a one, as a ence
I
not?
I
.
.
'1
.
man may
may
it is
16
5.
not'
not speake
may
Congreve 249 Mayn't
my
how
must needs
'I
Sh. Err. 111.
|
in for
not
my
in,
the
after him' 2.
without he say
of,
Marlowe E. 939 You
probably put
92 such rever-
sir
May we me? Di.
lord.
cousin stay with
|
may not tell May not I accompany you? Hardy R. 73 Perhaps I may kiss your hand? No, you may not Benson J. 164 May 1 tell you? 'No, you may not' Wells U. 303 they may study maps beforehand but they may not carry such helps. They must not X. 17
it
that
is
Hope D. 59 Mayn't
I
I
appear before you
see the dodges?
|
1
ib.
|
90
|
—
|
|
.
.
.
go by beaten ways
|
Merriman ^
not leave the country, unless
it
suits
may
.
175 the Polish Jew must
not even quit his native town,
a paternal Government that he should go
else-
where. Positive
may and
negative must not are frequently found
together: Ruskin T. 102 soul
and
must not it
may
metrical.
be as much so as you
may
It
Hope R. 86
|
Your labour only may be
I
may
Stevenson A. 26 Prose will;
be anything, but
mustn't kiss your
face,
it
but
sold
;
your
be rhythmical, it
must not be
must not be verse
but your hands
1
[
may
96
Otto Jespersen.
kiss
Shaw
I
you musnt
May Austen
call
me
me
call
Dolly
you
if
62
must not
I
'Certainly not.'
'You
tell,
may
I,
Elinor?
'But
MAY,
if
May
must
I ?
you
I? Thus: I
but
|
Di. D. 16
may
You
you?'
you marry a person, and the person person, mayn't you?'
choose'.
other hand,
the
questions, though of
if
why then you may marry another
On
;
child.
mustn't marry more than one person at a time,
dies,
like
thus used even in tag questions after must not:
is
S.
You may
251
2.
it
begins
be
to
used in
tag
not possible to ask Must /? instead
is
GE
must
M.
Caine P. 136
I
2.
50
must not go any
I
suppose
I
further,
must not romp too much
now, must I? I
may add
here a few examples of
with a negative infinitive (you
may
that you do not know'); in the attracted to the verb: it,
but. ...
scrubby
artist
in
2.
denoting possibility
know
=
'it is
not
is
222 you mayn't know
may
be permissible to a
Paris mayn't be permitted to one
who ought
to know better Shaw 1. 16 newcomers whom may not. think quite good enough for them Hope D. I may not be an earl, but 1 have a perfect right to |
they 91
possible
two quotations
first
Hughes T.
Locke W. 269 What
I
little
may
not
|
be useful.
With may we see another semantic change brought about by a negative to the positive m^y, might corresponds a negative :
cannot, could not (not
may
do harm and may do good perhaps, but writing]
|
1
not, |
2.8
I
m^ht
prudently,
could not honestly, admit that charge [of careless
Kingsley H. 357 his dialectic, though
her, could not convince her
a Turk.
might not): NP. 17 this cannot
Cowper L.
— No, he
couldn't.
|
it
might silence
Birmingham W. 94 He mi^U be
Negation.
97
CHAPTER
IX
Weakened Negatives.
may
Negative words or formulas used in such a
There
is
way that
scarcely
any
may
. .
.
almost vanishing.
is
like "Will
and "Won't you have a
beer ?", because the real question not, have.
some combinations be
between questions
difference
glass of beer ?"
you have a
in
the negative force
is
glass of
"Will you, or will you
" therefore in offering one a glass both formulas ;
be employed indifferently, though a marked tone of
surprise can
"Will
make
you have a
the two sentences into distinct contrasts:
glass of beer ?" then
surprised at your wanting
coming to mean
of beer ?" the reverse. (In this case really
In the same
way in Dan.
first
ikke raekke
mig
in
"Vil
De ha et
is
often added.)
glas 0I ?"
and
"Vil
Denmark
saltet ?"
having questions
at
like "Vil
is
also used in indirect (reported) questions, as in
madammen
28 saa bar
Stegek.
De
bedt Giovanni,
salt.
Faber
om han
ikke
passe lidt paa barnet.
vil
A (or.
polite
request
often expressed
is
Do) you mind taking. the logical answer
to',
ly yes or
some other
is
.
«o ==
.
.", 'I
by saying "Would
and, as mind means 'object
don't mind' ; but very frequent-
positive reply
{By
all
means\
etc.) is used,
Pinero
which corresponds to the implied positive request: S.
De
asked her at table in a boarding-
house; she took the ikke literally and did not pass the Ikke
am
glass
A Dutch lady once told me how surprised
ikke ha et glas 0I ?" she was at
'I
and "Won't you have a
it',
21 D.
:
When you two
fellows go
home, do you mind leaving
me behind here ? M. Not at all. J. By all means. Ward By all E. 128 Do you mind my asking you a question ? means! What can I do ? :
:
|
—
Not
at all is
frequent as an idiomatic reply to phrases of
pohteness, which do not always contain words to which not at all
can be logically attached: Di
Vidensk. Selsk.
Hist.-filol.
Medd.
I, 6.
Do
32 "I'm sorry to give 7
Otto Jespersen.
98
you
trouble". "Not at all", [does not negative the
much
SO
other's feeling sorry, but the giving trouble
much why you
D. 355 "Thank you very loftily, there J.
205
I
my
no reason
beg your pardon. —
[Trench it,
is
dear
is
really implied
a negative question
should thank at all
all',
question (as
is
|
all,
me"
|
Di
said
I
Shaw
|
Excuse me.
Cokane 'Dont mention
often used though no negative
from the use of
= = 'we
"How
statement:
a positive
?"
not suffered ?"
very much).
'we have often seen him'
As an exclamation also by the
shown
really matters very little
|
often
"What
have suffered everything'
form
of this
we
tone),
sentences the import of the negation it
id 1.48
this has developed
;
=
have we not seen him have we
also ib 363]
sir.']
In exclamations a not
notion
Not
heard replying 'Not at
is
;
for that!" "Not at
is
is
(or,
a weakened
see that in these
also weakened, so that
whether a not
added or not,
is
as
quotation:
by the varied sentences in our 2.482 What a long, long and true friendDark Cont. Stanley ship was here sundered Through what strange vicissitudes of first
illustrated clearly
!
life
had they not followed me! What wild and varied scenes
had we not seen together! What a noble tored souls had exhibited
!
fidelity these
imtu-
Spect 166 What good to his country
1
might not a trader have done with such useful qualifications Doyle NP. 1895 Ah,
moment!
|
my
friend,
Galsworthy M. 34
him .... How
often have
I
what did
How
I
?
|
not fear at that
often have
I
not watched
not seen them coming back, tired
as cats.
Somewhat long
I
differently in
Harraden
S.
71
should not have gone on grumbling
don't
I
|
know how
Bennett B. 121
no one could say how soon he might not come to himself Gosse Mod. E. Lit. 23
What Chaucer might
|
not have pro-
duced had he lived ten years longer no one can endure to conjecture.
In Dan. exlamations ikke
is
extremely frequent: "Hvor
1
Ni'Kiil
rarl"
viir liMii (It»n ilvK.' liiill
K.
I I
Inn
ikivi'
j(>K
liiirMiMi
In I'liM'imm
Mu' poHilivc form
wim
IVciiiu'iil in
niclil
ami
Aldioll
(C.i. II,
Slonn
§0'J.
oxi'lainnlions in Min IHIIi
M.
scenis
I'li.
to
Ix'
All'ord
7(11!,
nl'lcn ust
is
^I'onnd.
j(iiininj(
g.
Itoj^liohn
U'J,
88).
WcfT wvl'
SO allcr thonfih and
orislnod noviT
111'
awi'v
Mori>
till' I'i'di'
Job,
sliall
l.lion pl\n\jjfi>
had
III,
11
if
Thon It
is
Mori< U.
very
ahido
wi>wi'r
hi>
yf
foly
th<'0|t\tod
I
Milton
(,ib.
"JSli
ujjan\. jm'toi\d oil
I
so slow. Vol S.
212
wis.\st
hoy no"ro so
|
Mon'iin;»n S.
1
1107)
Itl8,
1
Sh. Mids. of
loiii>
lo
il
7i>
t
il.
|
llovo orrM
horo
not
|
Unskm
a
lawfnll
and
l\.l\\
mo
to d(»o
\nd shall
Inoldinij T. I.IUtl
was
-18
hoforo his
Sh. John 111.
shall conio, for
mon
wi.so
|
)j[lad,
Hoistor
|
sin;;
thinko
tlioy
hor sius. ho llioy novor so iminy
novor so uhhly
ll.
novor so
slio
Must play and
to touoi> him. ho ho nonor so vilytnis oi"»>ono
|
show
lillli'
woro
8?;i
sprnd
Moro U,
ni'ri>
any dciMniscd
Hnnyan
|
novor so sordid and dohimohi'd
I>in"h
dootv
limo
A. ;W
l«im(>
iifi'
yt't
ciausos with invortod word-(>rdor
in
(".h.
ho nonor I
so I'lcano.
won- niMiiT so mncho
if
so pooii'
holovios
MUlon
|
in his
(il). f)-l,f)ft,lJ-li),
ihmu'i'
il.
frt>(]ni'nl
was not
llir lokniij
liandos
Ihou dosi inlcnd NiMn>r so
hJuiH
Hud no I'onjnnotion:
bi>.st
himum" ho nuii'lu"
famons
;J8
lhou>{h his
l<'or
sliall 8ti'iMii> for lionjfcr. lilion>j;li
luo in Ihc dilcli
so
;t[)t»
sliai iiavo ni'do lo wa.sulii'
.S|\(>
my
siM'n a pni'sl (lluni^h
lil'i>)
"J, ;i;l-l
hi'i',
lii>
niiilvi'
I
llioujfli novi'r
luit.
I
in Ins
If
\).'M)
Cli. H.
//:
wiiylo,
wi'iilliu' lloryshi'
AV.
aullmr,
.so
IJ. "JIUI
I
oonuui'n
Mil'
hor
now
\\'(>rl(>i'li. n8:i).
piiraHcs, nvrrr (sn)
wincli
fiYr,
villi
liar ci (in dii
dcr ^an^ HoincM Kldcks";
|iivlVnvd (I'aui,
in
llvor
jorilt'ii.
In conccNsivi' clanscs
ouncnrrcnlly
(i.:iS(l
llvillutn nUiriv uliodc kiiiidc
ll!.|
war
iiic/il
unjfCHiiciU
"\vit>
0.;
jwiii
ill)
I'liUMiUlur
|
Si.lnlii krijt
licr
1(111.
h\
fornix o
\>U jjo
a siillon silonoo
Paul oouUI not oharm aw.iv. ohann ho novor so wis.dy
thoy
w hioh ||
Of.
.
100
Otto Jespersen.
also Roister 81 lette neuer so little a
the worst shall be spoken
gappe be open, And.
|
Sh. R. 2 V. 1.64 thou wilt
Other examples of never so:
know
againe, Being ne're so little vi'g'd another
way
|
Carlyle
whom
H. 39 there will not again be any man, never so great,
fellowmen will take for a god
|
id R. 2.258 the pain ceased,
except
when the wounded limb was meddled with never
little
id F. 2.209
I
I
much
cross-questi-
how
oning even form to myself the smallest notion of
him Emerson 308 Private men keep
stood with
never so
|
Some examples Swift 3.271 every
ever so late
mournings,
man
id J.
same
men
o'
reason, life I
if
serve to
3.
is
it
something of farce in
so serious
ib.
|
let
approach all
these
545 Pray write it
be ev6r so
272 The honest man, tho' e'er sae poor.
for a' that
|
Is
[p ?] how easily my would drag me back to
Kinglake E.
chance of being useful, in ever so humble
C. 68 a
Gissing R. 8 no one will
|
show that the
as of the negative phrase:
ever so slightly provoked,
Ruskin
way
really
their promises,
desired to put off death, let
492 There
them be ever
let
Burns
I
a
|
may
of ever so
a good-humoured letter immediately,
short
it
trivial.
signification is exactly the
king
so
have heard a hundred anecdotes about
William Hazlitt; yet cannot by never so
me
.
she kicks up, and you're flung in a ditch.
little,
his
.
Goldsmith 658 curb her never so
be vexed, linger
I
ever
so late.
In Dan. concessive clauses with either aldrig or nok:
aldrig sa
om
det".
that one
meget
om
= In
"om han
similarly use
om ban
sa ber
of aldrig
sa ber mig
mig nok sa meget
here so little felt even sometimes find ikke after it. Am. Skram
Lucie 193 Det er det
det" or
The negative purport
may
om we may
"jeg g0r det ikke,
sa,
om bun
is
sa aldrig sa meget ikke ved
'however ignorant she
may
be of
om
it'.
Russian ni after a relative "(interrogative)
pronoun
has the same generalizing effect as Eng. -ever: kto by ni sprocil
101
Negation.
'wlidcvcr
iiskn',
(H. I'l'dcrscn,
In
kak ni dumal 'howcivcr much he thought'
L;i\sch()g
I;j2).
Somdiniivian languages Ihcrc
l.hc
using ikkc for
ahlrifi del in Lh(! signification 'not for
world': Kicrkcg. Slad. 234
om
AkI
'y^ tor ikki^ spHrgc
Mogcl, ikke for aldrig dct
vildc ikkc
Naar
imvo
dct
gjorl.
48 a vcl ikkc
Biiidsl,.
a cnridus
iw
sol g. n.
menneske
ikk(^ lor aldrig
del
ham
aalle
kjowlcn
jki
I'aar
|
den for aldrig
Strindb. Ulop. 52
|
—
del..
Han
vildc
Man
Bhcher dt^
5 hiin vildc ikke truflet toldinspektorcn
tnijc lor aldrig del,
of
the whole
el,
Goldschm. Hjcud. 1.48
|
sammc,
tra^l<
way
ic.k(^
Lie
|
i
natsalja
Raroly without ikke: Larsen Spring,
punkl y.W han vildc have givot aldrig det for at kunnc have bcka-nipct sin uro.
Among weakened (ON
be mentioned nay
ncgal.ivcs should also
when one has
net):
used a
weak expression and
finds
that a stronger might be properly apphed, the addition
is
partly a contradiction, partly a confirmatiun, as going further
same
in
the
in
the same
1
that both were in //c.v,
I
nay
Mids
111.
to kill
me
then
ME. and
be used
early
MnE.
Thus Sh. Gent
rcs[)cctively).
I
was
eiiicl',
too
Buny
|
J)elorc
|
is
P. 189
Secli^y E.
11.
I
strike nic,
should be as bad, nay worse,
89 the McMlittuTanean Sea....
Merch IV. 1.210 I
lie
Jicrc
Konmie,
if
I
64 no one had the right to
In
tender
to say
Dan.
him
Itoth
it
for
that will not
prcserv(!d with the old negativi^
nexion with say, probably for the sake of
no one
spume me,
nay, almost the one sea of history.
the Court, Yea, twice
[Nay
mc To
2.313 threatned
Cf. !/ra: Sh.
S.
may
79 we arcbetroatiid: naymore,our mariage howre Determin'd
on
l\w
Hence, both nay and yea
strong than no and
less 4.
direction. scnsi^ (note
tiie
say him nay
|
him
in
suffice.
meaning
in con-
rime, as in Ridge
Parker R. 77 with
nay]. ja
and
ncj
may
be used
in
correcting
102
Otto Jespkrskx. 'ban er millionaer. nej mangemil-
or pointing a statement:
lionser" or "...., ja mangemiUiona?r"".
A weakened
negative
also fo\ind in the colloquial exag-
is
=
geration no time (or hmnorously fe*" than no time) short time' : Wells T. IT Gip got
The news and
will filter
minutes
different case
thought
of:"
this is
no end of a
man
=
the -\iderman had sealed
and no end of wax end of melancholy
feUoiV
man' or it
Thack
1
e.
'very
[
Sterne So
at all.
is
used col-
much' or 'very
even found where no quantity
fitie
'a real
i.
=
'a
very
'a great
fine fellow',
man': Di X. 101
with a very large coat of arms 12S everybody must make no
S.
reflections
!
Tenn
L. S.^So
have some-
I
times no end of trouble to get rid of the alliteration
Carthy it
[
"2.
very
Hope R. 203
!
found with no end, which
is
many': in recent times no end of a
no time
than no time
less
loquially for 'an infinite quantity",
is
in
through the town in no time
all this in five
A
it
'a
|
Mac
402 Parhament had passed no end of laws against
Kipling
119 We'll take an interest in the house. We'll
S.
take no end of interest in the house
No end
a lot of work.
of
work
|
Gissing G. 96 I'm doing
— more than
I've ever done Hankin 2.16 Mrs. H. has had no end of a good time (also ib. 2.167. 3.107) S^^inbume L. 18S she foUowed, in no end of a maze one would think Ward M. 17 they'll make me out no end of a fine fellow Pinero M. 3S I feel no end of a man i
1
!(
|
j
id.
B. 12 This beastly scrape of Theophila's has been no end
of a shocker for
reformers
me
j
KipUng
S.
171 we "re no end of moral
About noon there was no end of a snowstorm him no end of an official stinger Swinburne 43 you ought to make no end of a good hitter in time |
ib 272
|
ib.
2S4
I
sent
|
L.
a rod with no end
of
buds on.
103
Negation,
CHAPTER X Negative Connectives. It
of course, possible to put t^Yo nogativo sontonoos
is,
together without any oounootive ("he is
is
not rich; his sister
not pretty") or kuvsely joined by means of and ("ho
rich,
and
have
at toast
more
closely
his sister
is
one element in common,
by means
neither rich nor pretty neither
it
is
neither he nor his sister
|
them
usual to Join
some negativo oonnootixo: he
of
is ricli
may
Negative connexions
nor drinks.
eats
not
is
not pretty"); but when the two ideas
is
he
|
be of
various orders, which are here arranged accoi'ding to a purely
scheme:
logical
torically,
would be impossible to arrange them
same language.
ing in the
be connected as
by nc
it
his-
and nothing hinders the various typos from coexist-
A
If
wo
two ideas to
represent the
and B, and understand by
a negative connective (while n
is
c
a positive, and
the ordinary negative
without any connective force), wo get the following seven types:
A
(1)
nc
(2)
nc^
(3)
nc
(4)
A
(5)
n
(6)
n
(7)
n
A A
nc B; nc^ c
B
and
(o^
being different forms);
c*
B;
nc B;
A A A
nc B: nc^
B
nc»;
n B nc:
Not unfrequently an ordinary negative
—
the negative connective,
What
is
ideas also applies to three or more,
is
though wo
some cases simplifications like nc A, B, C, nc nc
A
nc
B
In the
found besides
here said about two shall find in
D
instead of
nc C nc D.
first
three types the speaker from the very
makes the hearer expect
a
B
after
the A;
in (4), (5),
first
and
(6)
)
Otto Jesperskx.
104 the connexion in (7) of
it
not
is
B and
indicated after A. but before
is
till
B
B
showing that
is
finally
connected -with A.
are often
The connectives
;
has been spoken that the speaker thinks
termed disjunctive,
like {either.
.
but are really different and juxtapose rather than indicate an alternative this is shown in the formation of Lat. neque que 'both .... neque, which are negative forms of que
or,
;
and',
and
very often influences the number of the verb
it
he nor
(neither
nor thus
I
see
icere),
MEG.
essentially different
is
Xeithar
6.62.
II.
from
either not. ...
or not,
which gives the choice between two negative alternatives, as in Spencer A. 1.380 [Carlyle] either could not or would not think coherently.
(1)
A
nc
nc B.
— the same connec-
The best-known examples of this type are Latin neque. tive before A and B
—
Sp. ni....ni.
It.
....oute, mite.
..
ne
Rum.
nS,
.mete.
OHG.
.
.
.
neque with Fr.
.
.ni(S,
and Gr.
otife
In the old Germanic languages
had correspondingly Got. nih. word)
nidi.
.
(Tatian) noh.
.
.
.
noh
nih, :
and
but in ne.
(^\"ith .
.
.
we
a different
ne as found in
ON, OS. and OE the wTitten form at any rate does not show we have this type (ne corresponding to Got. nih) or the unconnected use of two simple negatives, correspond-
us whether
ing to Got. ni.
.
.
.ni; see
on the
latter Xeckel
KZ. 45,11
ff.
There can be httle doubt that the close similarity of the
two words, one corresponding to ni
(Lat. ne)
and the other
to nih {neque). contributed to the disappearance of this type in
these languages.
A
late
Eng. example
would help the There
is
is
(NED.
1581): they ne could ne
affUcted.
another and fuller form of this type in Eng.,
namely nother use from the 13th
nother (from ne c.
-j-
ohwseder),
to the beginning of the
which was
ModE.
in
period.
Negation.
e. g.
105
More U. 211 whether they belyue
tyme dothe
well or no, nother the
suffer us to discusse, nother
In the shortened form nor
nor
it
ys
nowe necessarye.
was formerly extremely
it
Thou hast nor youth nor found as an archaism even in the 19th c, e. g. Shelley PU. 1. 740 Nor seeks nor finds he mortal blisses.
frequent, as in Sh. Meas. III. 1.32 age.
This
is
the type nc^
(2)
A
nc« B,
with two different connectives, both of them negative,
that
is,
has
prevailed
over (1) in
stages
later
ON
Thus we have
languages.
kvdrtki {hvdrki).
corresponds to Goth, ni-hwapar-hun with original negative ne, the -gi (ki). initial
we have
In G.
the
of
.
.
Germanic
.ne\ hvdrtki
dropping of the
negative sense being attached to weder.
ne has been dropped
.
.
.
noch, in
which similarly
weder has quite lost the original
;
much
pronominal value ('which of two') which whether kept longer in E.
In Engl., on the other hand, the n-element has never
been
lost, but is
found both in the old formula nother (nahwaeder,
nohwseber, nawder, nowder).
ME.
.
.
.
ne and in the later (from the
period) neither {naider, nayther)
.
.
.ne as well as in the
.
corresponding forms with nor instead of ne.
member, the
In the second shal neyther hate cally
old ne as in
hym ne haue enuye at him", was used
by Spencer and sometimes by
Apart from neither.
.
.
this,
money
speed, nor climb trees
Where
there are
archai-
I
and
II,
etc.)
ModE. time has come he has
the normal formula in the
.nor: neither he nor his sister
neither wit nor
"I
his imitators (Shenstone,
School-Mistress; Byron, Childe Harold,
is
Caxton R. 88
Swift 3.336
|
|
|
could neither run with
I
he neither loves nor hates her.
more than two
alternatives,
it
is
not
at all rare to omit the connective with the middle ones or one of
them: Sh.Meas.
limbe, nor beautie
III. 1.37 |
thou hast neither heate,
id.Cses. III. 2.226
I
affection,
haue neyther writ nor
.
106
.
Otto Jespersen.
words, nor worth, Action nor Vtterauce, nor tho power of speech.
The conjunction may even be omitted all
except the
alternative:
first
winde, thunder,
fire
my
are
daughters
Nor brother,
raine,
Byron DJ.
|
daughter love
father, sister,
Nor
Wiv. IV. 2.62 neyther
|
presse, coffer, chest, trunke, well, vault
as
poetically before
Sh. Lr. III. 2.15
|
10.53
ib 10.57 connec-
ted In neither clime, time, blood, with her defender. type, which
This
found only with more than two alternatives,
is
has been placed here for convenience, but might have been given as an independent type
This
from the preceding one
different
is
connective
a positive one, the same as
is
tives like either.
.
.
.or, aut.
.
.aut, on.
.
Here the negative force of nc so as to infect B. This
is
is
eller.
Examples han
eller
hans S0ster er rig
:
English
though now
|
.
.
.
.
c B.
in that the second is
used in alterna-
on, entweder
.eller,
rig ellcr
han hverken
neither .... or
it
.
.
it.
.
.
.oder.
is
Swed. varken.
smuk
|
.
.
hverken han
spiser eller drikker, etc.
by no means uncommon,
has been generally discarded from literary
writings through the influence of schoolmasters:
Sh. Meas.
That you swerue not from the smallest
IV. 2.108
.
work through
the type in regular use in modern
hverken
er
.
.
strong enough to
Scandinavian, as in Dan. hverken.
In
A
Next we come to the type: nc
(3).
A
A B C D
nc
:
article of
Neither in time, matter, or other circumstance (ace. to
A. Schmidt only 3 or 4 times in Sh.)
|
Swift 3.199 they neither
can speak, or attend to the discourses of others id. 3.336 I had neither the strength or agility of a common Yahoo |
|
rephes which are neither witty, humorous, polite, or
id. P. 6
authentic people
I
|
Defoe. R. 26
ib. 17, 101,
or rudder
|
ib.
81
|
106
I
neither saw, or desir'd to see any
etc.
|
ib.
68 having neither
Scott Iv. 167 a cloak, neither
the wearer from cold or from rain
|
id.
A. 2.36
fit
|
sail, oar,
to defend
Garlyle R.
107
Negation.
1.
who
73 thrifty men,
neither
fell
into laggard relaxation of
were stung by any madness of ambition
diligence, or
Tenn.
|
309 he neither wore on helm or shield The golden symbol of kinglihood
his
|
Trollope D.
140
2.
1
am
suffering neither
.or,
has the following
from one or from the other.
who very
Defoe,
often has neither.
.
.
which are interesting as showing the
sentences,
distance: where neither
near, or suffices, where
is
effect it
is
distance back, the negative force has to be renewed
:
of
some
R. 138
knew how to grind or to make meal of my com, or indeed how to clean it and part it; nor if made into meal, how to make bread of it ib. 291 having neither weapons or I
neither
|
cloaths,
nor any food.
In the following sentence brother or sister forms so to speak
one idea (Ido epicene
them: Austen
S.
hence nor
frato),
is
not used between
253 neither she nor your brother or
sister
suspected a word of the matter.
"He knew neither how to walk or speak" (NP. '05) also shows that or is preferred when two words are closely linked
we
substitute nor,
together
;
ue: nor
how
Bunyan
P. 107 they neither
him.
—
if
Ib.
to speak.
A
obliged to contin-
closely similar sentence
know how
found in
is
to do for, or speak to
204 thou neither seest thy original, or actual
infirmities; here
if
we
substitute nor,
repeat thy before actual; but will
we should be
if
it
will
be necessary to
we change the word-order,
it
be possible to say "thou seest neither thy original nor
actual infirmities". nor, thus ib.
The use
(In other places
Bunyan
uses neither
106, 108).
of or after neither
cannot be separated from the use
another negative, as in the following instances it will be seen that or is more natural in those marked (a) because the negative word can easily cover everything following, than of or after
;
Marlowe F. 718 Faustus vowes neuer to looke ib. 729, to heauen, Neuer to name God, or to pray to him in (b) or (c): (a)
|
Otto Jespersen.
108
but
ed. 1616,
1604 nor
ed.
|
never saw her, or inquired after her not what I
to think, or
how
seen Palgrave
haven't
|
Austen P. 310 she knew
to account for
yet
it
Tenn. L.
|
Woolner
or
Browning yet or seen him
written to
and
Di. Do. 156 he lived alone,
3.
105
have not
I
Wells Br. 179 Nobody i
was singing or shouting. Defoe R. 359 a pleasant country, and no snow, no
(b)
wolves, or any thing like
them
looking-glasses or any bedroom
|
Wells T. 70 there were no
signs about
it
Parker R. 240
|
there were no clinging hands, or stolen looks, or
any vow
or
promise.
D. 114 and not a hair of her head, or a fold of her
(c) Di.
dress,
was
stirred
ib.
|
125 not a word was said, or a step taken
Caine C. 95 because your religion
my
God
also the
accomplished "
and
my
religion or
|
your
change in "No one supposes that the work
now is
Lamb. E.
or could be accomplished in one
accomplished now, nor could
plished in one day".
ting in
not
God.
Note is
is
it
—'The continuation with hardly
1.
day"
be accomis
interes-
155 because he never trifled or talked
gallantry with them, or paid them, indeed, hardly
common
attentions.
(4)
that
A
is,
nc
B,
a negative conjunction "looking before and after"
and rendering both frequent in
ON
and
A OE
and B negative,
with ne; from Wimmer's Lsesebog
quote: kyks ne dau5s nautkak karls sonar
h9fu5 kembir; from
OE
comparatively
is
|
h9nd
Beow. 858 suS ne norS
I
of tivser n6
1100 wordum ne worcum. (The passages mentioned in Grein's Sprachschatz 2d ed. p. 493, are not parallel: in Beow. 1604 "wiston ond ne |
wendon" must be understood 'they wished, but did not think'; in Andr. 303 and Gu. 671 the great number of preceding
ree's
account for the omission in one place,
cf.
above 105 f.).
109
Negation.
See Delbruck,
55
p.
f.,
where also instances
of
OHG.
noA
be found: laba noh gizami 'weder labung noch rettung'
noh quena,
etc.
Paul, Worterb. has a few
Wieland in wasser noch :
tion to
|
Goethe
|
kind
instances,
da ich mich wegen
:
herausgabe noch sonst auf irgend eine weise
eines terrains der
binden kann.
in luft
modern
may
— The
examples show that Delbrtick's
"einem zweigliedrigen nominalen
narrow; nor can
admit the correctness
I
restric-
ausdruck"
is
of his explanation
that "ni erspart wurde, weil eine doppelte negation in
kurzen satzstiick
too
dem
storend empfunde wurde". Neckel says,
als
more convincingly: "In solchen ausdrticken steht
ni(h)
apo
Die unmittelbare nachbarschaft mit beiden glidern
koinou.
erlaubt, es auf beide
comes into play,
And
zu beziehen".
then prosiopesis
too.
In later Engl., though not often in quite recent times,
we
tive:
Caxton R. 89
my
fader nor
Townl. 33 for Jak nor for E. 1633
way without
used in the same
find nor
The king
I
gill will I
dyde turne
a preceding nega-
hym
my
neuer good
face
|
|
Marlowe
of England, nor the court of Fraunce, shall
me from my gratious mothers side Eastw. 439 so closely convaide that his new ladie nor any of her friendes know it haue
|
|
Sh. Mcb.
name thee
II. |
69 Tongue nor heart cannot conceiue, nor
5.
Bunyan
P. 127 they threatned that the cage nor
irons should serve their turn
|
Austen
S.
227 they were both
strongly prepossessed that she nor her daughters were such
kind of for
women
|
Garlyle R.
2.
257 She struggled against this
an instant or two (maid nor nobody
T. 126
My
assisting)
father, nor his father before him, ever
|
Hawthorne
saw
it
other-
wise. It will
be seen that
all
these are examples of principal
words (substantives or pronouns); as in the following quotation,
negative notion J.
117 but
I
is
it is
very rare, with verbs,
where no longer shows that the
to be applied to both auxiliaries: Swift
can nor
will stay
no longer now
|
cf.
also Shelley
Otto Jespersen.
110 88 he
moved nor
spoke,
Nor changed
nor raised
his hue,
his
locks.
a different use of the same form (A no B), where
On is
A
to be understood in a positive sense, see below p. 114.
A
n
(5)
nc B.
In this type the negativity of
by means before
B
connective.
of a
the counterpart of
is
A
The negative connective (nc) also or too and some languages, ;
for this purpose, but
have no special connective
siich as G.,
use the same adverb as in positive sentences in Fr. the negative comparative
non plus
adverb used with some negative word,
(ON
heldr)
{auch nicht);
used either with
is
Dan. has a
or without the negative connective ni.
etc.; heller
though not
indicated,
is
special
mgen,
heller ikke, heller
an old comparative as in the Fr.
is
In Engl, the same
expression and signifies 'rather, sooner'.
negative connectives are used as in the previous types, but in rather a different
Examples
of
way; but no more may
type 5: Sh. As. V.
61
2.
do
I
speake not
I
my
that ytou should beare a good opinion of neither
also be used.
labor for a greater esteeme
|
Merch
ventures are not in one bottome trusted .... nor estate
Vpon
as yet he
get
it
herself
off
the fortune of this present yeere
had not got
without help
much
King John;
I
|
|
Ruskin P.
to us, neither us to her
does not haunt his
Romeo
rid thereof, nor could
neither Norfolk,
Bradley
S.
|
own murderer,
1.
I.
is
43
Bunyan
|
My
whole P. 17
120 never attaching
Dane
id.
F. 42 the royal
—
neither does Arthur, II.;
nor Tybalt,
29 Nothing makes us think
believe, are the facts ever so presented |
1.
my
he by any means
King Richard
do we receive the impression
this,
knowledge ....
Locke
Nor,
Neither, lastly, S.
186 She said
nothing, neither did he.
But
neither
is
used in the same way: Bronte
had no great talents
;
J. 118 She but neither had she any deficiency
Ill
Negation.
or vice
MacCarthy
|
52
2.
He
moment
did not for a
estimate the danger; but neither did he exaggerate
ance
Gissing B. 63 they were not studious youths, but neither
I
did they belong to the class that G. despised.
same sense
the
under-
import-
its
rarer:
is
Cambridge
— And nor —
and nor did
for instance, didn't take a degree,
in
194 Thackeray,
Trifles
oh, lots
of others.
Very often the sentence introduced by
neither or nor is
added by a different speaker, as in AV. John
man condemned thee thee
No
in the 20th
;
one.
.
.
.
c.
Nor do
?.
.
No man.
translation I
Neither doe
.
Hath no
11
8.
I
condemne
Did no one condemn you
:
?
condemn you.
A repetition of the negation is very frequent in these sentenMerch.
ces: Sh.
III. 4.
11
I
neuer did repent for doing good,
now id. Ven. 409 I know not loue (quoth he) nor will not know it Bacon (q Bogholm 86 with other examples) Nor
not
shall
|
|
nor they will not utter the other at that, nor
251
ib. I
again
|
since
I
told
any one nor ;
23
1
|
Wordsworth
cannot
I
|
S. b. S.
P.
8.
without you
42 For the
life
of
I
it
say) without not, and nor
+
we not
now, but
will not
I
|
never shall again is
ib. |
.
.
.
97
. [
1
Swin-
no more
in imitation of El.E.]. 85, nearly
+
\h.+
subj.
+
other negative (nor they will not utter)
my
you
see
have never
I
them vanishes and
through the distinction neither I
I
451 nor shall
— nor
Nor no more known [probably Bacon, according to B0gholm B.
do
till
Hazlitt A. 15
seen.
ries
know
should not have mentioned
live
never saw anything like her, nor
burne
conversation was innocent
shall not
be tending towards that point
ib.
don't quarrel
1
115 Steele.... came not, nor never did twice,
knew him
I
61 nor you
J.
I
ib.
Congreve 231
thmk but your
don't
Swift
|
;
examples that the latter construction
always car-
subj.
(neither
vb. with not or
be seen from
it
will
is
the more frequent
one with other writers as well. Instead of neither or nor
we have
also the
combination
Otto Jespersen.
112
no more
W. No
more do
much
I
(this
original
its
— The same with repeated negation B Jons. word
to speak ne'er a
—
not.
meaning)
No
133 Brown says you don't believe that.
2.
This
A
B
nci
182
I
Hughes
|
more
no more
this light,
do.
I
would swear will
I
nc^.
from
differs
By
to her.
3.
used
is
D. 132 (vg.) nor more you wouldn't!
Cf. also Di.
n
(6)
don't like
I
much shows that no more
without any conscioasness of T.
in Jerrold C. 60
French above), as
(cf.
(5) in
having a supplementary connec-
tive placed after B.
Nor with subsequent so nother
Nor
Sh. Cses.
|
for yours neither
no further
earnest, nor
but one breach of
do not know her
I
can
know
if I
It is I.
2.
not for your health
|
Milton A. 34
nor that neither
see her; nor
man
31 loue no
in sport neyther
licence,
I
327
1.
Sh. As.
|
More U. 197 nor
(nother or) neither:
II.
|
good
it
stops
Gongreve 267 nor
you neither
nothing, nor themselves neither
in
1
1
Swift
|
ib.
130
364
J. I
could
not keep the toad from drinking himself, nor he would not let
me
go neither, nor Masham,
n
(7)
A
B
n
who was with
us.
nc.
Here the connexion between the two negative ideas not thought of
till
both have been fully expressed, and
comes as an afterthought at the very IV.
3.
191
makes nothing
it
The treason and you goe I'll
not spend beyond
R.
2.
it.
in peace
Examples
:
Sh. LL.
marre nothing
neither.
last.
If it
sir.
away together
|
Defoe G. 66
ne're run in debt neither
I'll
|
47 they would not eat themselves, and would not
others eat neither
R. 312
id. i
the other making no answer. to this neither
neither |
|
|
.
.
All worthy
Scott Iv.481 blush not
Austen M. 25
you neither
.
Fielding T.
|
is
neither
4.
id let
302 To which
made no answer and do not laugh
hope things are not so very bad with Ruskin P. 1. 53 I had no companions to quarrel I
N(>(?at.ii)ii.
with, \wl\wv
I
±
ib.
130 Fifioou
but flying wator; nut wator, (frequent in Ru., 1
±
P.
o. g.
11:5
foot thick, of
noitJior,
288, Sol.
I.
—
206, G. 201 )
did not conio to roconiniond niysolf.
uol
thiak
any
it
,
not flowing, rather
nu>lt(>(i gUH'i(>r
.
,
urroat ivcon\iui>nda(iua
Shaw C. 147
|
and Miss
might
G.
iicitiior.
Instead of the afterthought-MaitAw which wo have now seen so frequently in Ihis oliapter most people now protor either, which seems to have come into usu in the 19th c, probably through the war waged at schools against double in'Siilivos. Examples after negative oxpri-s,sioiis:
Scott
(NED) Thy
sex cauuol
that
lu'lp
oitlior
|
Browning
am
unmoviHl by men's blame or their praise either Doyle M, 180 poor chap, ho had IKIlo ououkIi Io bo cheery over either Benson D. 10 Maud, toll ho boy he need not wait. You needn't
1. 0'J4
1
1
]
|
|
I
you
either, unloss
liko.
Aflor a positive o\prossion either
is used as nn afterthought adverb emphasixe tho existence of alternatives; the NED has an example from ab. 1400; Shakespeare has it once only: Tw. II. 6.206 "Wilt thou set thy foote o' my nooko?" "Or o' mine either?" Cf. also Hi (q) A boa\itiful figure for a nutcj-acker, or for a firebox, either Kingsley II. 274 Ah, if all my prio.sts were but like them; or my
to
|
people either I A.s this uso after a positive oxprossioa is much oldei' than that after a nogalivo, Storm (E. Ph. 6i>8) cannot bo right in believing that the former is "ttbertragen" from tho latter.
It
sliould bo Motod that
wo
vory froquonlly soalonoos
i\avo
samo ways
onaaoctini witii proviovis posilirr sontcucOvS in tho as
wo
havt> S(>on in
jft>noraliy
logical
and
sorvos to point out a oonlrast, but sonxoliinos
final
tlio
4
ff.
wo
iKitticr
(lio
i\avo
yon nvonth
it,
I
lion
nojjalivo
two
and {D: Spoako tho
"ohnoiios
n(on>iy
vory tMnplialio.
spi>(>ol>
as
I
town-oryor had spoko
my
hnos: .\or
Wo
not
Oliior oxan>|dt>s: Sh. Ca's.
\M
S«ltk.
Ill>t..|ll»l.
vory wivik,
tl\o
arjjmuont"
In Sh.
Ihnl.
pronouno\i it....
as nnn\y of yonr playors do,
a orowno.
tiio
is
111.
illnstrations oorrospondinsj Id lypos (o)
your l»and thns
olTor liini
This
nogativt^ oni>s.
(iK 6, 7) witli
oonnoxion botW(>on tho two sonttMioos
hy inakinii 2.
types
Medd.
I.
n,
liad as
huo
tlvo ayrt>
if
tl\o
with
too tanio nenllnr. 1.
2.
'twas not
y(>l
I
do not saw
But
I'.SS
1
sawt>
Marko .Antony
a orowno noytluM-, '(was 8
114
Otto Jespersen.
one of these coronets
on Vanbrugh; which 121 there,
ib.
neither, but
Swift
|
66 the best thing
I
you gone;
hand you on one
side
no,
my
109 sea
Nor,
Cf. also
"Nor
is
this all"
While
resolv'd to
did not act so hastily
I
resolution prompted
|
Wordsworth
the frequent literary formulas of transition
and "Nor do we stop here".
this use of nor is perfectly natural, there is
of using it
which
some
Nor
poets.
to be taken in a positive sense
sprache u.
stil 2).
'she stood
219
He
ib.
of
which the
Dyboski, Tennysons
and did not speak, she stood without speaking')
that gain'd a hundred fights.
522 things
times nor cared to see
These instances
|
Browning
|
that yom- knaves Pick up a I
1.
manner nor
|
Nor ever [= and 518 it concerns you
discredit
you [= and
we have passed Perhaps a hundred ib.
582 wait death nor be afraid!
may be compared
with the
ON quotations
given by Neckel p. 10: sat hann, n6 hann svaf, ivalt
num
a
Thus Tennyson 208 Ida stood nor spoke
never] lost an English gun
(do) not]
(cf.
it is
here connects not
two complete sentences, but only two verbs, first is
another
never found in prose though
is
favourite formula with
id.
I
!
—
(=
|
not push you
will
among unknown men, In lands beyond the England did I know till then What love I bore to
thee.
way
Dr. Swift's
travelled
I ;
heat of
first
I
Defoe R. 5
|
run quite away from him. However, neither as
is
do not reckon so very good neither
say, get
I
J.
|
gum-
hoUr, ne guUi, etc.
The negative connectives
neither
and
nor,
which we have
treated in this chapter, are characteristic elements of idiomatic
English
;
thus nor do I see any reason
I see also no reason (cf.the cause of
few
always preferred to ard
above
p. 58).
In some
however, we find also in a negative sentence, but generally some special reason for its use, as in Defoe
cases,
there PI.
is
this,
is
44 But
I
must
also rwt forget that
(not forget
= 'remem-
115
Negation.
ber')
Wells Br. 117 but tben too was there not also a national
I
(= may
virtue
thing
=
wasn't there a
?
there
But
recover.
but also no one
tied,
one; the contrast neither
is
is
any one
rooted
is
He
(=
though
|
A (.
frequent
name
sheep encombred
leet his .
'nor
But dwelte
.
left']
in thine
Devil
|
hoom Edm. 524 at
own blood and drewst
way
[= no of
longer p. and
making one
s.].
not serve to negative
two
seen in "The winds do not play and sing in the leaves"
is
are not playing
.
say —
.
Gh. A. 507
all):
Gowper 323 The winds play no longer and
sing in the leaves
verbs
And
ran to London.
Didst thou not write thy the formall deed
put only with one of two
is
belongs to both (or
it
we should now
[Skeat:
is
but on the other hand, no
rooted).
And
myre,
No one
expressed more elegantly than in: but
nat his benefice to hyre,
sette
in the
recover {also
Dickinson C. 6
|
In rare instances a negative (or three) verbs
194 Every-
ib.
|
may
nothing
also
another possibility)
is
besides)
n. v.
and singing.
In Dan. ikke sometimes
verbs connected
by means
is
.
.
.).
put only with the
of og,
last of
but only when their
fication is closely related as in Goldschni. 8.
two
signi-
60 "jeg hykler og
lyver ikke"; otherwise ikke has to be repeated: "han spillede
ikke klaver og sang ikke (heller)". But
if
the
first
verb indicates
only a more or less insignificant state or circumstance of the
main action denoted by the second verb, the
verb: "sid ikke daer og sov"
first
glemmer det". The explanation disguised
167
if.,
at,
249
Where
originally followed
is
by
|
ikke
is
put with
"jeg gar ikke hen og is
a
the infinitive, see Dania
3.
that og in this case
ff.
a positive and a negative sentence are combined,
English uses the adversative conjunction but G. aber), whereas French prefers
et:
I
eat,
(like
but
I
Dan. men,
don't drink
|
the guard dies, but does not surrender: je mange, et je ne bois pas la garde meurt et ne se rend pas. Negation thus is I
8*
..
Otto Jespersen.
116
more vividly present
an English consciousness than
in
in a
French mind, since the combination of positive and negative always
is
as a contrast.
felt
CHAPTER Xr English Verbal
Forms
in -n't.
Not was attracted to the verb, even before
it
was reduced
to rCt as an integral part of a coalesced verbal form; thus
instead of will I not
we
find wol not
Wol
both positions in Ch. E. 250
I as early as Ch. (A.3131); nat oure lord yet leve his
? Wol he nat wedde ? From MnE. times may be noted:
vanytee
Caxton R. 84 art not thou pryamus sone .... art not thou one
of the possessours
they
56 Did not you
ib. I
I
ib. I
79 be not ye
29
ib. III. 4.
you
Sh.
i
As. IV.
Doe not
I
?
Had
Tw.
1. I
|
3. I. 2.
ib. III. 2.
I
I
|
not
I
them
?
I
is
AV. Psalm. grieued
|
of
honour
?
|
|
Sh.
139. 21
Fielding
3.
run the whole
Franklin 159
Had
if ?
I
not
Austen P. 40 They are wanted in the not you
is
I
|
|
51 Are not
not the labourer worthy of his hire
men
?
:
1.
have suffered the whole punishment
versations ib. I
IV.
deliuer his letter
I
farm, Mr. Rennet, are not they
&c)
not the causer
LLL.
your Rosalind
am
79 do not ye ...
6 Cannot thy master sleep Sh.
|
ib.
|
Is
execute the scheme, did not
448 were hot these sell
117
Now will not
hate them .... and
Should not
you better
I
202
not
had been taken, and
ib.
make me a letter
Sh. R.
not you come
III. 4.
Am
89
431 did not risque
|
286 So do not
ib. I. 4.
Roister 52 Will not ye, then will
|
not he
Reaconsfield L. 7
' This and the following English grammar.
will
(thus continually in con-
could not he
had not he instinctively
.
felt
two chapters deal exclusively with
Negation.
There
some
is
in Sh. Ro. 1786
117
between the two word-orders;
vacillation
we have "Doth not
therer", but Q. 1 has
"Doth she not.
she thinke
me an
... " Swift in his
old
mur-
"Journal
to Stella" generally has "did not 1", "should not I", etc.,
but sometimes as
p. 17 "Did I not say"; and the latter wordeven nowadays affected by many WTiters, though "Didn't I say" has now for generations been the only natural
order
is
form in everyday speech.
The contracted forms seem to have come into use in speech, though not yet in writing, about the year 1600. In a few instances (extremely few) they in Sh.,
though the
full
form
Are not you a strumpet 2.
161 But neuer taynt
Cant in Alls
?
may be
is
written, thus 0th. IV.
No, as
my
inferred from the metre
I
loue.
am
examples (Sh.'s Prosody and Text
it
[be]).
p. 155) are
and some unquestionably wrong.
vers in Sh's
dramen
0th. IV. 5.
2.
161 (as above),
1.
68 (know not
;
IV.
Konig (Der
has only the following instances
H6A.
II. 2.
6 (but the folio arranges the line
do not runne away
ib.
Whore (but Van Dam's most of them
—
questionable,
39)
|
82.
cannot say
I
171 F. stands for can
I. 3.
a Christian
2.
— with do not
as
47 (may not), H5. IV.
meschante Fortune,
:
two
syllables),
Err. II.
line metrically doubtful).
In writing the forms in
nH make
their appearance about
1660 and are already frequent in Dryden's, Congreve's, and Farquhar's comedies. Addison in the Spectator nr. 135 speaks of mayn't, canH, sha'nH, won't,
much imtxmed our
and the
like as
language, and clogged
it
having "very
with consonants".
Swift also (in the Tatler nr. 230) brands as examples of "the
continual corruption of our English tongue" such forms as coii'dn't,
of
ha'n't, can't, shan't;
them very
Among they
but nevertheless he uses some
often in his Journal
to Stella.
the forms there are some that are so simple that
call for
no remark, thus
Otto Jespersen.
118
mayn't [meint] hadn't [hjednt]
didnH [didnt] couldn't [kudnt]
wouldn't [wudnt] shouldn't [Judnt]
mightn't [piaitnt] daren't [de'ant]
mustn't [mAsnt] with natural dropping of
MEG. Thus
7.
I.
[t]
73.
also
hasn't [hseznt] isn't [iznt]
doesn't [dAznt]
haven't [hsevnt] aren't [a'nt]
are simple enough, but restitutions after has,
should be noted that these are recent
it
etc.,
is,
which have succeeded,
partially
at least, in ousting other forms developed formerly through
phonetic shortening, see below.
Cannot [k8en(n)ot] becomes can't with a different vowel, long
[a*];
writes cannot, but pronounces
Congreve 268 has
syllable.
additional spelling
Otway 288
dropping of
was not, and
is
[1],
in one
In the same way, with
can't.
becomes
not
shall
it
not yet, settled
;
NED.
The
[Ja'nt].
records sha'nt
from 1664, shan't from 1675, shann't from 1682 (besides Dry-
now both shan't and sha'n't these see MEG. I. 10. 552.
den's shan'not 1668);
For the long
[a-]
In a similar
in
way
take
am
are in use.
become
[a'nt]
with lengthening of the vowel and dropping of [m].
This
may have
I
that
not has
been the actual pronunciation meant by the spelHng
an't (cf. can't, shan't) I
it
in earlier times, see
a'n't well (also ib. 97)
|
id.
J.
75
I
an't
e. g.
vexed
Swift P. 90 |
83
I
an't
Negation.
sleepy
am
152 an't
|
I
Defoe. G. 98
|
to be a gentleman:
250
an't deaf
I
Ohver)
(Sir
211
id.
|
company
of his
James A. a
an't,
37
1.
|
Elphinstone 1765
m
'sinking' of
and
Nowadays
[a'nt]
has become
mute
looks
it
if
280
S.
an't so fond
I
?
wife calls intellectual.
|
1
ain't.
am
134) mentions an't for
(1.
an't the
I
good enough
I
not with
but does not specify the vowel sound. frequently heard, especially in tag-
is
but when authors want
[a'nt ai ?];
in such combinations,
singular (which
one would think of using [a"nt
or [a"nt
the plural
of
absurd, as no
in itself
is
it]
aren't, as r
and the form then
originated in a mistaken use
of the
instead
my
|
they are naturally induced to write
it,
as
o,
152 An't
1.
what
I'm a bad boy
questions: to write
W.
are
below on
bit. Cf.
Austen
|
I
Congreve
Sheridan 208
|
Dickens X. 59 (vg.)
|
Bennett
You
enough
an't calf
I
(Sir Peter)
least astonished at it
an't to be a tradesman;
an't to go to school
I
251
id.
|
I
119
hi"]).
find the
I
spelling aren't I or arn't I pretty frequently in George Eliot
(M.
1.
In the younger gene-
to represent vulgar or dialectal speech. ration of writers, however,
I ?
I
am
Benson D. 126 Aren't
319 [aristocrat:] I'm a
Well, aren't
3. I
in a net ?
55
I
I
am
I,
my
id.
lord
H. 41
|
— ?
|
id.
I
This form
Yes, aren't
I ?
D.
id.
|
297
ib.
|
|
|
2.
192
Benson N.
Hope
C. 100
Pinero Q. 203
|
Wells N. 513 [an M. P.:] Aren't
V. 245 (.\nn. Ver. herself) I ?
|
Galsworthy P.
to do your frock
I'm always right, aren't 180 aren't
I
first-class ass, aren't I
pretty, aren't
going to get you
smart. Aren't
I
a very wonderful woman, aren't
you are precious lucky.
I
am always wise woman ?
10 a
I
found as belonging to
also
it is
Im
educated speakers: Wilde
I
but only
34, 43, 63, 2. 164; A. 441, 451, S. 84, 226),
I ?
|
id.
?
C.
|
1.
ib.
73
113
I
|
2.
|
Hankin
57 Aren't
Bennett T. 53
Oppenheim M.
lucky? is
mixed up with other forms
in Quiller
Couch
Otto Jespersen.
120
T. 113 That's a wall, ain't et
An' I'm a preacher, arn't
?
I ?
An' you be worms, hain't 'ee ? The form [a-nt ai] is found convenient and corresponds to the other n't-ioTms; it obviates the clumsy am I not and the unpronounceable amn't
veloped from
aren't,
which
— But as
Halket 202.
ner's Peter
I,
may
it
I
[a-nt]
when one
of Darwin's
am
But there
which regularly becomes
[arnt],
developed
ME.
long
in 19th
MEG.
see
I.
79); this gives the result
rich
ib. 1.
|
Fielding T.
86 you an't
|
4.
432,
4.
|
TroUope B.
483
Austen
II
?
I
of r (ib.
7.
J.
181
256 you ant
|
Defoe G. 129 An't
|
ib.
Austen
|
Shaw
|
C.
237 you an't well
|
if
|
e. g.
they
an't
411, ain't
116 youre joking, aint
you glad you
in the first person sg.
pi.)
234 [lady:]
S.
196 [old lady:] Mind me, now,
Norris P. 245 Ain't
AinH
form with
99 (Mrs. Honour) a'n't (3d person
ib. 4.
married by Midsummer
you
ar'n't
which may have
also in the speech of educated people, S.
[a'nt];
the spellings in Swift
ib. 93,
they are very pretty, an't they in
|
alternate
and dropping
[eint]; cf.
81 an't you an impudent slut
you
94
c.
phonetically from the older |a-|,
you sorry
also another frequent form,
is
are an extra-
'I
116).
1.
find spellings like Swift P. 90 ar'n't
we you asham'd ? Thus frequently
be taken as de-
in positive sentences,
boys remarked:
little
ordinary grass-finder' (Darwin L.
Are not becomes
may
sometimes in children's speech
lead to the substitution of are for as
find written in 01. Schrei-
aren't short of wheat.
probably has arisen through
morphological analogy, as nowhere else the persons were distinguished in the -nt-iorms. Examples
a beast for not answering you before lord:)
I
ain't
of the 19th ai].
c.
a
diplomatist.
It is
?
Tenn. L.
:
|
2.
21 Ain't
I
Mered H. 346 (young
probable that some at least
quotations above for an't I are meant as [eint
Negation.
Have
not
became
121
note the older pronunciation
[heint];
of have as [heiv], also [hei], written so often ha' (Sh. I.
267 Ha' not
2.
han't or ha^rit
22 Han't
G. 129, 132
id.
290 id.
J.
ha'n't a
I
Swift P. 32, 92 you ha'n't, 155
|
ib.40, 43,63 etc.
I,
moment
L. 201 Ha'n't
1.
Defoe R.
|
2.
to lose
Hardy R. 34
i
I
I
164
377 han't you heard
mussed her
I
Wint.
spelling
Congreve 230 han't you four
e. g.
Fielding
|
you seene Camillo); the
syll.)
frequent,
is
thousand pounds Swift
(2.
|
I
han't
|
han't
|
Sheridan
han't been
|
?
Instead of han't the spelling ainH also occurs as a vul-
garism {h dropped).
Do
not
becomes donH [dount], which
is
found,
e. g.,
in
and innumerable times
Swift J. 17, etc., Defoe G. 12, 45, 137, since then.
For
will not
we have
wonnot, found in
won't [wount], developed (through
Dryden and other
from the ME. form wol. 166,
It is
wTiters of that time)
written wont in Defoe R.
but generally won't, thus Rehearsal
Farquhar B. 335, Defoe G.
The
[s]
48, 66, Fielding T. 1. 237, etc., etc.
was frequently dropped
(thus expressly Elphinstone 1765 to various forms of interest.
causa, Cooper 1685)
and
2.
Congreve 237,
41,
For
in isn't, wasn't, doesn't,
134) and this gives rise
I.
isn't
in the 18th
we
find 'ent (facilitatis
the form
c.
i'n't,
which
Fitzedward Hall (M. 236) quotes from Foote, Richardson,
But the vowel
and Miss Burney.
unstable;
is
Swift P. 32
imagine a lowering and lengthening
and if we vowel (corresponding pretty exactly to what happened don't, won't, and really also in can't, etc.), this would result
writes e'n't; of the in
now
in a pronunciation [eint]; airt't,
and would
fall
from
person as early as Swift |
J.
aren't.
c.
an't
An't
105 Presto
ib. 147 An't that right
273 In the 19th
must be written
an't or
together with the form mentioned above
as possibly developed
an't he ?
this
and
now
found in the third
plaguy
is
?
is
|
179
it
silly to-night,
an't
my fault
|
ain't are frequent for is not in
122
Otto Jespf.rsen.
Storm
representations of vulgar speech; see quotations in
EPh. 709 and Farmer & Henley,
also
pretend to say that there ain't
woman
mother
his
But now
is
it
an't she
is,
not
Alford (Q. 71) says:
|
don't
I
What an
ill-natured
Lucy
an't there.
287
ib.
125
S.
if
Dean
as so vulgar as formerly;
felt
"It ain't certain.
I
ain't going.
.
.
very
.
by highly educated persons". And
frequently used, even
Anthony Hope
270
ib.
|
?
Austen
e. g.
in
(F. 40, 45, C. 57) people of the best society
are represented as saying
and
ain't
it
ain't
it.
Dr. Furnivall,
man, was particularly fond
to mention only one
of using this
form.
The form wa'nt in Defoe,
e. g.
wa^ not
or wa'n''t for
G. 51
you was.
.
.
.
is
pretty frequent
wa'nt you
?
|
R. 8
id.
I
warrant you were frighted, wa'n't you. I
Howells all
same form frequently
find the
10
S.
persons)
|
American
in
we wa'n't ragged ib. 15 London V. 329 he wa'n't
wa'n't (often, in
I
|
|
writers:
Page
350
J,
(vg.)
wa'n't after no money. ... 'T wa'n't me.
1
A
variant
written warnH, where r of course
is
the sound represented being [wo-nt]; in Dickens, ib.
e. g.
223 (vg)
it
Do. 77
If I
warn't him
|
warn't a
id.
it is
man
F. 24 see
if
is
mute,
frequent vulgarly
a on small annuity
|
he warn't Galsworthy 1
P. 86.
DonH for of
does not
some other person
habitual process, in
is
some few
tendency
form
is
generally explained from a substitution
for the third person
;
but as this
— as do in the third person
dialects,
sg. is
but not in standard Enghsh, and as the
the inference
is
natural that
we have
phonetic process, s being absorbed before nt as in above.
The vowel
same way
not a
rather in the reverse direction of using the verb
with subjects of the other persons (says
in s
talks, etc.),
is
found only
in [dount]
as in do not,
if
I,
they
rather a isn't, etc.,
must have developed
in the
we admit that the mutescence
of s
123
Negation.
took place before the vowel in does was changed into [a]. Don't in the third person is found in Farquhar B. 321, in
Defoe G. 47 (my brother don't kno'), Sheridan D. 277 and
very frequently in the 19th
where
14. 29),
Byron uses
c.
Don Juan,
colloquial verse of
doesn't
10,
(3.
9.
dialogues,
repeatedly in the
44, 10. 51, 13. 35,
probably never found, though does
is
and doth not are found. Dickens has
not
it
constantly in his
it
but not exclusively, in representing the
chiefly,
speech of vulgar people (see
Do. 13,
e. g.
D. 84,
16, 22, 31;
188, 191, 376, 476, 590;
X. 45 educated young man); and he
sometimes even uses
in his
Susan does
it,
it
know
she don't
break his heart). The form
is
own name |
Tom Brown.
makes a well-bred man say "She don't care"
76
gentleman, Egerton K. 101 a lady.
by any means be
however much schoolmasters
I
my
Austen
S.
193
it
may
object to
matter id.
sound
much
tion
ib.
231
it
it
nowadays,
it,
appear
will also
American)
Shelley
:
|
much
ib.
|
|
id.
|
Ward
He
F. 184 [a
E. 64 [a young diplomatist:]
65 he don't take Manisty
don't care.
1
it ? (cf. id. 1. 4,
Shaw
at his
make any
it ?
|
valua-
ib.
|
Why
D. 93 Sir Patrick:
don't matter a bit (said Mr. Lewisham)
don't
It
own
174, 178, 179, 203, 204, etc.)
stands to reason, don't
like
M. 86 [a celebrated traveller:]
254 [an ambassador:] That don't count
he live for L. 19
last
donH
this use of
don't signify talking
that don't matter
[a lady:]
That
tragedy will do, and that he don't
lord:] Well, it don't
I
146),
have just heard from Peacock, saying, that he don't
think that I
(cf. ib.
called a vulgarism
from the following quotations (the two L. 727
Kingsley H.
an M.P., Phihps L. 226 a perfect
similarly Meredith H. 489
could not
How
Do. 500
used constantly in the conver-
sations in such books as Hughes's
it
(as
541 he don't appear to
ib.
|
|
258
dont
Wells
Norris 0.
Herrick M. 187
it
don't
difference.
Here, as with amH, the distinction of person and
has been obliterated in the negative forms.
number
124
Otto Jespersen. Daren't stands for both dare not (dares not) and dared not,
(MEG.
the latter through a natural phonetic development 7.
72;
The use
also ESt. 23. 461).
cf.
exemplification (Shaw
198
1.
I
I.
needs no
in the present
darent talk about such things); 3.
83 Her restlessness
wakened her bedfellows more than once.
She daren't read
we have,
in the preterite
Thack
e. g.
Walter Lorraine: Father was at home, and would
more
of
suffer
no hght
Ward
|
D.
99 Her
1.
She daren't climb after him ship's charts
Shaw.
in the
her a
spirit failed
dark
|
little.
Kipl. L. 126 the
were in pieces and our ships daren't run south
195 you loiow you darent have given the order
2.
you hadnt seen us you here
And
P.
114 otherwise
id. C.
|
Bennett T. 326
|
We
I
|
if
darent have brought
were halted before
could
I
see.
daren't look round.
I
Dare not is often written as a preterite, even by authors who do not use dare (without not) as a preterite; this of course represents a spolten [de-ent]. (Tennyson, Doyle, Kipling, Shaw, Hall Caine, Parker).
There
a negative form of the (obsolescent) preterite
is
which the
durst, in
first
t
is
often omitted;
it
is
sometimes
used as a present (thus a Norfolk speaker, Di. D. 407; Captain Do.
Cuttle
id.
some
dialectal
Shaw.
2.
field E.
17
I
Recent examples, to which are added after
forms:
Kipl. SS. 166 they
They dussent ave nothink
91
39
75).
durn't
I
dasn't scratch
The sound for used not;
[t] is
|
Barrie
MO.
do
dursn't
to do with
100 daurnd
|
me
1 1
||
it |
Mase-
Twain H.
1.
it.
also left out in the colloquial
an American lady told
me
form
[ju'snt]
that this was childish:
"no grown-up person in America would say so", but in England it is very often heard, and also often written, see Pinero S. 189
my face
is
covered with
Wilde W. 37
Shaw
C. 11
I
Usent
to have to put
little
shadows that usen't to be there
usen't to be one of her admirers, but it
to be a lark
him up
|
id. J.
?
255,
|
ib.
I
193 I'm blest
M. 192, 202
|
am now if I
Hankin
|
|
usent 2.
47
Negation.
we
Usen't
mies
?
to be taught that
Benson D.
I
2.
it
125
was our duty to love our ene-
288 Usen't the monks to keep peas in
their boots?
Ben't seems
now
extinct except in dialects {hain't)
;
heard in educated society in Swift's time, see P. 105 ben't hang'd ib. 110 if that ben't fair, hang fair.
it
was
if
you
|
Dialectal n'^forms for the second person sg. occur, for
instance in Fielding T. shalt not',
wout unt
=
(Squire Western):
shatunt '(thou)
'wouldst not', oCnH or at unt 'art not',
and others.
For neednH
I
find
an abbreviated American form several
times in Opie Read's Toothpick Tales,
There or
is
a curious American form whyn't
'why don't' (Payne, Alab. Wordl.);
asks:
In children's speech there
=
The
it
n't
is
J.
didn't'
57 a negro
a negative form correpond-
forms are colloquial, but
better),
namely
Bettern't
They
may be heard in university
are not, however, used
much
in reading,
sounds hyper-colloquial, in some cases even with a
comical tinge, do not,
Page
'why
'had you not better'; Sully St. of Childh. 177.
lectures, etc.
and
in
=
Whyn't you stay?
ing to you better do that (from you'd
you
108 yer neenter
e. g.
the handle.
fly off'n
when
is not, etc.
too
many
don't, isn't are substituted for
in reading serious prose aloud.
In poetry
the contracted forms are justified only where other colloquial
forms are allowed, their lives, if
e. g.
Byron T).
J. 5.
and yet they don't Because ;
6
if
They vow
to
amend
drown'd, they can't
—
spared, they won't.
Naturally the
full
forms admit of greater emphasis on
the negative element than the contracted forms; [kaenot]
is
hardly ever heard in colloquial speech unless exceptionally stressed,
and then the second
syllable
may have even
stronger
Otto Jespersen.
126
than the
Stress I
the itahcs in Di. D. 241
first (cf.
In Byron's
really cannot say).
D J.
and can not when
on
it is
Will not
not.
cannot say
—
a distinction seems to be
between cannot when the
carried through
I
won't in Ridge G. 219 "I won't have
is
it!
on can,
stress is
more emphatic than have
will not
I
it!"
But this does not apply to the two forms in Pinero Q. 213 not true!
It's
true!
it isn't
and the contracted form
and a nexal negative
— The
is
(see ch.
fact such sentences [as he
language two forms
(hij
between the
difference
V.
is
); cf.
NEG.
Sweet,
not a fool]
iznt 8 fuwl)
§
366: "In
have in the spoken
and
not a fuwl).
(hijz
an un-
In the former the negation being attached specially to
meaning form-word must necessarily
so.
sou), so that the sentence is equivalent to
'I
fool'.
modify the
logically
whole sentence, just as in / do not think
a
dount
(ai
is
l)ii)k
deny that he
In the other form of the sentence the not
from the verb, and
full
sometimes that between a special
is
is
detached
thus at liberty to modify the following
noun, so that the sentence
is felt
to be equivalent to he
no
is
where there can be no doubt that the negative adjective-
fool,
pronoim no modifies the noun, so that almost equivalent to
(hijz
assert that he
'I
not
a fuwl) is
the opposite of a
is
fool'."
On
the distinction between
and mustn't
in
some cases
The contracted forms (He
is old, isn't
he
?
|
may
see p.
not
94
and mayn't, must
ff.
are very often used in tag questions
you know
you
her, don't
in such questions as are hardly questions at
form
of putting a positive assertion: Isn't
very old' (you cannot disagree with
you know
?
therefore,
it
"Did not
I
= is
me
preferable to say I
and
? etc.),
and
but another
he old
?
= |
'he
is
Don't
In a real question, write,
was with you
her at that time ?" because "
all,
on that point)
'you surely must know'.
meet the lady when
know
not
?
for instance: If
not, did you
didn't
her ?" would seem to admit of only one reply.
you know
127
Negation.
With regard
way
the
in
opposed to in
to the standing of the contracted forms and
which they are regarded by the phonetician
many laymen,
there
H. C. Wyld's Hist. Study of
"We
the
as
a characteristic passage
Mother Tongue,
p.
379:
occasionally hear peculiarly flagrant breaches of polite
usage, such as
now
is
(iz
not
it) for (iznt it)
rather old-fashioned, but
still
the more usual and familiar (a*nt
or (aem not
commendable,
ai), or,
ai), for
the
(eint ai) or
in Ireland, (semnt ai).
These forms, which can only be based upon an uneasy and nervous stumbling after 'correctness', are perfectlyindefensible,
no one ever uttered them naturally and spontaneously.
for
Tljey are struck out
by the
individual, in a painful gasp of
refinement".
false
In Northern English and Sc.
we have an
enclitic -na
(<0E
na)\ thus frequently in
GE.A. donna, mustna, wasna, wonna,
thee artna, ye arena; in
Burns dinna, winna, wadna, wasna,
etc.
— Canna
is
used by Goldsmith 560 as vg., not as
specifi-
cally Sc.
CHAPTER
XII
But.
The word force.
At
and
without,
that word. of
but, in
first
it
is
many
acqtairing
the
But gradually
ways not shared by
apphcations that
of its applications, has a negative
a preposition,
we
it
OE
be-utan,
same negative
came
without.
formed
signification
like
as
to be used in a variety
It is
only with the negative
are here concerned.
a kind of negative relative pronoun, meaning 'that not', but only used after a negative ex(who or which)
But
is
pression.
Examples: Sh. Err. IV. 3. 1 There's not a man I meete Merch III. 2. 81 There is no vice so but doth salute me |
Otto Jespersen.
128
Some marke
simple, but assumes
parts
Lr. II.
I
4.
of profiting
|
Walton A. 15 there
mendation but is
may
man
Milton A. 56 seeing no
|
tasted learning, but will confesse the
who hath
outward
his
among twenty, but
71 there's not a nose
can smell him that's stinking
on
of vertue
Ruskin
|
no existing highest-order art but
waies
none that deserve com-
are
be justified
many
Sel. 1.
decorative
is
|
370 there Stevenson
B. 110 there was not one but had been guilty of some act of
oppression
Dickinson
|
S.
117
around
see
I
me none
but are
shipwrecked too. In most cases the relative pronoim represented
the subject of the clause; but
may
it
by
but
is
also be the object of a
verb; rarely, however, the object of a preposition placed at
the end of the clause: Sh. Mcb.
9
1. 6.
no
iutty, frieze,
nor coigne of vantage, but this bird Hath
trice,
pendent bed
||
Ruskin
Sel. 1.
261 there
is
But-
made
his
not a touch of
Vandyck's pencil but he seems to have revelled on. This relative but
extremely frequent after an incomplete
is
II. 3. 68 Not one of Lamb. R. 39 Not a tree, not
sentence (without a verb), as in Sh. Alls. those, but
had a noble father
|
a bush, scarce a wildflower in their path, but revived in Rosa-
mund some tages it
recollection
I
Quincey 418 and probably not one
Garlyle H. 132 no one of us,
a very rough thing
ites
[
whole brigade but excelled myself in personal advan-
of the
|
suppose, but would find
I
Thack N. 205 Not one
of the Gandish-
but was after a while well inclined to the young fellow
Ruskin an hour
S. |
46 nothing so great but
it
[a
mob]
|
will forget in
Stevenson IHF. 8 no gentleman but wishes to avoid
a scene.
The negative idea that conditions expressed indirectly, or
an incomplete negative.
it
may
It is
this use of but
may
be
be what has been termed above
sometimes wrongly asserted that
Shakespeare did not use this but after an interrogative sentence with negative import. Examples: Sh. Ven. 565 What waxe
129
Negation.
but dissolues with tempring
so frozen
could he see but mightily he noted strongly he desired
may
plead
it
a victim fall
|
?
?
Lucr. 414
|
What
?
What
did he note, but
Milton SA. 834 what murderer
1
Pope RL.
What
95
1.
To one man's
but
tender maid but must
but for another's ball?
treat,
||
Thack N. 674 Scarce a man but felt Barnes was laughing at him ib. 235 There is scarce any parent however friendly I
with his children, but must
sometimes that they have
feel
thoughts which are not his or hers
but has
locality
its
Spencer Ed. 22 Scarcely a
|
away over
history of fortunes thrown
some impossible project
Galsworthy F. 277 Scarcely a word
|
of the evening's conversation
but gave him.
.
.
.the feeling
||
Few young ladies but in this sense keep a dog Wells T. Ill And few of the men who were there but judged me a happy man Bennett G. 1. 102 Few of these Lamb. E.
219
2.
I
|
men but
some time
at
In some cases but
such a
way
{but they
of their lives is
clog.
by a personal pronoun in make up a relative pronoun
followed
that both together
=
had worn the
'who.... not',
may
be
of that or which followed
by
etc.);
compared with the popular use he or him, etc. But, in this case,
the phenomenon
not a real relative pronoun,
is
Examples: Malory 732
but rather a "relative connective". there were but few knyghtes in
the queue was in the wronge
all |
the courte, but they demed
Sh. Mcb. III.
4.
131 There's
them but in his house I keepe a seruant feed Stevenson MP. 161 You can propound nothing but he has a not a one of
theory about
|
it
ready-made
man know what sex.
he means
|
id.
B. 115 Not a
man
but he
is
Sel.
1.
172 not one great
will puzzle you,
if
you look
some deal heartened up of them, but he
|
|
Ruskin
Wilde
S.
81
They never have anything
Women to
close, to
are a decorative
say but they say
it
charmingly [with intentional ambiguity]. In the same sense as the relative pronoun but we have also,
from the beginning
Videnak.
Selsk. Hlst.-fllol.
Medd.
1, o.
of the
18th c, the combination 9
Otto Jbspersen.
130
As applied to persons (= who. .not) this is nowvulgar, but does not seem to have always been felt as such: Swift J. 489 there is not one of the Ministry but what will but what.
employ me
Defoe R.
|
what had some thing a
2.
4
I
had no agreeable diversion but
or other of this in
it
]
Goldsmith 6 scarce
what had
farmer's daughter within ten miles round but
found him successful
Austen E. 29 not that
|
I
think Mr. M.
would ever marry any body but what had had some education P. 306 there
id.
is
|
not one of his tenants but what will give
him a good name
Quincey 220
|
economy.
political
...
is
eminently an organic science (no part, but what acts on the whole, as the whole again reacts on and through each part)
|
nobody romid that hearth but what's glad Benson D. 2. 129 there is nothing else about me
G. E. A. 98 There's
you
to see
but what
|
intolerable
is
lane within a league but
But
1
Bennett A. 20 there
what
as a conjunction
—
'that not'
clause after a negative expression,
master knowes not but not be denied but 1.
I
I
am
am
wood like
Sh. Ro. V.
gone hence
I
village
frequent in an object
is
e. g.
Ado
|
I.
3.
a plaine dealing villaine
237 do not beleeue But
no
is
a travesty of rural charms.
offers
shall
3.
132
32
it
must
Mids.
|
my 11.
doe thee mischiefe in the
Walton A. 11 then doubt not but the art will prove a vertue Bunyan P. 75 I know not but some other enemy 1
|
may be at hand ib. 233 Congreve 130 I don't know but she may come this way Spect. 5 it is not impossible, but I may make discoveries Swift J. 284 I doubt not but it will |
|
|
|
take
I
Defoe R. 25
make no doubt but he reacht it with ease make no question, but I shall be able to I
|
Fielding
3.
420
introduce you
|
I
Goldsmith 16 Nor can
interest in being first
|
Wordsworth
P.
I
not doubting but a guide was present
deny but
1
have an
Much
I
rejoiced,
81
5. |
GE. A. 247 there
was no knowing but she might have been childish enough
t
131
Negation.
Stevenson B. 113 Doubt not but he will lend a favourable ear.
But evidently
in all these cases
the popular speech instinct; tion where the notion it
two
really stands for
the main sentence positive.
is
negative.
is
means the same thing to
stands as the natural conjunc-
it
But
strictly opposite ideas, according as
simply negative or doubly negative,
I
am
he does not
know
quotation,
if
for "it
equivalent
"it is
Thus, the
does not.
it
gone hence', he believes that
that
am
I
gone,
The use
substitute the I
am
a plain-
of hut in such cases,
on a par with the redundant use of negatives
is
popular speech (above,
been generally discarded
p. 75)
am. ..." ("Here,
and, like that, has
now
educated speech and in writing,
in
so that the usual expression I
am
I
not gone; but in the second
must not be denied" we certain", we must say "that
dealing villain" without any not. therefore,
that
e.
quotation from Sh. means 'my master knows not other-
wise than that
in
i.
In the former case but gives a negative force to the
dependent clause, in the latter case first
easy to see that
it is
now is "it must not be denied now considered more logical"
that is
NED). In the same sense but that I
neither can nor will denie.
A. 5 deny not but that
Walton A. 11
'tis
it is
also used
is
But that of greatest
:
Sh. Alls. V.
3.
167
Imow them
|
Milton
concernment
j
ib 28
|
an art
I
I
not to be questioned, but that
it is
Defoe R. 91 not doubting but that there was more Fielding T. 3. 81 I made no doubt but that his designs were strictly |
honourable marriage
is
|
Johnson R. 102
cannot be persuaded but that
I
one of the means of happiness
have no doubt but that bolts and
|
Sheridan 273
bars will be entirely useless
I
|
hardly possible but that some of the Cowper L. 1. family must have been bitten Franklin 181 not knowing but Scott Iv. 288 I fear not but that he might be in the right that my father wUl do his best Di. Do. 151 they can hardly
210
it is
|
|
1
9*
Otto Jespersen.
132
persuade themselves but that there
conduct
in the
N. 682
id.
|
man dream but
that
of this question
shall set
many
115
F. 35
id.
Ruskin T. 212
[
I
still
|
TroUope
W.
115
pain will spring out
do not doubt but that
a reader's teeth on edge I
Tennyson 464 Let
|
much
that perhaps
(ib.
have no fear but that you
148)
will
I
id. C. 102,
|
one day under-
I
stand
all
my
poor words
but that she would face
And
|
Ward M. 234
be used this however,
would
608)
(ib.
you may
be
much
nicer.
.
.
.?
I
less
vulgar:
don't
recent
is
;
and generally considered more or it
he could not doubt
it.
may
what
finally but
wouldn't
I
stairs
love thee
I
not to be supposed but that
It is
know but
didn't
I
somebody might be passing up the no
something unbecoming
is
N. 131
Di.
know but what
GE. A. 28 There's no knowing but what
|
see things different after a while (frequent in
Trollope D.
3.
it
153
gratified (ib. 230)
|
am
I
not going to say but what
Mered H. 5
I
GE.)
am
I
shouldn't wonder but what
that young chap'U want to be a gentleman
|
Bennett A. 209
We'd no thought but what we should bring you thirty pounds in cash Housman J. 333 I shouldn't be surprised but what |
it
could be recognized
what
|
this evening will
0. 546
1
am
Wells V. 196
I
shall
never hear
come pouring back over me
|
not so sure but what yesterday's terrible
it
but
Norris affair
might have been avoided.
The use
NED
of but
what cannot be easily accounted for; the
attempts no explanation, but simply brands the use
as "erroneous" in all cases (but 12c, 30). first
began
in the relative
employment
has sometimes approximately tation
1. c.
from Defoe)
the equivalent of but
;
its
Perhaps but what
(see p. 129f.),
where what
usual force (as in the quo-
and as but what was thus
that, it
was substituted
for that
felt
to be
combina-
tion in other cases as well.
The negative idea
in the
expressed indirectly or
main sentence may
by such a word
as
little:
of course
be
Milton A. 12
133
Negation.
who
denies but that
can you
tell
we have
|
was
Scott Iv. 482
with the supper
may end
it
justly hurnt
|
Bunyan
G. 32
but that the Turks had as good scriptures
|
who knows but
Browning
to-night
?
I
407
1.
Who
as
may
the devil
how
fly off
knows but the world
Hewlett Q. 150 there
is little
doubt but
he soon tired.
By
the side of the elliptical expressi(^n Not
tioned above but what,
beauty
.
.
.
men-
54) we find not but, not but that, and not Behn 307 not but he confessed Chariot had
(p.
e. g.
Defoe R. 149 not but that the
|
that.
ray boat came into
my head
years in a state of
much
difficulty of launching
|
Goldsmith
2
Thus we lived several
we sometimes
happiness, not but that
Cowper L. 1. 328 Not but that I should be GE. A. 297 Not but what I'm glad to hear o' anybody respectable coming into the parish Hankin 2. 10 As long as Wilkins was here things were better. Not but had
little
rubs
very sorry
|
|
|
what we had our quarrels even then.
An
infinitive is also
as in Sh. R.
2.
V. 115
I
found after doubt not but (obsolete)
doubt not but to ride as
Bunyan G. 23 not doubting but to find A. 17 3.
I
it
many
doubt not but to relate to you
fast as
presently things
|
|
Yorke
|
Walton Fielding
548 he doubted not but to subvert any villainous design. After verbs like hinder, prevent, forbid,
(that)
=
'that not' is
Sh. 0th.
II. 1.
now
etc.,
the use of but
obsolete; ex.:
195 The heauens forbid But that our loues
and comforts should encrease.
But of 'that
{but that, but tvhat)
is
also used in the negative sense
not' after a comparison with not so:
More U. 239 the bandes can neuer be so stronge, but they wyll fynde some hole open to crepe owte at Sh. Merch. Shee may learne III. 2. 163 she is not yet so old But she |
not bred so dull but she can learne Milton A. 8 they were dissolute in their not therein so cautious but they were as is
|
Otto Jespersen.
134
promiscuous conversing
we can beheve
so monstrous but
Pepys was not such an Gaxton R. 38 the hole
my
I
was not
so
of ourselves
moche a
298
2.
it
am
I
MB. 301
fool
but that
it
||
fonde
I
not yet so low, But that
can reach vnto thine eyes
nailes
|
nothing
is
id.
but he must have perceived
ass,
Sh. Mids. HI.
|
Stevenson V. 25 there
|
X. 3 he was not so
Di.
|
up by the sad event, but that he was an excelbusiness on the very day of the funeral Stevenson
dreadfully cut
man
lent
T. 221
I
of
|
so thoughtless but that
was not
I
my
slacked
pace
|
'Not so deep but that
Hope R. 128 you'll bury the king ? we can take him out again' Harraden |
ill
may
but that they
S.
11 you are not too
be a happiness to you
||
I
signora's voice
Similarly after a comparative
have no more wit, but to
What more
:
trifle
|
than
is
sions:
show
;
|
I
where
after no sooner,
thus also more rarely but
but in the
Marlowe F. 1191
my
452.
natural but there's something for yourself.
always used
last quotations
ib.
Bunyan G. 24 that I should Caine M. away my time
But was formerly very frequent
now
100
Trollope B. 399 she did not however go so fast but
it
what she heard the
138
S.
who remem-
not so long ago but what there were people living
bered
GE.
same way
was no sooner
that.
The
after similar expresin the
middle of the
away (thus also Dekker S. 12, Defoe 25, Bunyan G. 12, 30 etc. Otway 221, Swift J. 484) R. 102 he was no sooner landed, but he moved forward towards
pond, but
horse vanisht
|
me
id. I
R.
2.
40
|
Spect. 92 he no sooner got rid of his enemy,
but he marched up to the wood I.
1.
24 The breath no sooner
his wildnesse
]
Franklin 125
left his
Seem'd to dye too
||
fathers body, ||
he had not run far from his it,
began to cry after him.
own
S.
5.
But that
Goldsmith 628 he's
scarce gotten out of one scrape, but he's running his
another (scarce.... but, also Dekker
Sh. H.
25)
|
head into
Bunyan
P. 3
door, but his wife perceiving
;1
Negation.
But serves
to introduce the necessary result 'so that
NED says "Now generally expressed by without and
The
not'.
135
:
gerund: 'you cannot look but you seeing
will see
Formerly sometimes but
it.
"formerly" perhaps
too severe:
is
I
without
e.
i.
This expression
give below an example
from a very recent (Amr.) novel
of but that
it',
that.'''
also one of but
;
what.
never rains but
It
but they laugh
mourns
Byron D.
|
GE. A. 102
|
hand in
too
it
pours
it
||
J. 3.
Roister 18 ye passe not by,
not consent but Seth shall have a
I'll
Williamson L. 87 you can't look up or down
the river, but that on every
JHF. 178 the
|
108 nothing dies but something
hill
you
see a chateau
would never pass one
child
Stevenson
1 1
of the imfettered
but what he spat at him.
more frequently
But, or
:=
clause of condition,
but that, serves to introduce a ....
'if
not'
an old combination,
;
which has long been obsolente, was but
Caxton R. 64 how shold ony
three:
yf he lycked his fyngres
man
Roister 85 this
||
he haue his [gains] by and by
Sh. 0th.
|
Examples
if.
of all
handle hony, but
man
I.
3.
angry but
is
194
I
here do
my heart, Which but thou hast [? for: all my heart I would keepe from thee
giue thee that with all
hadst] already with Sh. Err. IV.
Nor now P. 51
I
I
40
I
sober
3
And
1
since
haue not much importun'd you I
am bound To
been here sooner, but that
but that
should have taken [
I
had not, but that
had
have staid
1.
MacCarthy
2.
I
knew
Collins
I
I
Persia
slept
|
ib.
had further to go
with
me
Bunyan
|
55 |
I
could
Franklin
but that he was not
151 they would not be mentioned here,
Ward but that they serve to explain some misconceptions M. 78 I would offer myself for the post but that I feel sure |
that you would never follow anybody's advice Locke B. V. 64 But that I considered it to be beneath ray dignity as a man, |
I
should have wept too.
;
:
136
Otto Jespersen.
The same
=
but
not'
'if
found in the following
also
is
idiom Sh. Merch. III.
the instruction requite
|
75
1.
hard but
shall goe
it
Scott Iv. 89
will
it
go hard with
is
I
will
very often expressed in betting terms as
But
in the following quotations.
ten to one
if
should be noted that though
it
means
"ten to one but he comes"
originally 'you
may
he does not come', the negative idea has
disappeared, and
means
it
to the old phrase
'the chances are that
the 18th
c.
also but that.
Swift
J.
26
it is
bet
now
he does come'
odds but he comes therefore corresponds
it is
the modern the odds are that he comes.
N
but
it.
The same idea
Di
will better
I
me
we
Besides but
find in
odds but this Mr. Dyot will be hanged
|
66 the odds are a hundred to one, but Swillenhausen
castle
would have been....
one but
we have them
but he dies there
|
one but he would repent
one but
it
lives
Bunyan
|
Defoe R.
learn something of her
B. Jo.
||
189
2.
P. 143 a
it
Spect. 28
|
gown
|
twenty to
'tis
hundred to one
would be a thousand to it is
ten to one but you
Fielding T.
Austen M. 4 give a
|
198
3.
girl
1.
11
it is
two to
an education, and
introduce her properly into the world, and ten to one but she
has the means of settling well
||
the people flock to see a miracle,
that they see a miracle
many
of
With the
but in the sense elliptical
have succeeded, not hindered
i.
e.
a hundred to one but
'tis
ten to one but that
not' should also be placed
'if
idiom but
for:
But
had not been
'if it
for
a curious transition but has come to
will not
him we should
for him,
if
he had
it'.
thing as 'only'; at
/
it is
Sterne 12
|
them would be worse mounted.
common
By
Goldsmith 261 Whenever
first
it
say but one word,
i.
mean
the same
required a preceding negative: e.
'not except (save) one word'
•
137
Negation.
compare the form used
nothern dialects nobbut. But then
in
the negative was dropped out, and 1 will say but one word
came to be used thing
is
in exactly the
signification.
The curious
that exactly the same thing has happened in German,
where nur at
required a negative word before
first
nated in ne ware) ;
cf.
Byron D.
Read K. 64
I
also vg. Fr. "je dis qu' 9a".
may
old negative idiom as in
same
J. 1.
can't
still
208
be used to some extent with can,
[=
can't but say
I
it (it origi-
Enghsh the
In
come to but one
I
can but say]
|
conclusion.
Similarly in the following sentence the words for no purpose might be omitted without changing the meaning of the
whole: Macaulay E.
4.
79 lying newspapers were set up for
no purpose but to abuse him. Old examples
of but in this
found in the dictionaries; jElfric 1.
114 nan
man
I
way
after a negative are easily
shall therefore give only one:
ne bi5 gehealden buton t)urh gife HiB-
lendes Cristes (thus before another preposition).
The expres-
strengthened by only in Sh. Merch.
51 discourse
sion
is
[will]
grow commendable
The same redundancy expressed:
Mi A. 6
I
III. 5.
in none onely but parrats. is
found when the negative
finde but only
two
sorts of writing
the Magistrate car'd to take notice of
|
Ruskin
Sel.
is
not
which 1.
261
caring only but to catch the public eye.
As
but
and only are thus synonyms, by a natural reaction
some
only acquires
of the properties at first belonging exclusive-
ly to but.
Only
comes to mean 'except that'
that
similar to that)
but that.
and eventually even
Examples: [Malory 736
I
(or
something very
not', exactly like
'if
wille not graunte the
thy will
only that thou frely relece the queue] Swift J. 86 since not answer a word of it, only that I never was giddy antagomy first fit Ridge S. 41 he would have been more I
lyf,
|
|
nistic
wife at this stage, only that the doorkeeper's
was a
:
138
Otto Jespehsen.
good soul
Hope D. 227 She'd have done
I
me
in her heart she credits
We
sooner only that
it
with a tragedy
Doyle
|
S. 4.
116
should not have troubled you only that our friend has
been forced to return to the East. Only lohen
=
GE. A. 110 Do you come
'except when':
every week to see Mrs. P.
Yes,
?
every Thursday, only
sir,
when she's got to go out with Miss D. ib. 141 I'll never fight any man again, only when he behaves like a scoundrel. not' Only also by itself, without that, niay stand for 'if or at any rate come near to that signification: Thack H. 20 |
.
.
.
.
they would have had an answer, only the old lady began on a hundred
rattling
stories
don M. 42 Only
=
'if it
is
it
you to
I'd introduce
for
Doyle B. 169
|
noticed this one [letter] only
for' (cf.
should not have
more usual
like the
above p. 136) GE. A. 374 :
have thought she was a beggar-woman, only clothes I
here at
Caine E. 112 Only for his exile [very frequent in Gaine]
all
have been here quarter
|
I
Lon-
but for I
should
for her
good
shouldn't have been
Shaw.
1.
an hour ago only
of
|
you'd win her.
her, only
sometimes used
had not been
I
happened to come alone
143
we
should
for his nonsense |
.
Birmingham W. 308 only pier built
me
there 'd never have been the
Stacpoole C. 168 he would have sworn that this
|
man was
for
Miiller,
only for the fact that he
knew
that Mtiller
was dead London V. 515 he wouldn't have had any community |
property only for you. In American slang
Ade A. 84
I
I
find only with a preceding negative
could nH turn up only sixty cents.
another reaction on the use of only from
Let
me
also
mention the possibility
after only because it
is
=
none
but.
This shows
but.
of a negative
answer
we were to ask the with you ?' a person
"If
question 'Had you only the children
south of the Tweed would answer 'no\ and
a person north
of the Tweed
—
'i/es',
both meaning the same thing
the children were there.
I
think
I
viz, that
only
should myself, though a
•
Southron, answer yes". dent,
Storm
who
703,
139
Negation.
(Quoted from an English correspon-
also gives literary quotations for no in
answers to questions with only, from Miss Burney, George Eliot, Trollope, Sweet).
CHAPTER
XIII
Negative Prefixes. Un-,
in-.
The most important negative
and
prefixes are un-
in-,
both etymologically going back to the same Arian form, n-
reduced from the negative word ne (which gave
(syllabic),
also the
Greek a "privativum", see below. Un-
English form, while
in- is
the Latin form,
the native
is
known
to the
Enghsh through numerous French and Latin words, and to some extent also productive in English hesitation has prevailed between the in
itself.
two
prefixes,
most cases one or the other has been
We
speak
shall
of the form,
first
A
good deal
of
though now
definitely preferred.
next of the choice between
the two prefixes, and finally of their meaning.
In-, according to the rules of
alternate forms ig- as in ignoble,
Latin phonology, has the il-
as in
illiterate,
im- as in
impossible, ir- as in irreligious.
In a few words, the sound of a prefix
is
word
changed,
when
this
added: pious [paias]
impious [impias]
finite [fainait]
infinite [infinit]
famous [feimas]
infamous [infamas]
In the lastword,the signification too
Pretty often unin- before
also of a
is
is
is
changed
(see p.l45).
preferred before the shorter word, and
the longer word derived from
it,
which
more learned nature; thus we have
is
generally
:
.
Otto jESPERsfiN.
140
unable
inability
unjust
injustice
unequal
inequality
Austen P. 239 some excuse for
Un-
is
incivility
if
was
I
uncivil.
preferred where the word has a distinctly native
ending, as in
ungrateful
Hence
ingratitude.
also the following
examples of participles in -d with
un-, while the adjectives in -able all
the
have
in-:
Byron Cain
unnumbefd and innumerable multitudes
|
Page
1
1.
J.
175
Their faces, undistinguished and indistinguishable in the crowd
|
Swinburne Sh. 212 the fragments we possess of Shakespeare's uncompleted work are incomplete simply because the labour.
was cut short by his timeless death and immitigable
NP.
\
|
an unexplained, but not
'17 after
.
.
Gissing G. 90 unmitigated inex-
plicable delay. It
should also be noted that' while most of the in- words
are settled once for as wholes, there
is
all,
and have to be learned by children
always a possibility of forming
on the spur of the moment with the prefix un-, the contrast in Whiteing No.
5.
267 the
new words
see, for instance
irresponsible
and
unresponsive powers.
Hence
also the difference
and
existing verb avoid,
between unavoidable from the
no Engl, verb
inevitable: there is
evite.
In other instances
we
find un- alternating
with some other
prefix in related words:
In a great
unfortunate
misfortune
unsatisfactory
dissatisfaction
uncomfortable
discomfort
many
cases, the prefix un-
either alone or concurrently with in-, is
exclusively used.
Examples are
was formerly
where now the
used, latter
:
Negation.
141
unactive Sh., Mi.
uncapable Sh., Defoe, Swift, Spect. unconstant Sh., Lyly. uncredible More.
uncurable More, Sh.
undecent Lyly. undocile Defoe.
unhonest More.
unmeasurable Sh. unnoble Lyly, Sh., Fletcher.
unnumerable More. uiiperfect Sh.
AV.
unplausible Mi.
unpossibleLyly, Sh.,AV., Goldsni.Cvg.650).
unproper Sh. unsatiable More. unsatiate Sh. unsufferable Defoe. unsuflicient More.
untractable Defoe.
Many
of these,
dialects, see
and similar un- words, are
EDD. and Wright
Words, in which
in-
still
in use in
Rustic Speech p. 31.
was formerly used, while
ufi- is
now
recognized incertain Sh. incharitable Sh.
inchaste Peele.
infortunate Kyd, Sh. ingrateful Sh.,
Mi.
insubstantial Sh.
(It is not, of course,
in the authors
named
;
pretended that these words occur only in
most cases
it
would be very easy
to find examples in other writers as well.)
142
Otto Jespersen.
Both unfrequent and
infrequent are in use, the latter, for
instance in Zangw. G. 199 not infrequent.
and
Unelegarit
nnfirm are rarer than inelegant and infirm.
The recent;
distinction
now made between human and humane
is
inhuman has the meaning corresponding to humane,
while the negative of
human
is
generally expressed by. non-
human, rarely as in Stevenson MB. 166 he was so unaffectedly
unhuman that he
did not recognise the
human
intention
of that teaching.
we have the Latin and French
Corresponding to apt
with change of vowel and of meaning
('foolish')
inept
and the Eng-
formation unapt; the corresponding sbs. are ineptitude
lish
and unaptness, rarely as
in
Shaw Ibsen 10 women.
reasoning — evidently with a
inaptitude for
sly
.
.their
.
innuendo
of
the other word. Inutterable
was
in use in the 17th
been superseded by unutterable; in one instance sive
it
by Tennyson, no doubt
words beginning with un-:
p.
(Mi., etc.),
c.
but has
has been revived, however, to avoid
two
succes-
383 killed with inutterable
unkindliness.
Words beginning with fix in-;
in- or im-
do not admit of the pre-
hence un- even in long and learned words like unim-
portant, unintelligible, unintentional, uninterrupted, etc.
mortal (Mi. PL. 10.611)
is
rare.
Note
Unim-
also disingenuous
(e. g.
Shelley L. 729).
It is
sometimes
tive prefix
The verb
is
felt
identical in
as an inconvenience that the nega-
form with the (Lat.) preposition
inhabit contains the latter;
in.
but inhabitable
is sometimes used with negative import, thus in Mandv. 161 and Sh. R2. I. 1. 65 Euen to the frozen ridges of the Alpes, Or any other ground inhabitable. The ambiguity of this form leads
to the use of
two forms with
un-, a rarer
one as in Defoe R. 156 the unhabitable part of the world, (but the form inhabited
Negation.
used
143
188 in the positive sence), and the more usual uninhabitable, which is found in Sh. Temp. II. 1. 37 and has
is
ib.
now completely tive ('what can also in
prevailed.
be
The corresponding
inhabited'') is habitable.
positive adjec-
Ambiguities are
found in other similar adjectives, as seen by definitions
dictionaries:
investigable
infused or poured invertible (1)
in, (2)
may
that
(1)
(2) incapable of being investigated
;
be investigated,
infusible (1) that
may
be
incapable of being fused or melted;
capable of being inverted,
changed. Importable, which
is
incapable of being
(2)
now used
only as derived from
import (capable of being imported) had formerly also the
meaning 'unbearable', and improvable
similarly
ing of 'incapable of being proved', though
it
of 'capable of being improved'. Inexistence
dition of existing in something, of not existing.
With regard prefixes is
Cf.
Growth
to the
it is, first,
§
and
sbs.,
jectives,
means
(2), rarely,
(1) the
con-
the condition
140 for a few more examples.
employment and meaning
of these
two
important to note that their proper sphere
with adjectives and adverbs.
with
had the mean-
only retains that
They
are found frequently
but exclusively with such as are derived from ad-
e. g.
hensibility.
unkindness, injustice, unimportance, incompre-
Similarly unemployment, which
mean number of
does not
the same as non-employment, but refers to the
unemployed. Cf also the rare unproportion, from proportionate, .
in
Kinglake E. 178 the wide unproportion between this slender
company, and the boundless plain
of sand.
quent in Sc.) also smacks of unfriendly; K. 202 they were unfriends of mine tinguishing friend
from unfriend.
unthinkers" (FR. 107)
The negative
is
|
it is
Unfriend
(fre-
found in Kipling
Hewlett Q. 30 not
Carlyle's "Thinkers
dis-
and
a nonce-word.
prefixes un-
and
in- are
not used with verbs,
very frequent with participles, because these are adjectival: undying, unfinished. (In- with Latin parti-
though un-
is
Otto Jespersen.
144
which
ciples,
On
perfect).
Not un- or
in Engl, are
simply adjectives:
the privative un-
verbs see below p. 147.
viith.
adjectives admit of having the negative
all
and
in-,
it is
im-
inefficient,
prefix
why
not always easy to assign a reason
one adjective can take the prefix and another cannot.
Still,
the
same general rule obtains in English as in other languages, that most adjectives with un- or in- have a depreciatory sense:
we have umiortky, undue,
possible to
form similar adjectives from wicked,
Van Ginneken
terrible.
but
imperfect, etc.,
(Linguistique
not
it is
or
foolish,
psychologique
208)
counted the words in un- in a German dictionary and found that 98 pot. of the substantives and 85 pet. of the adjectives
had "une
signification defavorable"
Noreen (Yhri sprak
;
5.
567) found similar relations obtaining in Swedish.
The modification of the prefix
=
is
in sense brought about
The two terms
'not worthy', etc.
terms.
by the
generally that of a simple negative
But very often the
:
addition
unworthy
are thus contradictory
prefix produces a "contrary"
term
or at any rate what approaches one: unjust (and injustice) generally imply the opposite of just (justice); unwise
means
more than
is
far
from
not wise
and approaches
miserable, etc. Still, in
foolish,
approximation, and unbeautiful (which
but
is
used, for instance,
187, Zangwill,
and others)
Sometimes the use
by is
unhappy
not
most cases we have only
Cai'lyle
R.
is 1.
not very common, 118,
Swinburne L.
not so strong as ugly or hideous.
of the negative
is
restricted: unuell refers
only to health, and we could not speak of a book as unwell printed (for badly).
Unfair
is
only used in the moral sense,
not of outward looks.
While immoral means the opposite of moral,
what
is
contrary to (the received ideas of) morahty, the necessity
is
sometimes
felt of
i.
e.
a term implying 'ha\'ing nothing to do with
morahty, standing outside the sphere of morality' this ;
is
some-
Negation.
145
times expressed by amoral (thus frequently by the late eth-
A.H. Keane), sometimes by unmoral Stevenson (NED) a vast deal in life and letters both, which is not immoral, but simply a-moral N. P. 1909 children are naturally
nologist
;
There
is
|
neither moral nor immoral, but merely unmoral. little
civilized
them
|
are
London V. 255 the universe was unmoral and Gf. from French RoUand J. Chr.
—
without concern for men.
130 Morality, immoraliU, amoralu6
5.
They
savages, living in a civilized society that has not yet
—
tons ces mots ne
veulent rien dire.
As
irreligious is
very often used as the opposite of
one passage avoids this word, in
Garlyle in
University College, London,
religious,
speaking of
be unreligious, secretly
"it will
antireligious all the same, said Irving to
me"
(R.
293).
1.
Infamous has been separated from famous as in sound (cf p. 139), so in .
sense
the negative of famous
;
now
is
rather
unfamed.
Other examples, in which the word with the negative
been separated
prefix has
Invaluable
different
indifferent
pertinent
impertinent.
means
'priceless',
negative of vaiuable
Un-
from the simplex, are
in sense
is
moidores, which was indisposed
To the same category may be
\
Defoe R. 341 the 872
of.
referred Bennett
that the time was out of joint and Or. Studies
grow up untaught rare,
and
There fix on-
to
1.
(=
life
speak
||
B. Jo.
an interesting
Sc.
way
1.
W.
HIat.-fllol.
Medd.
I, 6.
235 |
of infants to
25 you have very
skill.
of using the negative pre-
un-) before participles, as in Alexander,
Vidensk. Selsk.
2.
unworth living
286 were a generation
un-in-one-breath-utterable is
the
be prefixed to participial groups:
unheard-of, uncalled-for, uncared-for
Whitney
while
worthless.
may
(rarely in-)
'very valuable'
10
Johnny
Otto Jespersen.
146
Gibb 235 I'm nae responsible to gae afore
my papers
upo'
me [=
— This
without having].
mistakenly written ohn, as
if
Simon on-hed
Sir
is
sometimes
from G. ohm: ohn been ashamed
(EDD.). Instead of prefixing un- to adjectives in -ful
it
is
usual to sub-
stitute -less for -ful, thus careless corresponding to careful, thoughtless, hopeless, useless; but unfaithful, unmerciful are used by the side of
unlawful does not mean the same as lawless; unand unsuccessful are preferred to eventless and successless; unbeautiful is used, but there is no beautiless. faithless, merciless;
eventful
Dis-.
mean-
prefix dis- (from Lat.) besides various other
The
ings also has that of a pure negative, as in dissimilar, dishonest, dispassionate, disagree {-able), disuse, dislike, disbelieve
generally implying contrary rather than contradictory opposition, as
lope
W.
is
seen very distinctly in dissuade, disadvise (Trol-
231 he disadvised you from
it),
disreputable,
etc.
Sometimes the prefix has the same privative meaning as unbefore
verbs
Carlyle
FR. 268 diswhipped Taskmaster (nonce-word); dis-, been specialized and differentiated from uncover.
(see
p. 148),
as
in
disburden,
disembarrass;
cover has
A difference is The entrance disinterested
of
made between
dis-
and un-
a fresh and powerful neutral [U.
but not uninterested
— the
sen-interesta
As with arising
ma
Amr. NP. S.],
'16
honestly
former referring to
egoism, the latter to more ideal motives.
would be
in
(In Ido the
two
ne sen-interesa).
we have sometimes here a linguistic drawback from the ambigmty of the prefix. Dissociable may in-
be either the negative of sociable (unsociable) or derived from the verb dissociate (separable); in the former case the will [s]
pronounce a double
in both, but
[s],
NED
while Mr. Daniel Jones has single
pronounces the ending in the former
[-Jebl],
in the latter [Jiabl] or [Sjabl].
Disannul means practically the same thing as annul and thus contains a redundant negative
(of.
Span, desnudar).
;
147
Negation.
Non-.
A
many words
great
(sbs.,
not so often adjs.) are formed
with the Latin non-, especially in those cases where no formations with un- or in- are available.
Juridical terms are prob-
ably responsible for the extent to which this prefix has been
made
use
of.
Sh. has nonage, non-payment, non-performance,
non-regardance, and non-suit.
It
will
used with action-nouns; but
chiefly
it
be seen that nonis
also frequent
is
with
agent-nouns, such as non-combatant, non-belligerent, non-com-
municant, non-conductor,
also non-conducting, non-member.
cf.
See also Di. N. 50 the non-arrival of her A. 303 in a non-natural
way
nonunderstandable conflict portation resolutions
non-viable
ib.
|
own
carriage
London V. 199
|
Macdonald F. 245
|
\
The Greek
this tangled,
their non-im-
309 the United States was born
a-.
prefix an- before a vowel, a- before a consonant,
etymologically identical with un- and in- (see p. 139),
found in Greek words is
Wells
a non-stopping train.
An-,
but
|
is
chiefly
like anarchy, amorphous, achromatic,
form new words
also in rare instances used in English to
(from Latin roots), such as amoral (above p. 145), asexual in Gissing B. 267 the truly emancipated
woman is
almost asexual.
No-.
No
(the pronoun)
this is illustrated
in
is
sometimes used as a kind of prefix
MEG.
II.
16.
79 by examples like no-
education, no-thoroughfare, no-ball, etc. Cf. also Carlyle
with such no-faculty as he has
which
|
ib.
FR. 57
199 The Constitution
will suit that ? Alas, too clearly, a No-Constitution,
Anarchy
|
Times
ment which
is
Lit. Suppl. 6
Jy
'17 there
not a world -settlement.
can be no
Evep
an
settle-
the no-settlement
which a stalemate would involve would be an unsettlement of the
whole world.
(The latter to the following 10*
prefix).
148
Otto Jespersen.
The
OE d
its
had the before
and
prefix;
ondrsedan,
which was
prefix ond-, and-,
consonant;
a
and G.
to Gr. anti-
privative an-.
corresponds etymologically
it
In answer
ent-.
no longer
it is
in dread the only thing left of the prefix
G. entraten, was
cf.
to lose
liable
felt as
d:
is
a
OE
as containing the prep.
felt
and when that was subtracted, draedan remained (Pogat-
on,
scher, Anglia Beibl. 14. 182).
In other instances the prefix remained living, but the
was
vowel
changed
also the
into
through
probably
u,
ME. on
influence
lesse (that),
where
negative notion caused confusion with un-).
Thus
from the negative
prefix,
(cf.
unless,
the old onbindan, ontiegan became unhindan, untigan in Mlinc,
mod. unbind,
The two
untie.
prefixes are
now different through'
the negative words having even and the privative end
stress,
The
stress.
make
privative un- serves to
verbs, such as un-
cover 'deprive of cover', untie 'loose', undress 'take off dress',
undo 'reverse what has been done, annul,
unman
also for instance
unking 'dethrone'
with which new
vei'bs are
1.
245 Vnsweare faith sworne
vnwisht fine thousand
men
Shalt
know
Dryden
]
these rebel sons please
|
end
unfellows us
|
A
895 Then
who
created
193 [he] wishes, he could unbeget
5.
year
I
father
|
Garlyle S. 82
Twain M. 190
John
can uncreate thee thou
it
were, alarmed, and un-
Coleridge, Letter 1800
|
of the
that thou wert
5.
|
76 thou hast
3.
892 to say or to unsay, whate'er you
Byron 582 do not poison
I
Milton PL.
Defoe P. 25 they were, as
alarmed again fore the
ib.
|
|
vntreads againe
H. 5 IV.
|
When who
thee lamenting learne,
to illustrate the free-
formed with this prefix: Sh.
VA. 908 she treads the path that she III.
etc.,
unlord.
(Sh.),
The following quotations may serve
dom
unmask,
untie',
'deprive of the qualities of a man',
shall all
have
My
(Campb. LVIII.) be-
my
peace
wings un-birdlimed left,
|
by unwishing
Mrs. Browning A. 170 death quite it
makes and unmakes whole worlds
[she] unhandkerchiefs
one eye.
149
Negation.
While
and other pure verb-forms beginning
infinitives
with un- can only be privatives, participles with the same beginning
may
be either negatives or privatives, the written
and printed forms being uncovered
may
two
identical in the
cases.
Thus
be ['An'kAved] 'not covered' and [An'kAvad]
'deprived of cover' unlocked ['An'lokt] 'not locked' and [An'lokt] ;
'opened'; similarly untied, undressed, unstrapped, unbuttoned,
unharnessed, unbridled, unloaded, unpacked, etc.
In some cases the other prefix,
it
may
be doubtful whether we have one or
(I
reckon here also Swinburne's unlove
e. g.
and unknow, though according to the ordinary should be only privatives):
rules these
Wells V. 124 those unsexed
intel-
made and unmade Darwin L. 1. 333 [an anonymous book] has been by some at which I ought to be much flattered and attributed to me Swinburne S.b. S. 83 Love or unlove me, Unknow unflattered
lectuals
I
Di. D. 117 all sorts of clothing,
\
—
\
me or know, The two 246
If
I
am
that which imloves
me and
loves.
prefixes are brought together neatly in
charity covers a multitude of
sins,
Locke
S.
uncharitableness
has the advantage of uncovering them. Sh. and of untie
From
AV. have the
and
illogical
verb unloose with confusion
loose{n).
the privative verb
undress (stress on the
to
undress
e. g.
sb.
meaning
MEG.
1.
5.
Scott A.
1.
298 in military
first syllable,
'plain clothes' (not uniform),'
formed the
is
72)
undress.
NB. The
rules here given for stress of the
two kinds
of
fact formations are probably too absolute; as a matter of Jones, in his there is a good deal of vacillation. Mr. Daniel
to recogPronouncing English Dictionay 1917, does not seem prefixes. Most of the nize any distinction between the two end-stress in unphonetic pronouncing dictionaries give cases.
all
150
Otto Jespersbn.
ADDENDA p. 10 (Place of G. nicht). Collitz, Das schwache praterilum 67 Denn der Rigveda kennt die lautgruppe skh-, die ganz den eindruck einer
aus dem prakrit stammenden lautverbindung macht, ijberhaupt nicht Deutschbein, Syst. d. neuengl. synt. 27 Das friihneuengl. hat die neigung, das object raoglichst an das verbum anzuschliessen, noch nicht. P. 16 (Transition from 'nothing' to 'not'). Cf. on adverbial none |
MEG.
II.
16. 69.
Cariyle FR. 406 what could he look for there? Exasperated Tickets of Entry answer: Much, all. But cold Reason answers:
P. 39.
almost nothing.
Little,
some other place combinations like "He regretted that more Englishmen did not come here" (NP '17) should have been menP. 44 or in
tioned.
With not ever compare "Had any gentleman heard of
P. 47.
the rare not any as in Quincey
by small-pox?" any gentleman had heard of such a case". P. 47 f. Times Lit. Suppl. 3 Aug. '17 We have not gagged our Press because we disliked our freedom, but because to this extent the Prussian has triumphed Madvig Program 1867. 90. Jeg elsker ikke mit sprog, fordi det er eller har vseret herligt og skjont ... jeg elsker det, fordi det er mine fsedres og mit folks sprog. P. 61. Mason R 104 Sylvia was determined not to be disappointed. P. 60 (Negative continued as if positive). A reference has here unfortunately fallen out to Siesbye, Nord. tidsskr. f. filol. 3. r. 8 p. 8 ff. and Dania 10 p. 44. 276
"No,
a dauphin killed
not
|
English does not always require being after far from: she from pretty, etc. P. 81 {Not with numerals). Bronte J 4 he punished me; not two or three times in the week, nor once or twice in the day, but conP. 77.
is
far
tinually.
P. 89 (Negative with
word
of ^-class, result C).
Here should be G. nimmer and nie, OE. na, but then the constituent ie, a does not exclusively belong to class A, but also to some extent to class B. The effect of stress and tone in these cases is sometimes analogous to what we have seen mentioned words for 'never'
like
—
with ikke syg pa hele rejsen", which with strong stress and high tone on hele may mean 'he was only sick during part of the voyage', but otherwise means 'not at all'. negative
numerals;
cf.
Dan "han var
~A
may,
be annuUed by an indirect negative, as in Holland JChr. 8. 142 Comment, vous me connaissez? Comme si tout le monde ne se connaissait pas a Paris (= Tout le monde se connatt). of course,
—
161
Negation.
P. 123. A characteristic illustration of the way in which educated people look upon donH in the third person singular is found in the conversation in Jack London's Martin Eden, p. 64 f.
Abbreviations of names of authors and books quoted are the as in my Modern English Grammar vol. II, to which I may Chaucer, Sh. here refer (Ch. Shakespeare, AV. Authorized Version of the Bible, Mi. Milton, Buny. Byron, Bunyan, By. Dickens, GE. Di. George Eliot, Tenn. Tennyson, Thack. Thackeray, Ru. Ruskin, NP. newspaper). A few titles of books which are not found in the list there will be given in the third
same
=
=
volume
=
of
^
my Grammar,
=
=
=
if
that
is
=
=
=
ever to appear.
=
=
CONTENTS Page
II.
General Tendencies Strengthening of Negatives
14
III.
Positive becomes Negative
19
IV.
Indirect
I.
A. B. V. VI. VII.
VIII.
IX.
X. XI. XII. XIII.
and Incomplete Negation
Indirect Negation
4
22
22
Incomplete Negation
38
Special and Nexal Negation
42
Negative Attraction Double Negation Affirmative 63 Negative 64 The Meaning of Negation Weakened Negatives Negative Connectives English -n't
56
But
62
80 97
108
116 127
Negative Prefixes
139
Addenda
160
Forelagt paa Maderae d. 13. og 27. April 1917. FsDrdig tra Trykkeriet d. 3. December 1917.
SKRIFTER'
:
?
'
^
"^'-'i|5
BET KGL. DANSEE VIDENSEABEENB^ SELSKAB
,
1916-17: '-
*
P,^ Kr.
\
0.
Abler, Ada)
Catalogue suppI6mentaire des manusorits greos de la ^BibliothfeqUQ Eoyale de Copenhague. Avec 4 planclies. Aveo un extrait du catalogue des manuscrits gretis de I'Escurial redige par D. G. Moldenhaver. (Hist.-fil. Afd., 7. Esekke, II. 5.) 4.40 , ;• Petersen, Johannes Bo ye. Studier over danske aerofile Alger. Med 4 Xavler. Avec un resume en frangais. (Naturv.-matli. Afd., 7. Eaekke, XII, 7.) «. , 5.15 '
.,
Rasmussen, Hans Baggessaard. Om Bestemmelsen af Nikotin i Tobak og Tobaksekstrakter. En kritisk Unders0gelse. (Naturv."matli. Afd,, 8.
'.
Bsekke,
I. 2)
Jj1.75
:
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^
JuEL, C. -
Die elelnentare Ringflache vierter Ordnung.
Afd., 8. Eaekke,
Jbrgensen, 1830.
S.
.
Det kemiske Syrebegrebs
M.
(Naturv.-matb.
'.:
I, 4)
Udviklingshistorie indtil
Efterladt Manuskript, udgivet af Ove J0rgensen og (Naturv.-matb. Afd.. 8. Raekke, II. 1)
-S.
P. L..
Sewensen
,.
4Natuiv.-matb. Afd.,
8.
3-45
De
danskei Farvandes Plankton i Aarene 1898—1901. Pbjrtoplankton og Protozoer. 2. Protozoer; Organismer med usikker Stilling; Parasiter i Pbytoplanktonter. Med 4 Figurgrupper og 7 Tabeller i Teksten. Avec un resume en frangais.
Hansen-Ostenb'eld, Carl.
,
0,60'
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1
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•Jensen, J. L.W.V. Undersogelser over en Klasse fundamentale Uligheder i de analytiske Funktioners Tbeori.. I. (Naturv.-matb. Afd.,
R^kke, H. Pedersen, p. 0. 8.
'
unders0gelse.
3)
Om Med
,J
4 Tavler.
;
•
•
•
•
0-90
En
ExperimeAtal(Naturv.-matb. Afd., 8. Rsekke, II, 4) 2.90
Poulsen-Buen og dens Teori.
Die gewundenen Kurven vom Maxilnalindex auf einer Regel0.75 (Naturv.-matb. Afd., 8 Be^kke, II. 5) flache zweiter Ordnung.
JuBL, C.
.
.
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ALL
PRICES
ARE, CANCELLED