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From: sarima@netcom.com (Stanley Friesen)
Subject: Re: Double Negatives
Message-ID: <sarimaDD898A.HJ0@netcom.com>
Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 261-4700 guest)
References: <00994B4F.3BE17BC2@vms.csd.mu.edu>
Date: Sun, 13 Aug 1995 02:21:46 GMT
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Sender: sarima@netcom8.netcom.com

In article <00994B4F.3BE17BC2@vms.csd.mu.edu>,
 <2bk5rohand@vms.csd.mu.edu> wrote:
>Does anyone else remember that line from the "Family Ties" theme song?
>It was something like "And there ain't no nothing we can't...."
>
>Since it's a song, I suppose a double negative is OK, but this seems 
>to be just plain confusing.
>
Actually, until a few misguided school teachers tried to apply
Aristotilean logic to English grammar, double negatives were
a form of *emphasis*.  This mechanism is quite widespread in the
world's languages.  Treating negation as a logical operation, on
the other hand, is quite rare.


[Though I find the multiple negation in the "Family Ties" theme
song to be rather excessive - perhaps its an in joke?].
-- 
NAMES: sarima@netcom.com swf@ElSegundoCA.attgis.com

May the peace of God be with you.

