(neither) nor

[Marc Sacks]

> I've been writing little bits and pieces about the "nor" recently.
> Interesting
> to note that in addition to deletion of an initial negative there are
> times when
> this coordination jumps categories. Sometimes it's a very awkward union as
> in:
>
> "I have neither friends nor have enemies."
>


There's another oddity I first encountered when learning Latin in college.
The Latin "neque," roughly translatable as "neither" or "nor," sometimes
introduces a clause following a positive statement, giving it the sense of
"but not [however]." An English equivalent (sorry I can't think of a
better one right now) would be "I love cheese, nor can I stand broccoli."
I've actually seen something like that in English occasionally, and I find
it very jarring. Is there any sanction for it?

Marc
msacks at theworld.com

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