Another case of negative = positive?

[Mark Mandel]

Since "whether" implies "or not", I don't see this as neg=pos at all, more
of choosing to preserve the other pole.

m a m

On Jan 24, 2008 9:08 AM, Scot LaFaive <scotlafaive at gmail.com> wrote:

> >In the Great White North, I've heard both variants.
>
> In the Lesser White North of WI I've also heard (and said) both, quite
> regularly I would say.
>
> Scot
>
>
>
> On Jan 23, 2008 9:22 PM, James Harbeck <jharbeck at sympatico.ca> wrote:
>
> > ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> > -----------------------
> > Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> > Poster:       James Harbeck <jharbeck at SYMPATICO.CA>
> > Subject:      Re: Another case of negative = positive?
> >
> >
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> > >I was chatting with a Texas relative and mentioned to him that he
> > >might want to read a particular book. He replied:
> > >
> > >a) "I'll see whether I _can't_ [keint] find it down here."
> > >
> > >Of course, he meant:
> > >
> > >b) "I'll see whether I _can_ [kin] find it down here."
> > >
> > >Except that that's not how people say it Down Home.
> > >
> > >-Wilson
> >
> > In the Great White North, I've heard both variants. Only with the
> > Canadian [ae], of course.
> >
> > James Harbeck.
>

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