LL-L: "Double negative" [E] LOWLANDS-L, 22.SEP.1999 (01)

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From: john feather [johnfeather at sceptic1.freeserve.co.uk]
Subject: Double negative

The Ancient Greeks, who invented logic, used double negatives, but with an
amusing twist.

One form is "me ... meden" = "not ... nothing", but actually meaning "not
anything", "nothing".

Another word for "not" is "ou" or "ouk". If this comes first in the clause
it supplies all the negation needed and all negatives thereafter are treated
as positives. It's as if we said "Not nobody (never) comes", but meant
"Nobody (ever) comes".

On the other hand one can put "ou(k)" after a negative, and in that case the
multiplicative rule applies and "never not", for example, means "always".

John Feather
johnfeather at sceptic1.freeserve.co.uk

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