koe-

[Alina Israeli]

>I wonder if Bill Mahota is right in his hierarchy. Bill avers
>that -nibud' is even less definite than -libo, but Wade  (p.410)
>has them the other way round. Issatschenko (pp. 498-9) gives
>-nibud' and -libo as synonymous, with -libo being more
>"up-market".
>
>John Dingley

Well, Isachenko (non-German spelling) is very wrong. I mostly agree with
Bill, except that the subjunctive particle is -libo:

Compare the subjunctive absolute use in Romance: (It.) E il libro il più
noioso che ABBIA letto. (Fr.) C'est le livre le plus ennuyeux que j'AIE
jamais lu. ‹ The is the most boring book I ever read. vs. Russian: Eto
samaja skuchnaja kniga, kotoruju ja kogda-libo chital.

It also works in neg. and comparative constructions: sans qui que ce SOIT -
without anybody whatsoever = bez kogo-libo (e.g. bez ch'ej-libo pomoshchi).

But of course Bill did not describe all of the meanings of the particles in
question.

Alina Israeli

**************************************************************
Alina Israeli
LFS, American University                phone:  (202) 885-2387
4400 Mass. Ave., NW                     fax:    (202) 885-1076
Washington, DC 20016

aisrael at american.edu