4 ms·
Reminds me of a classic linguistics joke (I assume from a Tom Scott video given where I encounter linguistics the most): A professor is lecturing on linguistic
by Latty 5y ago
Reminds me of a classic linguistics joke (I assume from a Tom Scott video given where I encounter linguistics the most):
A professor is lecturing on linguistics: "In English a double negative has a positive meaning. However, in some languages—such as Russian—a double negative still has a negative meaning. There isn't, however, a language in which a double positive holds a negative meaning."
A student in the back responds: "Yeah, right."
- ratzkewatzke 5y agoThis is widely attributed to Sidney Morgenbesser (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidney_Morgenbesser https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidney_Morgenbesser).
- eyelidlessness 5y agoThis reminds me of ruminations with a friend about the nuance of combined positive/negative affirmations. Eg “no yeah” used as an emphatic agreement in the positive, and “yeah no” an emphatic agreement in the negative.