4 ms·
I don't quite understand the point you're trying to make. "I haven't it" and "I don't have it" are essentially the same: the clitic "n't" applied to a verb to n
by Asraelite 4y ago
I don't quite understand the point you're trying to make. "I haven't it" and "I don't have it" are essentially the same: the clitic "n't" applied to a verb to negate it. In one case you use an auxiliary verb and in another you don't, but the method of negation is the same.
- jolmg 4y agoI think the point is that they can't simply say "no". Also, perhaps "I haven't it" is syntactically more similar than "I don't have it" to what they actually say.
- messe 4y ago> perhaps "I haven't it" is syntactically more similar than "I don't have it" to what they actually say Neither is particularly close, as Irish doesn't have a verb for have, and uses Verb-Subject-Object rather than Subject-Verb-Object as english does: - I haven't it - I have-NEG it - I don't have it - I NEG.AUX have it - Níl sé agam - is-NEG it.NOM at-me (Saying that "sé" is nominative isn't quite accurate, it's a little bit more subtle than that, but it's close enough).
- naniwaduni 4y agoSo something like "It isn't here", with the qualification that "here" doesn't quite express the contrasts available?
- messe 4y agoMore like, "It's not with me", at least in Hiberno English. We'd also say "on me" (in Hiberno-English) for possession, although it means that you have it on your immediate person: "Do you have it?" "Not on me / I don't have it on me" = it's not on my person.