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Re: Languages, "modern" and otherwise
Iain Walker (iainw@SUE.ECON.SU.OZ.AU)
Fri, 23 Aug 1996 11:10:26 +1100
On Wed, 21 Aug 1996, Robert Snower wrote:
> Speaking French: Est-ce que le chat noir est . . . ? (hope it is good
> French--I put the t in the wrong place above) I am trying to show that in
> French, unlike English, the "is" does not come out of the middle of the
> sentence when turning it into a question.
If you translate correctly the "is" doesn't come out in English either:
Est-ce que le chat noir est sur le canape?
Is it that the black cat is on the couch?
However, using the inversion form of the question:
Est-il le chat noir sur le canape?
Is the black cat on the couch?
In english the extra "he" (il) comes out.
(Although I'm not sure I see the point of the argument here)
Iain Walker * Dept. of Anthropology * University of Sydney
iainw@sue.econ.su.oz.au * ngazidja@jolt.mpx.com.au
"L'homme qui a deux femmes perd son ame;
"L'homme qui a deux maisons perd sa raison"
or
"mdru ukana hahe na ha nduhuze"
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