Re: [tied] Re: IE subjunctive (Negative over here)

From: Exu Yangi
Message: 31421
Date: 2004-03-12

>From: enlil@...
>
>
> > As for the status of the *-i, it is of importance that the primary
> > marker is used in both positive and negative statements of the
> > present, and it is not used in any statements of the past, be they
> > positive or negative. This is a point in which all IE languages that
> > can show the difference concur.
>
>Yes, I yield. It was a major goofup I must recover from. And
>my crabby, stubborn, stressed-out self couldn't process being
>wrong. So I resisted... but resistence is futile. After going
>on a mini-vacation out of the city, I feel refreshed and less
>bitter towards humanity than I normally am :) Mea culpa.
>
>Still, it has no bearing on the analysis of *-i as deriving from a
>demonstrative that was originally meant to put focus on the time
>of the action, regardless of tense. I guess I was deceived partly
>because of how I associate this ending with English "over here" in
>a slangy, New York style accent. For example, "I'm dyin' over here".
>Again, like *-i, it puts focus on the action and can only
>normally be used in the present. A phrase *"I was dyin' over here"
>sounds odd. However, I coincidentally never see it in the negative
>afaik. I never hear a phrase like *"I _AIN'T_ dyin' over here".
>
>Regardless of the negative-present issue, I think English "over
>here" is a good analogy to the ending in IE. I'll get to the
>whole syncope issue later. I've had a few days to think about
>how to explain it, and hopefully prove it as best as possible,
>step-by-step.

Many years ago, I was in a class with a fellow from the Bronx. The teacher
just didn't like him, and would refuse to even speak to him in class.

Finally, after being ignore far too much, he piped up with "Hey, teach, I
ain't chopped liver over here, ya know."

PS: If you can understand that phrase, I give you "L1 Fluency" marks.

_________________________________________________________________
Frustrated with dial-up? Lightning-fast Internet access for as low as
$29.95/month. http://click.atdmt.com/AVE/go/onm00200360ave/direct/01/