Do negatives work algebraically? [on hold]
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Does a triple negative make a positive?
eg "Ain't nobody gonna eat none of my jellyroll."
grammaticality
asked Apr 1 at 17:01
user342373user342373
6
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put on hold as off-topic by J. Taylor, sumelic, JJJ, Cascabel, Mitch 2 days ago
This question appears to be off-topic. The users who voted to close gave this specific reason:
- "Please include the research you’ve done, or consider if your question suits our English Language Learners site better. Questions that can be answered using commonly-available references are off-topic." – J. Taylor, sumelic, JJJ, Cascabel
If this question can be reworded to fit the rules in the help center, please edit the question.
add a comment |
Does a triple negative make a positive?
eg "Ain't nobody gonna eat none of my jellyroll."
grammaticality
asked Apr 1 at 17:01
user342373user342373
6
New contributor
user342373 is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
put on hold as off-topic by J. Taylor, sumelic, JJJ, Cascabel, Mitch 2 days ago
This question appears to be off-topic. The users who voted to close gave this specific reason:
- "Please include the research you’ve done, or consider if your question suits our English Language Learners site better. Questions that can be answered using commonly-available references are off-topic." – J. Taylor, sumelic, JJJ, Cascabel
If this question can be reworded to fit the rules in the help center, please edit the question.
2
Are you talking about colloquial usage (where that sentence means nobody's eating any of my jellyroll) or literal and syntactical usage (where that sentence means there is somebody who will eat none of my jellyroll)? Colloquially, double negatives don't actually mean a positive—they mean a negative.
– Jason Bassford
Apr 1 at 17:09
1
mmm in algebra a triple negative makes a negative, no? Your sentence isn't really a triple negative because the nobody and none will be interpreted as agreeing with the ain't, not as being negatives in their own right. If you have a genuine triple negative. as in it turned out not to be the case that there was nobody who didn't like her, then yes that does have a positive meaning, as in algebra.
– Minty
Apr 1 at 17:09
1
No, they do not. See this ELL question & answer which covers very similar territory.
– Hellion
Apr 1 at 17:10
There is no such thing as a triple negative. Only a triple misinterpretation.
– Lambie
Apr 1 at 17:19
Possible duplicate of What constitutes a double negative?
– Mitch
2 days ago
add a comment |
Does a triple negative make a positive?
eg "Ain't nobody gonna eat none of my jellyroll."
grammaticality
asked Apr 1 at 17:01
user342373user342373
6
New contributor
user342373 is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
Does a triple negative make a positive?
eg "Ain't nobody gonna eat none of my jellyroll."
grammaticality
grammaticality
asked Apr 1 at 17:01
user342373user342373
6
New contributor
user342373 is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked Apr 1 at 17:01
user342373user342373
6
New contributor
user342373 is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked Apr 1 at 17:01
user342373user342373
6
New contributor
user342373 is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked Apr 1 at 17:01
user342373user342373
6
asked Apr 1 at 17:01
user342373user342373
6
6
New contributor
user342373 is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
New contributor
user342373 is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
user342373 is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
put on hold as off-topic by J. Taylor, sumelic, JJJ, Cascabel, Mitch 2 days ago
This question appears to be off-topic. The users who voted to close gave this specific reason:
- "Please include the research you’ve done, or consider if your question suits our English Language Learners site better. Questions that can be answered using commonly-available references are off-topic." – J. Taylor, sumelic, JJJ, Cascabel
If this question can be reworded to fit the rules in the help center, please edit the question.
put on hold as off-topic by J. Taylor, sumelic, JJJ, Cascabel, Mitch 2 days ago
This question appears to be off-topic. The users who voted to close gave this specific reason:
- "Please include the research you’ve done, or consider if your question suits our English Language Learners site better. Questions that can be answered using commonly-available references are off-topic." – J. Taylor, sumelic, JJJ, Cascabel
If this question can be reworded to fit the rules in the help center, please edit the question.
2
Are you talking about colloquial usage (where that sentence means nobody's eating any of my jellyroll) or literal and syntactical usage (where that sentence means there is somebody who will eat none of my jellyroll)? Colloquially, double negatives don't actually mean a positive—they mean a negative.
– Jason Bassford
Apr 1 at 17:09
1
mmm in algebra a triple negative makes a negative, no? Your sentence isn't really a triple negative because the nobody and none will be interpreted as agreeing with the ain't, not as being negatives in their own right. If you have a genuine triple negative. as in it turned out not to be the case that there was nobody who didn't like her, then yes that does have a positive meaning, as in algebra.
– Minty
Apr 1 at 17:09
1
No, they do not. See this ELL question & answer which covers very similar territory.
– Hellion
Apr 1 at 17:10
There is no such thing as a triple negative. Only a triple misinterpretation.
– Lambie
Apr 1 at 17:19
Possible duplicate of What constitutes a double negative?
– Mitch
2 days ago
add a comment |
2
Are you talking about colloquial usage (where that sentence means nobody's eating any of my jellyroll) or literal and syntactical usage (where that sentence means there is somebody who will eat none of my jellyroll)? Colloquially, double negatives don't actually mean a positive—they mean a negative.
– Jason Bassford
Apr 1 at 17:09
1
mmm in algebra a triple negative makes a negative, no? Your sentence isn't really a triple negative because the nobody and none will be interpreted as agreeing with the ain't, not as being negatives in their own right. If you have a genuine triple negative. as in it turned out not to be the case that there was nobody who didn't like her, then yes that does have a positive meaning, as in algebra.
– Minty
Apr 1 at 17:09
1
No, they do not. See this ELL question & answer which covers very similar territory.
– Hellion
Apr 1 at 17:10
There is no such thing as a triple negative. Only a triple misinterpretation.
– Lambie
Apr 1 at 17:19
Possible duplicate of What constitutes a double negative?
– Mitch
2 days ago
2
2
Are you talking about colloquial usage (where that sentence means nobody's eating any of my jellyroll) or literal and syntactical usage (where that sentence means there is somebody who will eat none of my jellyroll)? Colloquially, double negatives don't actually mean a positive—they mean a negative.
– Jason Bassford
Apr 1 at 17:09
Are you talking about colloquial usage (where that sentence means nobody's eating any of my jellyroll) or literal and syntactical usage (where that sentence means there is somebody who will eat none of my jellyroll)? Colloquially, double negatives don't actually mean a positive—they mean a negative.
– Jason Bassford
Apr 1 at 17:09
1
1
mmm in algebra a triple negative makes a negative, no? Your sentence isn't really a triple negative because the nobody and none will be interpreted as agreeing with the ain't, not as being negatives in their own right. If you have a genuine triple negative. as in it turned out not to be the case that there was nobody who didn't like her, then yes that does have a positive meaning, as in algebra.
– Minty
Apr 1 at 17:09
mmm in algebra a triple negative makes a negative, no? Your sentence isn't really a triple negative because the nobody and none will be interpreted as agreeing with the ain't, not as being negatives in their own right. If you have a genuine triple negative. as in it turned out not to be the case that there was nobody who didn't like her, then yes that does have a positive meaning, as in algebra.
– Minty
Apr 1 at 17:09
1
1
No, they do not. See this ELL question & answer which covers very similar territory.
– Hellion
Apr 1 at 17:10
No, they do not. See this ELL question & answer which covers very similar territory.
– Hellion
Apr 1 at 17:10
There is no such thing as a triple negative. Only a triple misinterpretation.
– Lambie
Apr 1 at 17:19
There is no such thing as a triple negative. Only a triple misinterpretation.
– Lambie
Apr 1 at 17:19
Possible duplicate of What constitutes a double negative?
– Mitch
2 days ago
Possible duplicate of What constitutes a double negative?
– Mitch
2 days ago
add a comment |
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
In "standard" English dialects, negating a negation makes a positive statement. I am not typing nothing means I am typing something. And by this same logic, I am not not typing nothing would mean I am typing nothing. A memorable example of this is a line from Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey: "That was non-non-non-NON-heinous!" In other words, that was heinous.
However, numerous non-standard English dialects use double negation as a form of emphasis. I didn't eat none of that food means I really did not eat any of that food. Just as in standard dialects, the addition of extra negatives follows a consistent logic. In this case, instead of additional negation, it's additional emphasis. "Ain't nobody gonna eat none of my jellyroll" would mean, no one is going to eat my jellyroll and I mean it!
answered Apr 1 at 17:21
JuhaszJuhasz
3,2781814
I've never been convinced by the 'emphasis' idea. In ain't nobody gonna eat none of my jellyroll, I think nobody and none just mean anybody and any. It seems to me that in a given register people use either nobody or anybody - I just can't envisage someone who thinks they're both available in the same register and nobody can therefore be used to add emphasis.
– Minty
Apr 1 at 17:25
No, I am not typing nothing would not mean the same thing as I am not not typing nothing.
– Jason Bassford
Apr 1 at 17:29
Oops. Good catch @JasonBassford.
– Juhasz
Apr 1 at 17:30
1
@Minty I disagree. Ain't nobody sounds much more emphatically negative to me than ain't anybody. This is simply because nobody and none are negative words.
– Jason Bassford
Apr 1 at 17:35
but no more emphatic than "Is nobody..."?
– Philip Wood
Apr 1 at 17:39
|
show 6 more comments
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
In "standard" English dialects, negating a negation makes a positive statement. I am not typing nothing means I am typing something. And by this same logic, I am not not typing nothing would mean I am typing nothing. A memorable example of this is a line from Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey: "That was non-non-non-NON-heinous!" In other words, that was heinous.
However, numerous non-standard English dialects use double negation as a form of emphasis. I didn't eat none of that food means I really did not eat any of that food. Just as in standard dialects, the addition of extra negatives follows a consistent logic. In this case, instead of additional negation, it's additional emphasis. "Ain't nobody gonna eat none of my jellyroll" would mean, no one is going to eat my jellyroll and I mean it!
answered Apr 1 at 17:21
JuhaszJuhasz
3,2781814
I've never been convinced by the 'emphasis' idea. In ain't nobody gonna eat none of my jellyroll, I think nobody and none just mean anybody and any. It seems to me that in a given register people use either nobody or anybody - I just can't envisage someone who thinks they're both available in the same register and nobody can therefore be used to add emphasis.
– Minty
Apr 1 at 17:25
No, I am not typing nothing would not mean the same thing as I am not not typing nothing.
– Jason Bassford
Apr 1 at 17:29
Oops. Good catch @JasonBassford.
– Juhasz
Apr 1 at 17:30
1
@Minty I disagree. Ain't nobody sounds much more emphatically negative to me than ain't anybody. This is simply because nobody and none are negative words.
– Jason Bassford
Apr 1 at 17:35
but no more emphatic than "Is nobody..."?
– Philip Wood
Apr 1 at 17:39
|
show 6 more comments
In "standard" English dialects, negating a negation makes a positive statement. I am not typing nothing means I am typing something. And by this same logic, I am not not typing nothing would mean I am typing nothing. A memorable example of this is a line from Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey: "That was non-non-non-NON-heinous!" In other words, that was heinous.
However, numerous non-standard English dialects use double negation as a form of emphasis. I didn't eat none of that food means I really did not eat any of that food. Just as in standard dialects, the addition of extra negatives follows a consistent logic. In this case, instead of additional negation, it's additional emphasis. "Ain't nobody gonna eat none of my jellyroll" would mean, no one is going to eat my jellyroll and I mean it!
answered Apr 1 at 17:21
JuhaszJuhasz
3,2781814
I've never been convinced by the 'emphasis' idea. In ain't nobody gonna eat none of my jellyroll, I think nobody and none just mean anybody and any. It seems to me that in a given register people use either nobody or anybody - I just can't envisage someone who thinks they're both available in the same register and nobody can therefore be used to add emphasis.
– Minty
Apr 1 at 17:25
No, I am not typing nothing would not mean the same thing as I am not not typing nothing.
– Jason Bassford
Apr 1 at 17:29
Oops. Good catch @JasonBassford.
– Juhasz
Apr 1 at 17:30
1
@Minty I disagree. Ain't nobody sounds much more emphatically negative to me than ain't anybody. This is simply because nobody and none are negative words.
– Jason Bassford
Apr 1 at 17:35
but no more emphatic than "Is nobody..."?
– Philip Wood
Apr 1 at 17:39
|
show 6 more comments
In "standard" English dialects, negating a negation makes a positive statement. I am not typing nothing means I am typing something. And by this same logic, I am not not typing nothing would mean I am typing nothing. A memorable example of this is a line from Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey: "That was non-non-non-NON-heinous!" In other words, that was heinous.
However, numerous non-standard English dialects use double negation as a form of emphasis. I didn't eat none of that food means I really did not eat any of that food. Just as in standard dialects, the addition of extra negatives follows a consistent logic. In this case, instead of additional negation, it's additional emphasis. "Ain't nobody gonna eat none of my jellyroll" would mean, no one is going to eat my jellyroll and I mean it!
answered Apr 1 at 17:21
JuhaszJuhasz
3,2781814
In "standard" English dialects, negating a negation makes a positive statement. I am not typing nothing means I am typing something. And by this same logic, I am not not typing nothing would mean I am typing nothing. A memorable example of this is a line from Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey: "That was non-non-non-NON-heinous!" In other words, that was heinous.
However, numerous non-standard English dialects use double negation as a form of emphasis. I didn't eat none of that food means I really did not eat any of that food. Just as in standard dialects, the addition of extra negatives follows a consistent logic. In this case, instead of additional negation, it's additional emphasis. "Ain't nobody gonna eat none of my jellyroll" would mean, no one is going to eat my jellyroll and I mean it!
answered Apr 1 at 17:21
JuhaszJuhasz
3,2781814
edited Apr 1 at 17:30
answered Apr 1 at 17:21
JuhaszJuhasz
3,2781814
answered Apr 1 at 17:21
JuhaszJuhasz
3,2781814
answered Apr 1 at 17:21
JuhaszJuhasz
3,2781814
3,2781814
I've never been convinced by the 'emphasis' idea. In ain't nobody gonna eat none of my jellyroll, I think nobody and none just mean anybody and any. It seems to me that in a given register people use either nobody or anybody - I just can't envisage someone who thinks they're both available in the same register and nobody can therefore be used to add emphasis.
– Minty
Apr 1 at 17:25
No, I am not typing nothing would not mean the same thing as I am not not typing nothing.
– Jason Bassford
Apr 1 at 17:29
Oops. Good catch @JasonBassford.
– Juhasz
Apr 1 at 17:30
1
@Minty I disagree. Ain't nobody sounds much more emphatically negative to me than ain't anybody. This is simply because nobody and none are negative words.
– Jason Bassford
Apr 1 at 17:35
but no more emphatic than "Is nobody..."?
– Philip Wood
Apr 1 at 17:39
|
show 6 more comments
I've never been convinced by the 'emphasis' idea. In ain't nobody gonna eat none of my jellyroll, I think nobody and none just mean anybody and any. It seems to me that in a given register people use either nobody or anybody - I just can't envisage someone who thinks they're both available in the same register and nobody can therefore be used to add emphasis.
– Minty
Apr 1 at 17:25
No, I am not typing nothing would not mean the same thing as I am not not typing nothing.
– Jason Bassford
Apr 1 at 17:29
Oops. Good catch @JasonBassford.
– Juhasz
Apr 1 at 17:30
1
@Minty I disagree. Ain't nobody sounds much more emphatically negative to me than ain't anybody. This is simply because nobody and none are negative words.
– Jason Bassford
Apr 1 at 17:35
but no more emphatic than "Is nobody..."?
– Philip Wood
Apr 1 at 17:39
I've never been convinced by the 'emphasis' idea. In ain't nobody gonna eat none of my jellyroll, I think nobody and none just mean anybody and any. It seems to me that in a given register people use either nobody or anybody - I just can't envisage someone who thinks they're both available in the same register and nobody can therefore be used to add emphasis.
– Minty
Apr 1 at 17:25
I've never been convinced by the 'emphasis' idea. In ain't nobody gonna eat none of my jellyroll, I think nobody and none just mean anybody and any. It seems to me that in a given register people use either nobody or anybody - I just can't envisage someone who thinks they're both available in the same register and nobody can therefore be used to add emphasis.
– Minty
Apr 1 at 17:25
No, I am not typing nothing would not mean the same thing as I am not not typing nothing.
– Jason Bassford
Apr 1 at 17:29
No, I am not typing nothing would not mean the same thing as I am not not typing nothing.
– Jason Bassford
Apr 1 at 17:29
Oops. Good catch @JasonBassford.
– Juhasz
Apr 1 at 17:30
Oops. Good catch @JasonBassford.
– Juhasz
Apr 1 at 17:30
1
1
@Minty I disagree. Ain't nobody sounds much more emphatically negative to me than ain't anybody. This is simply because nobody and none are negative words.
– Jason Bassford
Apr 1 at 17:35
@Minty I disagree. Ain't nobody sounds much more emphatically negative to me than ain't anybody. This is simply because nobody and none are negative words.
– Jason Bassford
Apr 1 at 17:35
but no more emphatic than "Is nobody..."?
– Philip Wood
Apr 1 at 17:39
but no more emphatic than "Is nobody..."?
– Philip Wood
Apr 1 at 17:39
|
show 6 more comments
2
Are you talking about colloquial usage (where that sentence means nobody's eating any of my jellyroll) or literal and syntactical usage (where that sentence means there is somebody who will eat none of my jellyroll)? Colloquially, double negatives don't actually mean a positive—they mean a negative.
– Jason Bassford
Apr 1 at 17:09
1
mmm in algebra a triple negative makes a negative, no? Your sentence isn't really a triple negative because the nobody and none will be interpreted as agreeing with the ain't, not as being negatives in their own right. If you have a genuine triple negative. as in it turned out not to be the case that there was nobody who didn't like her, then yes that does have a positive meaning, as in algebra.
– Minty
Apr 1 at 17:09
1
No, they do not. See this ELL question & answer which covers very similar territory.
– Hellion
Apr 1 at 17:10
There is no such thing as a triple negative. Only a triple misinterpretation.
– Lambie
Apr 1 at 17:19
Possible duplicate of What constitutes a double negative?
– Mitch
2 days ago