ALostInquirer@lemm.ee to Ask Lemmy@lemmy.world · 13 days agoWhat sorts of punctuation do you wish existed, or were in common use in your language?en.wikipedia.orgexternal-linkmessage-square38fedilinkarrow-up111arrow-down10
arrow-up111arrow-down1external-linkWhat sorts of punctuation do you wish existed, or were in common use in your language?en.wikipedia.orgALostInquirer@lemm.ee to Ask Lemmy@lemmy.world · 13 days agomessage-square38fedilink
minus-squaresem@lemmy.blahaj.zonelinkfedilinkarrow-up0·13 days agoIf you said “doch” in response to that question, how would you translate what happened to an English speaker?
minus-squareValiantDust@feddit.orglinkfedilinkarrow-up0·13 days ago“Doch” is used to negate a negative question. So basically you are saying “Yes, I am afraid.”, but in one word. (Or is the correct negation “No, I am afraid.”? It’s really very confusing in English.)
minus-squareLongpork3@lemmy.nzlinkfedilinkarrow-up1·edit-212 days agoEnglish actualy did have terms for that, they just got a bit bastardised with “yea” and “nay” dropping out of common speech: Will they not go? — Yes, they will. Will they not go? — No, they will not. Will they go? — Yea, they will. Will they go? — Nay, they will not.
If you said “doch” in response to that question, how would you translate what happened to an English speaker?
“Doch” is used to negate a negative question. So basically you are saying “Yes, I am afraid.”, but in one word. (Or is the correct negation “No, I am afraid.”? It’s really very confusing in English.)
English actualy did have terms for that, they just got a bit bastardised with “yea” and “nay” dropping out of common speech:
Will they not go? — Yes, they will.
Will they not go? — No, they will not.
Will they go? — Yea, they will.
Will they go? — Nay, they will not.