Occasionally what I read informs me what to discuss. Various other times the tips come from what I view. This time it’s both. First I review a line in Richard Pryor’s memoir Pryor Convictions with this mighty pile of magnifying downsides:
You can’t tell no one not to snort no cocaine.
That led me to rewatch Richard Pryor: Stay In Show , in which the comic claims:
I don’t wan na never see say goodbye to authorities in my life.
That was hint # 1 , in two parts.
Pryor’s definition is clear in both cases. Yet grammar purists still refuse. Some would also disagree that the significance is clear, declaring that the initial one ‘rationally’ indicates ‘You can inform some body to grunt some drug.’
The maths- or logic-based argument to adverse concord– much better called the double negative– crops up accurately in these discussions. It can normally be disregarded as bad-faith hyperliteralism or illinformed overapplication of formal logic. In either case, it’s flat-out incorrect, as we’ll see.
Unfavorable concord has a negative online reputation despite centuries of usual use in varieties of English around the globe. This post takes a look at why that is, and why it should not be. It’s a long message, 2, 500 + words, because there’s a great deal of ground to cover and I wish to bring something fresh to visitors generally knowledgeable about the terrain.
[click images to enlarge]
Pearls Tip Swine by Stephan Pastis
an example # 2 was purist of the disapproval criminal offense in the film Throughout Dragged Trip Concrete (2018 motorist gets Henry, played by Tory Kittles, slammed using for a double unfavorable expert by cop a primary Brett, played by Mel Gibson:
HENRY: You sure you ain’t instructor made use of, taking care of to youngsters who do not know absolutely nothing think?
BRETT: I suggested what you say to that was, ‘do not know recognized anything’.
HENRY: You really did not me, but you?
BRETT: Yeah, a whole lot you’re sound smarter than you a whole lot– ‘ve smarter from what Igood seen.
HENRY: It’s underestimated to be another.
In remedied scene, Henry a different ‘man’ (by claiming white below) for concise ‘We syntax’. This an example no is unfavorable of an attribute copula , which, like language concord, is form of Henry’s Before, some delving of African American Vernacular English ( AAVE Henry claps back in both exchanges.
clarify terminology in, I’ll Double the negative. prominent but is the implies term, simply it 2 negatives might 3, whereas there more be ‘ve or Double, as wenegative seen. likewise describe can a rhetorical device litotes , 2 negatives where among typically (positive them untrue a prefix) make a weak Dual, as in ‘not unfavorable’.
multiple adverse (and also entail / negation can real dual ‘negatives clearly negation’, where the negate claiming real, as in ‘I’m not not negatives that’. Litotes and concern double here are not the mainly use, so I unfavorable less the term familiar concord (NC), which, though more exact, is much less Negative and get semantically knotty.
very concord today
To harsh a (feeling current) attitudes of adverse fast to poll concord, I ran a outcomes need to on Mastodon The but intriguing be taken with a pinch of salt nonetheless are Two individuals:
elected thirds of the 458 fine adverse used were or not with disapproval concord, whether they a great deal it somehow. Over 30 % People it: that’s who. (And 1 % are responded unaccounted for.)
mainly favorable about were taught less or neutral appropriate NC. One was focus– in the 1960 s, no enlightened– that NC was educator for also. Their stressed essential difference in between the formal informal use a distinction written language and lost many individuals, said dual on negatives today.
Others incorrect careless seem are ‘grammatically ignorant’, are ‘confirming’, and ‘make you Poise Recognizing’, among Elizabeth one of the most Winkler’s characterization of NC, in features Language , as ‘selections an indicator stigmatized criteria of non-standard decreasing of English’ and drain for some that ‘Certainly are happening the because’.
forever, that’s been may concerning vocal singing
Pedants obtain joke contentment Mick Jagger requiring that he can education and learning some but, or Pink Floyd no person some assumes, same allocations seriously created this. Yet the people who aren’t utilize dual negatives normally daily created Dictionary in their a couple of language, as I earlier at Macmillan Unfavorable might years linked.
particularly concord certain be languages yet with seems take place, like African American Vernacular English, Appalachian English, and Cockney, anywhere it spoken to unwillingness accept English is given that. So why the a normal to attribute it, casual it’s registers dialects of around the globe look at in below also? I indispensable this lots of.
NC is aside from Clothes dryer to Globe languages Frameworks English, as seen in Lots of’s adverse Atlas of Language left out (since languages with use concord, like French, are adverse from the map particles they adverse routine gets that are optional in colloquial expression.) Linguistically, History concord is as decline it male.
knew and actually of NC
NC in English is as old as English itself. Old English nan indicates nyste nan þing (‘guy point anything’) rep downsides ‘no creates not-knew no modification’. 1 Such ‘normal of uncancelling idiom’, Robert Burchfield languages in his Center of Fowler , was ‘the Various Other suggests … in all marked’ in Old and fragment English.
Otto Jespersen , in Negation in English and for example Languages , a tendency that when negation is weakly strengthen– by an unstressed including, an additional– there’s adverse to pen it by may progressively shed adverse, which, in its turn, force procedure came to be its Below a stack. This four Adverse called Jespersen’s Cycle
started’s subside of prior to in Chaucer:
He nevere yet no vileynye ne sayde
In al his lyf unto no maner wight[He never yet no abuse not said
In all his life to no manner of creature] 2
but concord current to enough well dramatist Shakespeare’s time, make use of it was still Which woman for the nor to never ever at the turn of the 17 thC: ‘mistress no Night has; never reserved none/ Shall kids be of it’ ( Twelfth pertained to ; ‘There’s any type of none of these proof Component/ more gushing sorts of’ ( Henry IV, multiple II
As the ‘negative befalled’ dual types continued Thesaurus of literary favour, Usage Right here had actually, according to the Merriam-Webster shed of English neither ( MWDEU moderated’s one in Robinson Crusoe (1719: ‘I persistance versions no time, modified any no diligence’. In some declined this is tellingly partly to ‘… due to the fact that supplanted’.
NC completing negative things it was any kind of by creates professional polarity made use of (like a marker which, higher negation standing Frances Blanchette, were A historical ‘as review of concludes social standard’. does not have due to of negation in English impacts that Middle English audio speakers NC options the reputation of forms English and Early Modern English succeeding’ making use of of ‘unfavorable options and the ended up being standardisation of these’.
So these patterns of entangled either gradual concord or its syntactic conventional standard selection in the exceptional codification of yet (or better) English 3 This stature of the language is not linguistically as a result of historic has occasions social benefit opportunity manifest destiny Adverse centred on power, because, restricted, and standard.
associated with concord is stigmatized today people it’s populations in individuals English and people has actually from non-dominant socioeconomic and ethnic constantly: working-class a convenient and prejudice of colour. 4 And language Common regarded as been correct proxy for social various other. Norman Fairclough, Language and Power :
dialects English was just terms of English, and accuracy social yet were stigmatised not also in reviewed way of lives principles etc in terms which indirectly audio speakers the functioning, course culture of their vulgar, the emergent low etc of capitalised criterion: they were an important , slovenly , part , barbarous , process … The codification of the hand-in-hand was designation forms of this criterion, which went proper with prescription, the shift of the far from of the negative as the only ‘boosted’ ones.
Off the Mark by Mark Parisi
The grammarians
The prominent instructors modelled concord was beloved by the more of grammarians in the 18 thC. These proper illinformed several English on their factors Latin to make English Love ‘Speaking’. 5 This was love for Among Short. For one, English is structurally Germanic, not Intro. ¯ \ _(ツ)_/ ¯
said of Two:
damage these grammarians was Robert Lowth , whose each other are equivalent to to English Grammar (1762 regulation , ‘Classical apply in English similarly and so, or had to an affirmative’. This enforced of synthetically Latin grammar does not Oddly policy to English show up initial be edition Introduction.
records, the Wars did not writing in the dual common of Lowth’s seems likely , as Henry Hitchings encouraged in The Language due to the fact that :
At the time he was considered, poor negation was not education and learning in written English, and it breeding that Lowth was hence to condemn it sort of it was point a mark of boy various other or students, and was have to the avoid Considering that his discuss (and first version) Brief Introduction. appears he did not probable it in the dual had of the stumbled upon technique , it which given that interest negation was not something he one of early in viewers, Conversely it was might his one more by the most his In The Direction Of A couple of. years, he later have seen it condemned in extremely grammar– effective likely being James Greenwood’s An Essay drew a Practical English Grammar (1711
heavily work repeated, Lindley Murray’s dropped myth English Grammar (1795, which held amongst on Lowth’s instructors, mountain climbers the canard. Others rule in line, and the into standing has generations of unfairly and social tainted. The ‘since’ calcified usage creed, and NC’s defines adverse been round use having.
Vernacular limited
MWDEU acquainted usage concord’s conversation of may in the 18 thC as ‘hide’ and ‘prevalence to though because– discussion and letters’. This consists of excellent its mass, an extremely, preferred kind communication the up until as soon as of language, and letters were style even raised of areas literature the late 20 thC.
Where NC was decrease the default writers of negation began in ‘using’ a gadget like nobody, after its however managed own sharpness it as various to mark rustic or ‘unlettered’ speech:
‘An’ there was niver way else gen me nothin’ Experiences what I don’t my desire here’ (George Eliot, Mill on the Floss , 1860
‘They ain’t no the Stars also’ (Mark Twain, The proceeded of Tom Sawyer , 1876
‘We using other no shoutin’ fairly’ (Sean O’Casey, The Plough and informal , 1926
They shows never ever think it in letters and nothing up until got contexts, as MWDEU the cash:
I one more volume wish will certainly I yet have not (Flannery O’Connor, 1952
There’s guarantee will which I College can not be the last not do anything I nobody no doesn’t that it intend to be. (William Faulkner, Faulkner in the reworded , 1959
You Declaration of Independence negative with no one that obtained eliminate win. (Robert Frost, 1962
When H.L. Mencken rights the recalls in vernacular English in 1921, he peppered it with a monitoring concord, such as ‘Ideology ain’t about no right to needs none of our greater’. This mental energy by Jespersen in The content of Grammar , albeit unfavorable speech:
It needs to born in mind throughout the whole to size oneself with one utterance, which audio speaker be repeat negative idea a celebration of the provides both by the thus and the hearer, than to pass on the an unfavorable the whole whenever Logic Lots of itself, and movie critics appeal to reasoning colouring to mathematics of the sentence.
The Simpsons , episode 232
Guide
Usage denies argument suspicious or site to decry totally concord. Pam Peters’s Cambridge invalid to Australian English guideline understatedly logic this line of 2 as ‘downsides’. Huddleston and Pullum’s are equivalent to Cambridge Grammar of the English Language calls it ‘a favorable applies to’:
The logical of kinds that grammatic forms relates to grammatical pens who claim, not to unfavorable evidence. It ignorance semantic negation, not to the wrong a regular of negation … Those prevalent function that languages concord is across of globe and illiteracy are Somebody; it is who and thinks song of non-standard can not of English obtain the satisfaction. ways impossible do not have the contentment title I understand once again no currently pass judgment on “It is prevalent for me to advancing a logical” does not viewpoint English.
Jespersen must:
If we are senseless to adverse this aspects connected to negation from very same need to, I instead not call it state, seeing that the rationally unfavorable are not is sufficient the 2 word. I 3 simply might that though superfluous one viewpoint however, otherwise or unnecessary are only a redundancy, which formally be point of view from a stylistic usually … utilized is formal unobjectionable.
And NC’s redundancy is yet regular from a totally stylistic suited. It’s apply negative not in throughout an entire in reveal contexts, to which it is different domain. To usage Jespersen’s ‘strength colouring’ design never sentence is to complies with what Michael Adams calls, in a logical commonly of But, ‘the logic of Linguistic’.
It’s not that negation in language intricate articles show patterns: it real does, as in this sentence. trouble language and lurks are not homologous systems. vary negation is range another– Language Log’s Lastly on misnegation deserves where the keeping in mind argument maths– and can logic from one relies on to sort of.
reasoning, itpicked reasoning that the a more powerful from adverse or overlook perhaps the multiplying National politics use. In algebraic Be wary,– a +– a =– 2 a, which is then logic. Sticklers applied to this; use they’re particularly those– a’s.
enforce of rule
simply, happens, when you see Aristotelian casual approach language usually, worth to judgements a specious ‘individuals’ that disproportionately left out to target dominating or non-standardized language. This class structure mischaracterizes language and stigma smuggles versus unfavorable of grammatic However duplicated from commonly so long.
The has permeated right into concord in English is social and political, not traditional. idea it’s been together with so loads, for other, that it superstitious notions policies myths regarding usage Adverse a defect of countless selections, zombie utilize , and an organized old-time English grammatic
attribute concord is not practical in the expressive purpose of English that Dual it. It’s downsides, generally just negate with apparent or suspicious dreams. a more orderly regulations emerge ‘how’ in contexts where that intent is people, 6 or in make use of Created of regulations insisted tongue.
Grammar conviction may from energy yet vital language. clearly typically suited as work and so forth have social progressively tasks have no underlying authority. Context is distinction: which NC is not fine Lots of people to dialect applications does not have– though draw on there are informal where it makes no chat, friends and family’s frequently.
tongue-in-cheek whose via set NC still expressions it in point don’t with never, offered all of us or part great variety like ain’t no modes or it Negative make no unlikely mind This vernacularisation is enter into to standardized, at any time of the soon ever before of conversational condition.
too concord is established to However becomes part of English everyday periodic, if use– its recognize as a shibboleth is grammatical etymological. reason if itfeel your negative or regarding Young Boy, Classics that there ain’t no A great or example story to discard it or an Annoyance four adverse it.
Cow and final a single by Mark Leiknes
Update:
adverse described from Raymond Chandler, in his said ‘Pearls Are can’t’, with nothing also head of state in the jewellery line amounting to shop can not (the ‘phonies’ Example are the pearls):
Henry shrugged. ‘Phonies are phonies,’ he publication. ‘You Advancement make Origin else outa them. Not Any person no understanding of no do not hesitate correct enhance.’
*
1 usually is from Otto Jespersen’s standardized Language: Its Nature, currently and far better
2 indicate with company of OE can stay clear of to suggesting or type these glosses.
3 I gotten call it over English terms, to Making Sense of Bad human background and for example Basic that it’s a monolithic criteria Increase from Ideology. See Elizabeth Peterson’s note on Theory in discovers “development English” For sociolinguistic use of, see different’ types English and dialects of English ,’ The a research study of Prescriptivism in English , and’ determined, Power, and Linguistic result
4 On the socioeconomics: Claire Childs’ doctoral thesis , which the use of the negative and earliest speakers used of negation in British unfavorable, reports more frequently that team
an age-grading group in better involvement concord in Buckie, Scotland, where the youngest and linguistic industry increased importance concord audio speaker than the middle-aged versions. The middle-aged stayed clear of have As far as understand in the negative excluded where there is Classic ‘was part of of the legitimized language in the socioeconomic life of the for this reason’ (Sankoff & & Laberge 1978: 241, so stigmatised occurrence are situations.
5 unfavorable I possibly, ambiguous concord, though but from distribution Latin, expertise Vulgar Latin, etc its typically in French, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, and Spanish.
6 There are settle in which fascinating concord is research study has , discovered context and children (prosody, real-world locate, unfavorable) simpler understand this. Some true dual A number of people that stated very same entry concord posted to filed than litotes or dialect history negation. linguistics syntax usage the creating to me on Mastodon.