Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10 5/26/83; site ihuxr.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!wivax!decvax!microsoft!uw-beaver!cornell!vax135!floyd!whuxlb!pyuxll!eisx!npoiv!npois!hogpc!houxm!ihnp4!ihuxr!lew From: lew@ihuxr.UUCP Newsgroups: net.nlang Subject: Creole languages and double negatives Message-ID: <512@ihuxr.UUCP> Date: Wed, 20-Jul-83 12:57:39 EDT Article-I.D.: ihuxr.512 Posted: Wed Jul 20 12:57:39 1983 Date-Received: Fri, 22-Jul-83 03:08:53 EDT Organization: BTL Naperville, Il. Lines: 32 The July Scientific American has an article titled "Creole Languages". These are languages which emerge from linguistically chaotic societies such as isolated labor camps where the laborers are drawn from many different linguistic backgrounds. The authors argue that the many different and independently developed Creole languages all have an essentially identical structure which differs significantly from more formal languages such as English, French, Spanish, and so on. They infer that this is a reflection of a "natural structure" to human language. I'm sure this is a controversial thesis, but I'd like to comment on one feature that the authors mention. This is the prevalence of double negatives in the Creole languages. Years ago I read "A Guide to American English" by L. M. Myers. I was generally pleased with his linguistically liberal philosophy, but when he stated that it was absurd to insist that "I didn't do nothing." REALLY means "I did do something.", I balked. The interpretation of English as a logical system was so inculcated in me that I was incapable of admitting the legitimacy of such expressions. More recently, I have tried to explain the logical interpretation of double negatives to my children, with no success. This is in line with the "Creole" authors' assertion that children readily accept the natural features of language (found in Creole), but have difficulty with "unnatural" features of formal language. I guess I've finally reached a higher level of innocence from which I can regard "I didn't do nothing" with complete equanimity. Perhaps one can regard the double negative as a syntax requiring "matching logical sense", just as the "neither ... nor" formulation. Its variance with Boolean logic needn't be a problem. Lew Mammel, Jr. ihuxr!lew