Re: ago24 & replies

[ucleaar <ucleaar@ucl.ac.uk>]

Jorge:
> >         Incidentally, most of the examples of _xo'u_
> >         are not from unlikely meanings but from cases of English "any,"
> >         which functions in English in just the same way.
> Are we talking about the same {xo'u}?
> Does
>        le re prenu cu djuno le du'u xo'u lo mlatu cu gruzi
> mean
>        There is a cat such that each of the two persons knows
>        that it is grey.
> If yes, then I don't see the direct link with "any".
> If not, then And and I misinterpreted what you meant by it.

  "You can read every book"
  Cumki fa le nu do cilre ro cukta

  "You can read any book(s)"
  Cumki fa le nu do clire xohu ro cukta

  "I try to read a book [any book], I try for there to be a book
     that I read"
  Mi troci le nu mi cilre lo cukta
or (perhaps?)
  Mi troci le nu mi cilre xohu ro cukta

  "There is a book I try to read"
  Mi troci le nu mi cilre xohu lo cukta

{Xohu} is deeply tied up with matters concerning "any". Mind you,
I don't think we can simply say that where we find "any", there
we can translate with {xohu}. I have previously come across an
analysis of "any" as wide-scope universal quant, but only for some
uses of "any". [I think it was in James D. MacCawley (1977?)
_Adverbs, vowels and other objects of wonder_, U. of Chicago P,
 in a chapter called something like 'Lexicological notes on
English quantifiers'. MacCawley surveys others' analyses of
"any", including the wide-scope universal quantifier analysis.
Incidentally, tho MacC may not have made the point, it must be
wide-scope over some *irrealis* element, so "Someone *can* marry
anyone" (Ex, Ay, possible: x marry y - contrast with "someone
can marry everyone" - Ex, possible: Ay x marry y) is fine, while
"Someone married anyone" is NOT okay, because there is no *irrealis*
element for "any" to have scope over. If "any" were nothing but
wide-scope universal, then "someone married anyone" shd be fine,
& mean Ay Ex: x married y - i.e. "Everyone was married by someone".
It's important to bear this point about irrealis in mind, because
it means that if {xohu} means "widest scope" then when there is no
irrealis element {xohu ro} will not translate as "any". Just in
case it's not obvious, I shd add that our oft-used-in-examples
{nitcu} is irrealis.]

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