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Double negative - Nemalofta

by Alkanadi, September 29, 2014

Messages: 6

Language: English

Alkanadi (User's profile) September 29, 2014, 3:21:38 PM

I just saw this word in a course: nemalofta

Wouldn't it be easier to just say ofta?

michaleo (User's profile) September 29, 2014, 3:52:03 PM

Alkanadi:I just saw this word in a course: nemalofta

Wouldn't it be easier to just say ofta?
Nemalofta means that something isn't malofta but it doesn't have to mean that something is ofta.

Similarly, neofta means that something isn't ofta but it doesn't have to mean that something is malofta.

Tio ne estas malofta. = Tio estas nemalofta.
Tio ne estas ofta. = Tio estas neofta.

nornen (User's profile) September 29, 2014, 5:27:22 PM

How would you arrange according to frequency the words ofte, malofte, neofte and nemalofte?

ofte > neofte > nemalofte > malofte ???

michaleo (User's profile) September 29, 2014, 5:51:35 PM

nornen:How would you arrange according to frequency the words ofte, malofte, neofte and nemalofte?

ofte > neofte > nemalofte > malofte ???
Both "neofte" and "nemalofte" are between "ofte" and "malofte" which are extreme values but it's not precise how much they are distant from these values.

Rugxdoma (User's profile) September 29, 2014, 5:56:52 PM

nornen:How would you arrange according to frequency the words ofte, malofte, neofte and nemalofte?

ofte > neofte > nemalofte > malofte ???
It is not a question of four points, each having a specific place on a line. Neofta ranges from normala to malofta. Nemalofta has a range including normala and ofta.

erinja (User's profile) September 29, 2014, 11:17:14 PM

It's like saying "not bad". It doesn't mean good!

Ne malofta is a bit like saying "not infrequent".

"She was not an infrequent visitor to my house". Not necessarily frequent, but not infrequent either.

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