讯息： 4
语言: English
benanhalt (显示个人资料) 2009年11月21日下午7:31:43
I was just reading this interesting post in Language Log,
http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=1912
about two different grammatical rolls if plays in English. GKP's examples:
(1) I don't know if the car will start.
(2) We won't go if the car won't start.
In (1) if is acting as a subordinator. In (2) it is acting like a preposition.
I'm still pretty new to Esperanto, but it seems to me that se does not have this dual nature but only the prepositional, and that ĉu would correspond to the subordinating role. Thus something like:
(1) Mi ne scias ĉu la veturilo ekos.
(2) Ni ne iros se la veturilo ne ekos.
Am I correct in this being how Esperanto works in this regard?
http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=1912
about two different grammatical rolls if plays in English. GKP's examples:
(1) I don't know if the car will start.
(2) We won't go if the car won't start.
In (1) if is acting as a subordinator. In (2) it is acting like a preposition.
I'm still pretty new to Esperanto, but it seems to me that se does not have this dual nature but only the prepositional, and that ĉu would correspond to the subordinating role. Thus something like:
(1) Mi ne scias ĉu la veturilo ekos.
(2) Ni ne iros se la veturilo ne ekos.
Am I correct in this being how Esperanto works in this regard?
tommjames (显示个人资料) 2009年11月21日下午7:48:32
Hi benanhalt. Yes you are right. Confirmation of that on this page in PMEG
PMEG:En iuj lingvoj oni uzas en subfrazoj la saman vorton por ĉu kaj por se. En Esperanto oni devas distingi. Ĉu montras demandon. Se montras kondiĉon. La signifodiferenco estas tre granda:Translated: In some languages in a sub-phrase you can use the same word for ĉu and for se. In Esperanto you have to distinguish. Ĉu shows a question. Se shows a condition. There is a big difference in the meaning.
benanhalt (显示个人资料) 2009年11月21日下午8:30:00
Thanks for the responses.
Now that my reading comprehension is starting to get fairly good, I need to start reading PMEG. I think I have basic grammar down pretty well, but I often have trouble with complicated or less common constructions, not so much when reading but when writing.
Now that my reading comprehension is starting to get fairly good, I need to start reading PMEG. I think I have basic grammar down pretty well, but I often have trouble with complicated or less common constructions, not so much when reading but when writing.