Date: Sat, 15 Nov 1997 10:42:57 -1000

From: Norman Roberts nroberts[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]HAWAII.EDU

Subject: Re: Double negatives (was one as a pronoun?)



Dear Ms. Flannigan,

True. Language is not math; however, it is logical. May I make

reference to computational linguistics, and in particular to a journal

article entitled "Translating Spanisn to Logic Through Logic."



Dave Pass



Can we perhaps say that language can be logical rather than asserting that

it is logical? The double negative making an affirmative is something we

learn in school. It is not unlike other things we learn there: more

honored in the breach etc. etc. When I say "ain't got no" I mean that I

damn well don't have any; logic be hanged. As for mathematics and

language, I've always liked Bloomfield's statement in "Linguistics and

Science" (or was it the other way around): "mathematics is the best we can

do with language."