In a message dated 11/16/2015 3:55:30 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,
jejunejesuit.geary2@xxxxxxxxx provides an interesting example and conversation,
which immediately reminded me of L. J. Cohen
"You won't get no beer here".
(More on this below, perhaps).
******************* INTERLUDE: Geary's post for further commentary --
Notice his interesting point about 'correction' and 'understanding'.
"As the case is, I spend most of my life correcting those who correct the
grammar of other folks. For instance, should a good god-fearing Southerner
say: "Help me, please, I ain't even got no beer to drink." And the person
next to me says: "You're wrong. You don't have any beer to drink." "You
gots that right." saith the beerless man. "I know," says the well-schooled
grammarian. "Come back when you've learned how to speak English properly
and maybe then I'll understand what you're saying and help you," saith the
grammarian unto the beerless man. I to the grammarian asketh, "Did you
really not understand what he had said?" "Of course, I understood," says he,
"else how could I have known that he spoke incorrectly?" I punched the
grammarian in the stomach [yes, he was smaller than me -- what are the
chances that I would punch someone bigger than me, I ask you -- and yes, I do
take advantage of all opportunities to punch people shorter than me] "There,"
I said unto the grammarian," that's what I think of your grammar."
******************************
In an essay that started a new fashion in semantics ("where semantic
features are dropped"), Cohen gives precisely the example:
i. You won't get no beer here.
He refers to it as usual in some London dialects. The funny thing (for me)
is that Cohen thinks that (i) refutes Grice (in Popper's sense of
'refute'). Because the logical form of (i) is
ii. ~~p
which is equivalent to
iii. p
Geary's example is similar
iv. I ain't even got no beer to drink.
The logical form also being ~~p.
But by UNDERSTANDING, the grammarian is refuting Cohen. The Griceian
analysis is in terms of the utterer's belief. And the utterer's belief may be
said to be either
v. He believes that you won't get no beer here.
-- for Cohen's example.
Or
vi. He believes that you won't get any beer here.
Popper lived in London, and he possibly dwelt with these dialects. Double
negatives have travelled well beyond the sound of Bow Bells!
Cheers,
Speranza
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