Mummy_of_Peanut wrote:
French is a better language than English in that respect. You can say 'Si', meaning 'Yes', to a negative question. For example: 'You're not going out in that rain, are you?' You can say 'Si', meaning 'Yes, I am going out'. The French language makers have realised that 'Oui' or 'Non' would be too confusing. Maybe we should come up with something suitable in English.
The same is true of Icelandic, and probably other Scandinavian languages. 'Já' is 'yes' in response to a positive question, and 'jú' is 'yes' in response to a negative question. I stole the following from Wiktionary:
Ætlarðu ekki að fara í skólann?
— Jú. Auðvitað.
Aren't you going to school?
— Yes. Of course I am.
I would like something similar in English...maybe 'yon'. But we all know that will never happen.
17 Jun 2011, 4:16 am
