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#166241 02/23/07 07:28 AM
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stranger
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I have been rereading some of my favorite P.G Wodehouse, which covers a period between 1915 to 1935. On several occasions he used NO in a sentence I would normally have used NOT. For instance:

Whether or no he is a fascist is beside the point.

Is this specifically English or of a period that eventually evolved into NOT?

#166242 02/23/07 07:33 AM
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stranger
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Gah! My bad, I'm sorry. I should have gone to Bartleby first.


Quote:

Whether or not and whether or no are semantically interchangeable Standard idioms; the only difference is that whether or no has a somewhat more literary ring. The or not can be omitted when the idiom introduces a clause working as a nominal—subject, object, or object of a preposition—We inquired whether she planned to attend. When the clause is adverbial rather than nominal in function, the or not must be kept: We will attend, whether or not she does [whether she does or not].




http://www.bartleby.com/68/5/6505.html

#166243 02/23/07 08:39 AM
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Quote:

Gah! My bad, I'm sorry. I should have gone to Bartleby first.

Quote:

Whether or not and whether or no are semantically interchangeable Standard idioms; the only difference is that whether or no has a somewhat more literary ring. The or not can be omitted when the idiom introduces a clause working as a nominal—subject, object, or object of a preposition—We inquired whether she planned to attend. When the clause is adverbial rather than nominal in function, the or not must be kept: We will attend, whether or not she does [whether she does or not].







I agree, nightotter.

English with its chummy literary rings is almost enough or no to make a fellow want to move to the planet Camiroi where all citizens speak Camiroi; a language that expects the speaker to speak and the hearer to hear, logic, or not.

Last edited by themilum; 02/23/07 08:41 AM.
#166244 02/23/07 06:59 PM
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Carpal Tunnel
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If this is yes or no of no importance, chummy or no, I would prefer the use of only no on all occasions. Do you no agree ? runs smoother than : Do you not agree ? The t sort of puts a brake on the sentence. Maybe just an alien's problem. I'll hold a five minute's conference with my Camiroi brothers and sisters. You'll hear from us.

#166245 02/23/07 09:40 PM
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