How do I say “this must not happen”? Planned maintenance scheduled April 23, 2019 at 23:30...

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How do I say “this must not happen”?



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I'm used to translating English auxiliary "must" with a Latin gerundive: hic necandus est "this man must be killed".



But what if I want to say "this man must not be killed"? I would read non necandus est as "it's not necessary to kill him", which is a somewhat different meaning (it's ambivalent about whether he should be killed or not).










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    2















    I'm used to translating English auxiliary "must" with a Latin gerundive: hic necandus est "this man must be killed".



    But what if I want to say "this man must not be killed"? I would read non necandus est as "it's not necessary to kill him", which is a somewhat different meaning (it's ambivalent about whether he should be killed or not).










    share|improve this question



























      2












      2








      2








      I'm used to translating English auxiliary "must" with a Latin gerundive: hic necandus est "this man must be killed".



      But what if I want to say "this man must not be killed"? I would read non necandus est as "it's not necessary to kill him", which is a somewhat different meaning (it's ambivalent about whether he should be killed or not).










      share|improve this question
















      I'm used to translating English auxiliary "must" with a Latin gerundive: hic necandus est "this man must be killed".



      But what if I want to say "this man must not be killed"? I would read non necandus est as "it's not necessary to kill him", which is a somewhat different meaning (it's ambivalent about whether he should be killed or not).







      grammar-choice gerundivum negation






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      edited 2 hours ago







      Draconis

















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      DraconisDraconis

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      18.8k22676






















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          In my experience many languages confuse lack of desire and desire of the contrary.
          For example, I would like to be able to say "I don't want coffee" as the negation of "I want coffee", meaning that I don't have a desire to have coffee.
          To say that I am actively against drinking coffee, I would prefer to say "I want not to have coffee".
          But, unfortunately, English doesn't work this way, and "I don't want coffee" is construed as "I want not to have coffee" instead of the more ambivalent reading.



          Similarly, the Latin non necandus est is more literally "it is not necessary to kill him" but could also be read as "it is necessary not to kill him".
          I found examples of similar constructions, but it is not easy to decide which meaning is intended in each case.
          I would consider both readings valid in general.



          I see a couple of ways to express "it is necessary to not kill him" without ambiguity:




          1. Take a new verb with the opposite meaning: servandus est

          2. Explain in more words: necesse est eum non necare

          3. Work it into the structure of a sentence: curandum est ne necetur

          4. In some cases you might be able to use a negative order: noli(te) eum necare

            (There are also passive imperatives.)






          share|improve this answer


























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            In my experience many languages confuse lack of desire and desire of the contrary.
            For example, I would like to be able to say "I don't want coffee" as the negation of "I want coffee", meaning that I don't have a desire to have coffee.
            To say that I am actively against drinking coffee, I would prefer to say "I want not to have coffee".
            But, unfortunately, English doesn't work this way, and "I don't want coffee" is construed as "I want not to have coffee" instead of the more ambivalent reading.



            Similarly, the Latin non necandus est is more literally "it is not necessary to kill him" but could also be read as "it is necessary not to kill him".
            I found examples of similar constructions, but it is not easy to decide which meaning is intended in each case.
            I would consider both readings valid in general.



            I see a couple of ways to express "it is necessary to not kill him" without ambiguity:




            1. Take a new verb with the opposite meaning: servandus est

            2. Explain in more words: necesse est eum non necare

            3. Work it into the structure of a sentence: curandum est ne necetur

            4. In some cases you might be able to use a negative order: noli(te) eum necare

              (There are also passive imperatives.)






            share|improve this answer






























              2














              In my experience many languages confuse lack of desire and desire of the contrary.
              For example, I would like to be able to say "I don't want coffee" as the negation of "I want coffee", meaning that I don't have a desire to have coffee.
              To say that I am actively against drinking coffee, I would prefer to say "I want not to have coffee".
              But, unfortunately, English doesn't work this way, and "I don't want coffee" is construed as "I want not to have coffee" instead of the more ambivalent reading.



              Similarly, the Latin non necandus est is more literally "it is not necessary to kill him" but could also be read as "it is necessary not to kill him".
              I found examples of similar constructions, but it is not easy to decide which meaning is intended in each case.
              I would consider both readings valid in general.



              I see a couple of ways to express "it is necessary to not kill him" without ambiguity:




              1. Take a new verb with the opposite meaning: servandus est

              2. Explain in more words: necesse est eum non necare

              3. Work it into the structure of a sentence: curandum est ne necetur

              4. In some cases you might be able to use a negative order: noli(te) eum necare

                (There are also passive imperatives.)






              share|improve this answer




























                2












                2








                2







                In my experience many languages confuse lack of desire and desire of the contrary.
                For example, I would like to be able to say "I don't want coffee" as the negation of "I want coffee", meaning that I don't have a desire to have coffee.
                To say that I am actively against drinking coffee, I would prefer to say "I want not to have coffee".
                But, unfortunately, English doesn't work this way, and "I don't want coffee" is construed as "I want not to have coffee" instead of the more ambivalent reading.



                Similarly, the Latin non necandus est is more literally "it is not necessary to kill him" but could also be read as "it is necessary not to kill him".
                I found examples of similar constructions, but it is not easy to decide which meaning is intended in each case.
                I would consider both readings valid in general.



                I see a couple of ways to express "it is necessary to not kill him" without ambiguity:




                1. Take a new verb with the opposite meaning: servandus est

                2. Explain in more words: necesse est eum non necare

                3. Work it into the structure of a sentence: curandum est ne necetur

                4. In some cases you might be able to use a negative order: noli(te) eum necare

                  (There are also passive imperatives.)






                share|improve this answer















                In my experience many languages confuse lack of desire and desire of the contrary.
                For example, I would like to be able to say "I don't want coffee" as the negation of "I want coffee", meaning that I don't have a desire to have coffee.
                To say that I am actively against drinking coffee, I would prefer to say "I want not to have coffee".
                But, unfortunately, English doesn't work this way, and "I don't want coffee" is construed as "I want not to have coffee" instead of the more ambivalent reading.



                Similarly, the Latin non necandus est is more literally "it is not necessary to kill him" but could also be read as "it is necessary not to kill him".
                I found examples of similar constructions, but it is not easy to decide which meaning is intended in each case.
                I would consider both readings valid in general.



                I see a couple of ways to express "it is necessary to not kill him" without ambiguity:




                1. Take a new verb with the opposite meaning: servandus est

                2. Explain in more words: necesse est eum non necare

                3. Work it into the structure of a sentence: curandum est ne necetur

                4. In some cases you might be able to use a negative order: noli(te) eum necare

                  (There are also passive imperatives.)







                share|improve this answer














                share|improve this answer



                share|improve this answer








                edited 43 mins ago

























                answered 3 hours ago









                Joonas IlmavirtaJoonas Ilmavirta

                49.3k1271288




                49.3k1271288






























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