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:Reference desk/Archives/Language/2008 August 3 - Knowledge

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687:"there's thousands of books on sale here today" wouldn't bat an eyelid at "There is only one or two apples". Some forms of logic would suggest that because the first part of the object is "one", a singular verb must apply. Grammarians have their own special logic and they'd argue for the plural because the object is not the singular "one", but the plural "one or two apples". -- 249:
In the end, Joey/Tom Stall (played by Viggo Mortensen) show up in Philadelphia to meet his brother, Richie (played by William Hurt), to have a final confrontation. Richie refers to Joey as "broheem" (or maybe "brohim"), which obviously means "brother". Where does this word come from? Is it Yiddish or
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is more often being attached to both singular and plural objects, the same phenomenon hasn't happened with the unabbreviated versions. "There is" and "there are" both still have their place, and their objects are singular and plural respectively. But I suppose a person who has no issue with
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is equivalent to "there is/are" only because the usage and general meaning is the same but it's more like "there is the presence of..." so that what follows is actually a direct object. I guess that means that, in "there's an apple", apple is the subject. —
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I am almost positive there is a word meaning "bipedal, but having hooves", as in a satyr or various depictions of demons, but I don't recall that word. Any help would be appreciated. -
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would be grammatically consistent (even correct in some circles) and certainly more acceptable to prescriptivists. It's similar to Spanish, which has a rich verbal morphology but
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used in the present indicative to express existence (rather than the auxiliary verb for the present perfect). Other tenses do not have a special form: compare
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The page you are currently viewing is an archive page. While you can leave answers for any questions shown below, please ask new questions on one of the
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when used to indicate existence has no explicit subject (Spanish being pro-drop) and is probably more like a weather verb than anything else (cf.
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Well, since when do verbs agree with their direct objects in Indo-European languages? There's no difference in the verb between
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No, it doesn't fit with the use in the movie, where it is clearly used as a term of "endearment" towards the brother character.
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are merely adjectives, and have no effect on the conjugation of the verb. The bottom line is the subject is
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Without benefit of having seen the film or knowing the plot or characters, I can say this about the word
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Satyrical - having satyr-like characteristics, but more often used to describe lascivious behavior
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Capripede - It's a noun with the definition given as simply satyr (capri - goat-like + pede)
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Your question, if by "sentence construction" you refer to the title saying just that. –
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comes under that topic. Was there something specific you wanted to know about grammar?
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doesn't really have a convenient monosyllabic pronunciation that is distinct from
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Why would you assume that? I don't see the relevance in this movie at all.
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with a plural noun. The desire to use a contraction is strong, but
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it's used in greeting and not isolated but as part of a phrase:
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is strictly speaking its direct object (as in German with the
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unguligrade - Walking on hooves, but not necessarily bipedal
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Welcome to the Knowledge Language Reference Desk Archives
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Thank you. Now I forget what I needed this for... −
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is used for "there is/are" no matter the number. —
307:(corrected translation 06:07, 4 August 2008 (UTC)) 516:but I'm not sure I understand what you mean about 545:being undeclined/undifferentiated for number? — 472:In Spanish, that's because the noun that follows 336:. This made it a rather fancy way to say "bro". 292:those who come are blessed." Does that fit? 8: 443:There seems to be a growing tendency to use 512:Yes, I was thinking the same thing about 496:in either rhotic or non-rhotic accents. — 156:what comes under sentence construction 49: 36: 425:, which is a plural noun that requires 383:The first sounds most correct to me. − 65: 613:Small correction: Angr meant to write 43: 480:construction). In English, I suspect 328:I'd always assumed it started out as 242:I just rewatched the fantastic movie 7: 656:I think I get what you're saying. 447:in all situations, even those that 376:"There are only one or two apples" 32: 379:"There is only one or two apples" 484:is playing a role in the use of 238:Where does "broheem" come from? 719:María había comido una manzana 715:There was an apple in her hand 637:Yes, of course he did. Oops. — 541:being a direct object lead to 290:blessings upon those who come 1: 576:("I see one apple") either. — 33: 711:Había una manzana en su mano 808: 790:11:26, 8 August 2008 (UTC) 755:16:50, 9 August 2008 (UTC) 705:, it's simply the form of 697:17:01, 4 August 2008 (UTC) 674:20:24, 5 August 2008 (UTC) 649:19:21, 5 August 2008 (UTC) 631:18:53, 5 August 2008 (UTC) 588:05:07, 5 August 2008 (UTC) 558:21:15, 4 August 2008 (UTC) 508:16:47, 4 August 2008 (UTC) 468:09:40, 4 August 2008 (UTC) 439:19:24, 3 August 2008 (UTC) 408:17:07, 3 August 2008 (UTC) 372:Which is the proper form: 360:15:35, 15 March 2022 (UTC) 346:23:08, 4 August 2008 (UTC) 320:15:34, 15 March 2022 (UTC) 304:20:14, 3 August 2008 (UTC) 260:12:43, 3 August 2008 (UTC) 232:12:15, 5 August 2008 (UTC) 222:02:07, 4 August 2008 (UTC) 207:13:12, 3 August 2008 (UTC) 188:12:05, 3 August 2008 (UTC) 172:10:49, 3 August 2008 (UTC) 145:04:47, 3 August 2008 (UTC) 118:03:57, 3 August 2008 (UTC) 569:("I see two apples") and 723:Maria had eaten an apple 701:On the topic of Spanish 526:('there are two apples') 18:Knowledge:Reference desk 195:Sentence (linguistics) 87:current reference desk 532:('there is an apple') 286:"bru-KHEEM ha-ba-EEM" 271:"BRU-kheem ha-BO-eem" 250:Polish or something? 244:A History of Violence 212:Phrase construction? 152:sentence construction 520:and direct objects. 617:("see") instead of 788: 670: 651: 633: 623:El aprendelenguas 554: 464: 431:El aprendelenguas 406: 334:Cadillac Brougham 178:whaddya mean? -- 174: 162:comment added by 147: 135:comment added by 93: 92: 73: 72: 799: 774: 743:it rained stones 672: 667: 636: 612: 567:Veo dos manzanas 556: 551: 524:Hay dos manzanas 466: 461: 392: 157: 130: 75: 34: 807: 806: 802: 801: 800: 798: 797: 796: 669: 574:Veo una manzana 553: 530:Hay una manzana 463: 413:The first one. 370: 240: 154: 106: 101: 30: 29: 28: 12: 11: 5: 805: 803: 795: 794: 793: 792: 763: 762: 761: 760: 759: 758: 757: 739:llovía piedras 735:it rained fire 680: 679: 678: 677: 676: 668: 654: 653: 652: 599: 598: 597: 596: 595: 594: 593: 592: 591: 590: 552: 535: 534: 533: 527: 462: 381: 380: 377: 369: 368:Use of "to be" 366: 365: 364: 363: 362: 325: 324: 323: 322: 252:83.188.196.191 239: 236: 235: 234: 210: 209: 191: 190: 164:202.83.164.159 153: 150: 149: 148: 127: 124: 105: 102: 100: 97: 95: 91: 90: 82: 81: 71: 70: 64: 48: 41: 40: 31: 15: 14: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 804: 791: 786: 782: 778: 773: 772: 771: 764: 756: 752: 748: 744: 740: 736: 732: 728: 724: 720: 716: 712: 708: 704: 700: 699: 698: 694: 690: 685: 681: 675: 671: 664: 659: 655: 650: 647: 646: 642: 641: 635: 634: 632: 628: 624: 620: 616: 611: 610: 609: 608: 607: 606: 605: 604: 603: 602: 601: 600: 589: 586: 585: 581: 580: 575: 573: 568: 566: 561: 560: 559: 555: 548: 544: 540: 536: 531: 528: 525: 522: 521: 519: 515: 511: 510: 509: 506: 505: 501: 500: 495: 491: 487: 483: 479: 475: 471: 470: 469: 465: 458: 454: 450: 446: 442: 441: 440: 436: 432: 428: 424: 420: 416: 412: 411: 410: 409: 404: 400: 396: 391: 390: 389: 378: 375: 374: 373: 367: 361: 357: 353: 349: 348: 347: 343: 339: 335: 331: 327: 326: 321: 317: 313: 309: 308: 306: 305: 301: 297: 291: 287: 283: 280: 276: 272: 268: 264: 263: 262: 261: 257: 253: 247: 245: 237: 233: 230: 226: 225: 224: 223: 219: 215: 208: 204: 200: 196: 193: 192: 189: 185: 181: 177: 176: 175: 173: 169: 165: 161: 151: 146: 142: 138: 134: 128: 125: 122: 121: 120: 119: 115: 111: 103: 98: 96: 88: 84: 83: 80: 77: 76: 68: 61: 57: 53: 47: 42: 39: 38:Language desk 35: 27: 23: 19: 769: 767: 742: 738: 734: 731:llovía fuego 730: 726: 722: 718: 714: 710: 706: 702: 683: 657: 644: 639: 618: 614: 583: 578: 571: 570: 564: 563: 542: 538: 529: 523: 517: 513: 503: 498: 493: 489: 485: 482:phonotactics 477: 473: 452: 448: 444: 426: 422: 418: 414: 387: 385: 382: 371: 293: 289: 285: 282:ברוכים הבאים 281: 270: 266: 248: 241: 211: 180:84.160.19.40 155: 107: 104:Hoofed biped 94: 78: 284:pronounced 277:, from the 158:—Preceding 131:—Preceding 747:Atemperman 296:Deborahjay 199:87.102.5.5 137:71.77.4.75 110:Glass Star 537:How does 449:there are 352:Waronmugs 312:Waronmugs 50:<< 781:contribs 689:JackofOz 621:("go")-- 514:there're 490:there're 399:contribs 332:, as in 330:brougham 214:DOR (HK) 160:unsigned 133:unsigned 99:August 3 67:August 4 46:August 2 26:Language 24:‎ | 22:Archives 20:‎ | 684:there's 539:manzana 486:there's 478:es gibt 445:there's 275:Yiddish 229:b_jonas 89:pages. 785:e-mail 737:) and 717:) and 682:While 663:Ƶ§œš¹ 547:Ƶ§œš¹ 457:Ƶ§œš¹ 423:apples 403:e-mail 338:StuRat 279:Hebrew 56:August 768:Twas 727:Haber 707:haber 494:there 386:Twas 69:: --> 63:: --> 62:: --> 44:< 16:< 777:talk 751:talk 725:). 693:talk 627:talk 435:talk 417:and 395:talk 356:talk 342:talk 316:talk 300:talk 256:talk 218:talk 203:talk 184:talk 168:talk 141:talk 114:talk 770:Now 703:hay 658:Hay 619:Voy 615:Veo 572:Voy 565:Voy 543:hay 518:hay 474:hay 453:hay 429:.-- 427:are 419:two 415:One 388:Now 294:-- 60:Sep 52:Jul 783:• 779:• 775:( 753:) 695:) 645:gr 640:An 629:) 584:gr 579:An 504:gr 499:An 437:) 401:• 397:• 393:( 358:) 344:) 318:) 302:) 267:if 258:) 220:) 205:) 186:) 170:) 143:) 116:) 58:| 54:| 787:) 749:( 741:( 733:( 721:( 713:( 691:( 625:( 433:( 405:) 354:( 340:( 314:( 298:( 273:( 254:( 216:( 201:( 182:( 166:( 139:( 112:(

Index

Knowledge:Reference desk
Archives
Language
Language desk
August 2
Jul
August
Sep
August 4
current reference desk
Glass Star
talk
03:57, 3 August 2008 (UTC)
unsigned
71.77.4.75
talk
04:47, 3 August 2008 (UTC)
unsigned
202.83.164.159
talk
10:49, 3 August 2008 (UTC)
84.160.19.40
talk
12:05, 3 August 2008 (UTC)
Sentence (linguistics)
87.102.5.5
talk
13:12, 3 August 2008 (UTC)
DOR (HK)
talk

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