It’s so hard to read, it hurts. But so clever all the same!
It’s a true test of “Can you deal with the double negative?”
It’s a true test of “Can you deal with the double negative?”
Anecdote:
An MIT linguistics professor was lecturing his class the other day. "In English," he said, "a double negative forms a positive. However, in some languages, such as Russian, a double negative remains a negative. But there isn't a single language, not one, in which a double positive can express a negative."
A voice from the back of the room piped up, "Yeah, right."
This may be one of those quips that is simply untraceable.
https://www.lifehacker.com.au/2020/07/difference-between-yea...
It's saying "I hear what you are saying, but I don't agree" with typical Aussie friendly honesty, with the implication that the proposition was unreasonable (often laughable).
Example, "Willing to swap late model Honda Civic for Ferrari or Lamborghini, must be road worthy and registered, cash my way if needed." Yeah, nah.
But a lack of intonation or performance delivery (that head nod or shake) leads to a lot of confusion.
Furthermore, in text form it can be downright ambiguous.
But I do smile when I hear:"Yeah nah, thanks tho' aay."
"Ja" is yes. "Nej" is no. "Nja" is neither. It's used to express uncertainty or that it's not as simple as yes or no.
For example if someone asks me if I want to go somewhere with them at a specific time, and I would like to go with them but I already plan to do something else at that time, then I would say “nja” and while I say that think out an alternative suggestion for when we might go.
Another example is if I talk with someone and they say something that I agree with but then say something I disagree with. Then I would say “nja”. In this case it would be similar to English where you might say “yes and no”. And then state what I agree with and what I don’t agree with and why.
> I was, after all, something to sneeze at, someone you could easily hold a candle to, someone who usually aroused bridled passion.
Rest are regular words, but "negated unpaired idioms", which seem to be easier to read.