Then again, one whispers sweet nothings into a lover's ear, so "nothing" may be one of those words, like "time," that can be both countable and uncountable, with countability indicating a shift in meaning.
In French, "Je n'ai rien senti" is literally "I felt nothing," with "rien" being part of the two-part negation "ne...rien." The concept of nothingness, in French, is "le néant," which finds its way into words like "anéantir," to annihilate or destroy. "Rien" can also be used poetically as a noun. (I found this sentence online: "Ce n'est peut-être rien, mais c'est mon rien," i.e., "This may be nothing, but it's my nothing.")
As you know, the German word "Nichts" means nothingness (das Nichts), and I think there's a lower-case form meaning "nothing" when used for negation: "Ich sehe nichts," or "I see nothing." But I don't think the "s" in "Nichts" is meant as a pluralizer. Can Germans say "die Nichts" in the plural?
My Spanish is pretty weak, but "No veo nada" would be "I see nothing." And nothingness would be "la nada."
But what happens if you treat the concept of nothing as countable? Is it still nothing if you can count it? Mystery upon mystery.
Kevin, I lost part of my response to your comment and can't seem to reconstruct what you'ed said and how I'd replied, but I have some of the same questions, so I'll try to repeat some of your wording in my reaction.
I suppose one could, even in English, derive from "sweet nothings" the expression "a sweet nothing." There's a lower-case form in German meaning "nothing" when used for negation: "Ich sehe nichts," or "I see nothing." I also don't think the "s" in "Nichts" is meant as a pluralizer. Can Germans say nothing," e.g., "I whispered a sweet nothing in her ear." But can one say: "I whispered sweet nothing in her ear"?
I recall from my existentialism days the French concept of nothingness: "le néant." Spanish has "No veo nada," "I see nothing." And nothingness would be "la nada." There's that famous Hemingway monologue over nada in Spanish.
Your question as to what happens if you treat the concept of nothing as countable is also a question that I have asked. Is it still nothing if you about can count it? Mystery upon mystery.
One gets tangled up in blue in such intellectual perambulations . . .
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ReplyDeleteThen again, one whispers sweet nothings into a lover's ear, so "nothing" may be one of those words, like "time," that can be both countable and uncountable, with countability indicating a shift in meaning.
ReplyDeleteIn French, "Je n'ai rien senti" is literally "I felt nothing," with "rien" being part of the two-part negation "ne...rien." The concept of nothingness, in French, is "le néant," which finds its way into words like "anéantir," to annihilate or destroy. "Rien" can also be used poetically as a noun. (I found this sentence online: "Ce n'est peut-être rien, mais c'est mon rien," i.e., "This may be nothing, but it's my nothing.")
As you know, the German word "Nichts" means nothingness (das Nichts), and I think there's a lower-case form meaning "nothing" when used for negation: "Ich sehe nichts," or "I see nothing." But I don't think the "s" in "Nichts" is meant as a pluralizer. Can Germans say "die Nichts" in the plural?
My Spanish is pretty weak, but "No veo nada" would be "I see nothing." And nothingness would be "la nada."
But what happens if you treat the concept of nothing as countable? Is it still nothing if you can count it? Mystery upon mystery.
Kevin, I lost part of my response to your comment and can't seem to reconstruct what you'ed said and how I'd replied, but I have some of the same questions, so I'll try to repeat some of your wording in my reaction.
ReplyDeleteI suppose one could, even in English, derive from "sweet nothings" the expression "a sweet nothing." There's a lower-case form in German meaning "nothing" when used for negation: "Ich sehe nichts," or "I see nothing." I also don't think the "s" in "Nichts" is meant as a pluralizer. Can Germans say nothing," e.g., "I whispered a sweet nothing in her ear." But can one say: "I whispered sweet nothing in her ear"?
I recall from my existentialism days the French concept of nothingness: "le néant." Spanish has "No veo nada," "I see nothing." And nothingness would be "la nada." There's that famous Hemingway monologue over nada in Spanish.
Your question as to what happens if you treat the concept of nothing as countable is also a question that I have asked. Is it still nothing if you about can count it? Mystery upon mystery.
One gets tangled up in blue in such intellectual perambulations . . .
Jeffery Hodges
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