GNU bug report logs - #68375
29.1; lispref documentation fixes

Previous Next

Full log

Message #52 received at 68375 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Stephen Berman <stephen.berman <at> gmx.net>
To: Richard Stallman <rms <at> gnu.org>
Cc: 68375 <at> debbugs.gnu.org, Xiyue Deng <manphiz <at> gmail.com>
Subject: Re: bug#68375: 29.1; lispref documentation fixes
Date: Fri, 12 Jan 2024 10:46:08 +0100

On Thu, 11 Jan 2024 22:56:42 -0500 Richard Stallman <rms <at> gnu.org> wrote:

> [[[ To any NSA and FBI agents reading my email: please consider    ]]]
> [[[ whether defending the US Constitution against all enemies,     ]]]
> [[[ foreign or domestic, requires you to follow Snowden's example. ]]]
>
>   >  therefore displayed, at some time, in a window (@pxref{Windows}).  But
>   > -a buffer need not be displayed in any window.  Each buffer has a
>   > +a buffer needs not be displayed in any window.  Each buffer has a
>
> Actually, the old text is more correct English usage.
> "Need" is a special case, and uses the old subjunctive mood

In this sentence "need" is not in the subjunctive mood but is being used
as a modal verb, like "can", "must", etc.  What's special about "need"
in this usage is that it only occurs in so-called polarity contexts
(e.g. negative, interrogative), unlike the ordinary modal verbs (so
e.g. "A buffer need be displayed" is ungrammatical but "A buffer
can/must/may be displayed" is fine).  (An example of the subjunctive
mood is "be" in e.g. "This requires that a buffer not be displayed in
any window."  I can't off the top of my head think of an acceptable use
of "need" in the subjunctive, but perhaps there are such uses.)

Steve Berman

Previous Next

GNU bug tracking system
Copyright (C) 1999 Darren O. Benham, 1997,2003 nCipher Corporation Ltd, 1994-97 Ian Jackson.