First, I'd like to point out that the info on the mailing list, and how it works and how to join, is far from clear.
Also, I hope the non-ASCII characters are transmitted properly. My email has had issues with such matters (amongst other things), lately. I really need to find and get a different one.
Anyway, to get to the issue at hand:
Entries that state "with negative verb" or something similar.
It would probably be best to clarify this, by going over what happened on 一切 (いっさい,
issai)
I made suggestions to a few other entries as well ...but refraining from making them for every single relevant entry, at once, as that seemed a bit too much. After a few, I figured it'd be better to make my case first, then go through the rest. (I wasn't aware
of the mailing list)
Anyway, on "issai", I suggested a removal of the meaning of "absolutely not (with negative)", with the comment:
Absolutely not (with negative), means that "issai nai" translates as something along the lines of "not absolutely not" ...which means "absolutely".
I can't find any source for the "entirely not" meaning (checked GG5 and daijirin [jp-jp and jp-en parts], Wiktionary [English and Japanese]...)
To this I got a rejection from Rene Malenfant, with the comment:
you've misinterpreted what the "with negative" means. it means that the negative is in japanese and that いっさいない =
absolutely not
....
I fail to see how I have misinterpreted anything, in any way
....and it's pretty rich, to claim that a person doesn't understand what "with negative" means, when they have just demonstrated a clear understanding of it. That claim is one I cannot even begin to understand.
I would also advise Rene (and anyone/everyone in general) to never assume ignorance (or knowledge), but only claim such when there is actual evidence of it. To do so leads to misunderstanding, miscommunication, and offence.
Not to mention that I am someone whose mother tongue, has the same grammatical feature.
There is no word that means "not", in Kurdish. Just negative conjugations.
Exactly as in Japanese.
Being told that I do not understand something, when it is something so basic and innate...
Issai means "absolutely". (kinda. Amongst other ways to translate it)
Issai nai means "absolutely not"
....because issai means "absolutely", and nai negates this, resulting in the meaning of "absolutely not".
If, however, issai means "absolutely not", when it is accompanied by a negative, then issai nai is:
issai ("absolutely not") nai (negation) = a negation of "absolutely not" = "not absolutely not" = absolutely.
In other words, by that definition, "issai nai" means the same thing as "issai"
....which makes no sense.
We all know that issai means absolutely and issai nai means absolutely not.
Hence your definition cannot possibly be correct.
Also, I would like to repeat that no other dictionary I have ever seen, has done this weird and inexplicable thing, of defining words with their opposite meaning, when accompanied by a negative.
None.
Ever.
Anywhere.
Many note that certain words are often/mostly/always used with a negative
....but the defined meaning, stated, is always the non-negated one.
Anything else would make no sense, of any kind.
It is wrong, confusing, and misleading.
Yes, they have the opposite meaning in sentences that have a negation (with nai or negative verb/adjective or whatever), but that is because it is a translation of a whole sentence, rather than the specific word in the sentence, in isolation.
....or am I wrong?
If so, please do explain. I always appreciate learning more, not to mention getting rid of misconceptions.
But you need to do so with actual arguments, rather than just accusing me of misinterpretation or ignorance.
Make a case.
Not a baseless ad hominem.
(directing me to the mailing list, was quite proper, however ...though this should have to have been accompanied with directions on how/where to do so)
/Alan