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Be

Posted: Mon Oct 14, 2013 8:31 pm
by Slava
Perhaps one of the most important and most used words in English. Irregular, to boot. Of languages that have and use this word, can we find one that does not have irregular forms? I know some languages do not use this verb, but do any that do have a regular conjugation?

Re: Be

Posted: Mon Oct 14, 2013 9:48 pm
by Perry Lassiter
I don't know of any.

Re: Be

Posted: Fri Oct 18, 2013 2:59 am
by Philip Hudson
Yes, if you count ebonics as a language. I think "be" is regular in it as are almost all verbs.

Re: Be

Posted: Mon Nov 04, 2013 9:40 am
by eberntson
It begs the question, "to be, or not to be?". I wish I still had my little brown reader, so I could see how Jack and Jill used it. Sorry, just musing.

E

PS. I choose to be long ago.

Re: Be

Posted: Tue Nov 05, 2013 1:20 am
by Philip Hudson
I don't get the drift of your musing eberntson. As an expert literary critic of nursery rhymes, I have never read a line in Jack and Jill that mentions be. Do you know a verse I don't know?

Re: Be

Posted: Tue Nov 05, 2013 1:48 am
by eberntson
I do not know of an example of "be" in the Brown Reader. Thus my question, come to think of it I don't think I have ever seen a copy in a used book store. It might be a hoot to get a copy. I managed to find a copy of my Brit Lit book from high school. Bought it a a former teachers yard sale, which brings me back "to be, or not to be."

Re: Be

Posted: Sat Nov 09, 2013 3:58 am
by Philip Hudson
Jews and Christians have a special use for be. God told Moses he was "I am who I am." Jesus also claimed this name. The name is sometimes written as Jehovah in English and there is some use of the Romanized Hebrew letters YHWH.

On a lighter note, Popeye said, "I yam what I yam." And now we have the acronym "Wysiwyg" (pronounced 'whizzywig), "What you see is what you get."