" He knows. "
Drawing Rie Mochizuki
When we cross the bridge, while discussing the sushi on the menu tomorrow, I would point out that one can find shrimp in the merchant Doe, located nearby.
- I know, "she notes.
- You know, I said.
It should be noted that it gave know-it lowering his tone, as if she had sung Mi-Do, and I told him you-know on the rising air of Do-Do-Mi .
Note also the very natural use of the imperfect in the reply (you-know ), while the statement was made to this ( know-it ). It is clear that the choice of tenses has nothing to do with the real-time: his knowledge, it is not suddenly become history in the space of a second. An explanation is needed. But back to the first use of tones.
Everyone knows of the existence of tones in Chinese, Vietnamese or in some languages of the Gulf of Guinea such as the Ewe or Yoruba. But lo and behold, there are tons - of slightly different nature - until Japanese and French. Thus, the two syllables of the Japanese word hashi may be imposed from the bottom (Do-Mi) or top down (Mi-Do). In the first case, the word hashi means bridge, in the second, it means chopsticks. At least, according to the standard of Tokyo, because people in the Kansai (Western Honshu) invert the colors in this case.
If the errors in pronunciation tones prove fatal in Chinese, they rarely impede comprehension in Japanese. We will quickly identify with his partner, a native of Kansas or a stranger, and decode the message accordingly, similarly includes a Parisian accent effortlessly du Midi or German accent (we know, however, some notable exceptions).
What is less obvious is that the French phrases also contain a tonal sequence. However, unlike the Japanese, the tonal sequence is not intended to distinguish words or phrases, but to add additional information to the message.
Thus, the melodic phrase Mi-Do ( know-it ) indicates that information was supplied previously unknown theory of interlocutor. This is also the role also in this sentence (I-know ), while the imperfect rather serves to confirm a fact known normally (I-knew ).
dialogue could take place as follows:
- I knew. (= I'll do well out that I know.)
- You knew. (= Ah, yes, I confirm that you know.)
For cons, the following sequence is impossible
- I knew.
- You know.
It will also have to say:
- But I knew. (The word but plays the same role as imperfect and that the sequence Mi-Do). The sequence
Do-Mi must be distinguished from tonal rise in the interrogative sentence. The phrase You-Know? decides on a different air, closer to C-La.
That explanation is that the grammars keep well supplied. (Incidentally, the word here, as opposed to here, plays the same role that imperfect vis-à-vis the present.)
