🚀 go-pugleaf

Neil Coffey <neil@ox.compsoc.net> writes:

>Another difference is when 'why' expresses an attitude rather
>than reason. For example, Patrick Bruel's line:

>   "Pourquoi que les fous c'est nous?"

>(where the essential meaning is "Pourquoi qu'on dit que...") could
>be translated as:

>   "Why's it us that's mad?"

>but not as:

>   "*What's it us that's mad for?"

I don't think it's so much a contrast between attitudes & reasons, as
one between purposes & other kinds of reasons.  "What for" is out of
place in enquiring about causes that do not involve anyone's will.
"What are you hitting me for?", but not "What is the earth round
for?", unless perhaps you are asking God.

---  Joe Fineman    jcf@world.std.com

||:  Those who will not do arithmetic are condemned to talk  :||
||:  nonsense.                                               :||