Latest Page Discussions/Comic Update Chitchat

[Unlos]

Doesn't that indicate subjunctive? I had to look it up since English isn't my first language and if I had written it it would probably have been a typo.

I'm leaning on the explanation given here:
https://www.cliffsnotes.com/cliffsnotes/subjects/writing/which-is-correct-if-i-was-or-if-i-were-and-why

[thorny]

It's not a singular past tense, unless it were in the subjunctive. But that's not a proper use of the subjunctive (which I did just use in the second half of my first sentence.)

It may just be a grammar error. But it's not any sort of proper formal English, unless the speaker is plural. The Queen of England might use it in formal language, because as I understand it the Queen when speaking formally uses the plural for herself; but a pastor's not the Queen.

ETA: Unlos, the site you cite says:

Subjunctive: A verb in the subjunctive mood deals with hypothetical situations or with ideas that are contrary to fact.

[Unlos]

It's not a singular past tense, unless it were in the subjunctive. But that's not a proper use of the subjunctive (which I did just use in the second half of my first sentence.)

It may just be a grammar error. But it's not any sort of proper formal English, unless the speaker is plural. The Queen of England might use it in formal language, because as I understand it the Queen when speaking formally uses the plural for herself; but a pastor's not the Queen.

ETA: Unlos, the site you cite says:

Hmmm, hmm, subjunctive confuses me - it has almost completely disappeared from norwegian. I became almost familiar with it when I was learning spansih, but I've sadly forgotten a lot of that. I admit I'm pretty blank on when it's used in english.

So (I do love geeking out about languages) unless she were the queen, she should have been using was? 

[thorny]

Hmmm, hmm, subjunctive confuses me - it has almost completely disappeared from norwegian. I became almost familiar with it when I was learning spansih, but I've sadly forgotten a lot of that. I admit I'm pretty blank on when it's used in english.

It actually isn't used much in English any longer, either; at least in practice. I'm probably one of about six people left in the USA who still winces a little inwardly whenever somebody says 'I wish I was'. And I do usually try to keep it inward.

So (I do love geeking out about languages) unless she were the queen, she should have been using was?

Assuming the speaker's singular, yes.

Which is why I was wondering whether Minna meant that to indicate that the speaker's not singular: that is, maybe not only Pastor A, but some composite of the remains of multiple people.

[Unlos]

It actually isn't used much in English any longer, either; at least in practice. I'm probably one of about six people left in the USA who still winces a little inwardly whenever somebody says 'I wish I was'. And I do usually try to keep it inward.

Assuming the speaker's singular, yes.

Which is why I was wondering whether Minna meant that to indicate that the speaker's not singular: that is, maybe not only Pastor A, but some composite of the remains of multiple people.

I think she only meant a formal/hypothetical version (or a typo) but who knows - maybe? It's a fun speculation, anyway.
(After my last comment, I've been visiting the comment section from todays page and see it's been discussed there, too: http://disq.us/p/1rfztya )

[wavewright62]

thorny is correct that most of the native English speakers will be scratching their heads over this one! 
The language geekery makes me happy. 

[Hrollo]

Although when you say "heck you!" (or some other equivalent, feel the blanks), it is technically a subjunctive (it cannot be an imperative since an imperative doesn't admit a subject pronoun - otherwise it would rather be "heck yourself!")

[thorny]

Although when you say "heck you!" (or some other equivalent, feel the blanks), it is technically a subjunctive (it cannot be an imperative since an imperative doesn't admit a subject pronoun - otherwise it would rather be "heck yourself!")

You've succeeded in coming up with a grammar rule I don't think I ever heard of!

This is fun!

-- however, in that construction it's difficult to tell whether the person saying it is using the subjunctive or not.

Though one could probably confound the person doing the swearing by asking them whether they meant to indicate a subjunctive --

[Hrollo]

Well it's worth noting that in languages that use the subjunctive more extensively, it can also take on injunctive functions similar to those of the imperative (eg French: "qu'il parte !" - "let/make him leave!"/"May he leave!", or indeed English "so be it!").

[ZanarNaryon]

So I was rereading page 333, and I realized something. Onni refers to something that's searching for them. We still don't know what "It" is, do we?

[wavewright62]

So I was rereading page 333, and I realized something. Onni refers to something that's searching for them. We still don't know what "It" is, do we?

No, no clue, but beaucoup speculation.  Another thread where theories on It are first hashed out: https://ssssforum.com/index.php?topic=75.45

Mine?  I now wonder whether some member of the Hotakainen family is in a similar situation to Pastor A - Rashed, a troll/giant, but has kept some semblence of self. 
In Tuuri's flashback, she stated that 'pretty much' only Ensi and Lalli were immune. We don't know if either or both of her sons possessed any magical ability.  What if it was one of her sons and/or their wives that were caught in a Rash outbreak, and Ensi attempted a magical treatment in desperation?  There could have been enough to keep the sense of self intact, but nothing else.

[thorny]

Taking a wild jump to most recent page --

am I the only one seeing a cross in those beams?

[wavewright62]

Taking a wild jump to most recent page --

am I the only one seeing a cross in those beams?

*squints* Mm-mebbe?
What I suddenly notice is that the four of them are standing in a shadow, which ordinarily would mean danger.

[thorny]

That's interesting. I hadn't realized Sigrun had backtracked all the way to the location where Lalli and Emil were attacked.

But if she thinks they might have been eaten, what does she think killed the giant?

[Grade E cat]

Her backtracking is shown in the two first pages of Chapter 18. I think consensus is that she mistook the situation for a mutual kill. She doesn't know what Finnish magic is capable of (Lalli is her first Finnish mage), but Emil did have explosives with him. "Eaten" is also only one of the possibilities she considers. The "crushed" and "drowned" options are hardly incompatible with blowing up something that big, without being careful, near a large body of water.