Re: negated nitcu

[Don Wiggins <dwiggins@BFSEC.BT.CO.UK>]

> In "I don't need a
> radio to sing a song"

> Saying "mi na nitcu ko'a lenu broda" simply
> negates the existence of the "needing" relationship between me and ko'a and
> the act of broda, right?  Does it correspond to any of the above neatly?

I would say that this corresponds nicely to the simple form.  I would think
of it as "It is false that I need this particular thing to do something".

> It's along the lines of "I don't need a hammer to attach these two papers.
> (actually, I need a stapler)."

.i mi nitcu na'ebo lo mruli lenu lo ti remei pelji cu jorne

I need something other-than a hammer to attach there two papers.  The
attachment does require something and that thing is not a hammer.

> The other negation, in "I don't need a dinosaur to eat me up," is a bit
> different.

To me, this means "I don't want a dinosaur to eat me up" playing on an
idiomatic form of 'need'.

.i mi to'e djica lenu lo tcesaurespa mi citka

ni'oco'omi'e dn.