Ultan's grammar quip

David Stockhoff · 13 May 2011, 11:47 · from 2011-May.txt.gz

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From: dstockhoff at verizon.net (David Stockhoff)
Date: Fri, 13 May 2011 07:47:23 -0400
Subject: (urth) Ultan's grammar quip
In-Reply-To: <BANLkTinXOJPL2nvi2nghbrEFsTXY3qFi3g at mail.gmail.com>
References: <BANLkTinXOJPL2nvi2nghbrEFsTXY3qFi3g at mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <4DCD1A4B.2080002 at verizon.net>

I assume it's "Master Palaemon teaches us apprentices, mostly."

I think Ultan means the word "mostly" is misplaced, making it sound like 
Palaemon teaches "apprentices" as a subject, thus, "but not grammar."



On 5/13/2011 5:15 AM, Jason H wrote:
> Shadow Grammar Puzzle:
>
> When Ultan meets Severian, he asks him whose apprentice he is; 
> Severian replies that Master Gurloes sent him and that Master Palaemon 
> teaches the apprentices; Ultan replies "But not grammar".
>
> The implication of his little joke is that Severian made a grammatical 
> error at some point since they met. What's the error?
>
> (I *think* I know, but I'm only 75% sure. So I'm curious what other 
> people think.)
>
>
> -Jason
>


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