A question about double negatives?

Question

I wonder if you can help clear up an argument I am having with my other half.

I asked him: "What difference does it make?"
And he said "It doesn't make none"

I said that this was a 'double negative' and really it means that id DOES make a difference, ie, two negatives = a positive. I have looked at websites that agree with me that 'none' is a negaive word, but what do you think? Who is right?

PS I know this is petty but its annoying me. Thanks in advance.

To Rolande, I am chilled out, we were having a laugh more than anything he just would not admit that he was wrong, he thought it was perfectly ok. Of course I knew what he MEANT. I asked a question about language, I didn't ask for your opinion on me as a person, and whether or not I should 'chill out'.

Answer 1

You understand what he is trying to say, but rather than try to interrupt his language it may be best to correct the statement. He could say it makes no difference or just say none. As stated, he is really saying it does make a difference. Just like answering the question ... would you like some? I don't want none ... so he must want some.

Double Negatives
Finally, let’s consider double negatives. When we want to negate something, we use no or not:
I allow no talking in my class.
I don’t allow any talking in my class.

For reasons of redundancy and idiomatic preference, we don’t use no and not in the same sentences:
I don’t allow no talking in my class.

Words other than no and not can indicate negation. Here’s a list of those words with their positive counterparts (which are not necessarily their antonyms). Don’t use a negative word with not or no.
Negative Word Positive Counterpart Examples
never ever Incorrect I don’t never eat meat.
Correct I never eat meat.
Correct I don’t ever eat meat.

none any Incorrect I don’t want none.
Correct I want none.
Correct I don’t want any.

http://www.sparknotes.com/testprep/books/newsat/powertactics/writingmc/chapter2section10.rhtml

8 results for: pleonasm are shown at this link.
ple·o·nasm /ˈpliəˌnæzəm/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[plee-uh-naz-uhm] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–noun 1. the use of more words than are necessary to express an idea; redundancy.
2. an instance of this, as free gift or true fact.
3. a redundant word or expression.


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[Origin: 1580–90; < LL pleonasmus < Gk pleonasmós redundancy, surplus, deriv. of pleonázein to be or have more than enough, itself deriv. of pleíōn more (see pleo-)]

—Related forms
ple·o·nas·tic, adjective
ple·o·nas·ti·cal·ly, adverb
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

Answer 2

I'm slightly surprised at the FORM of his expression. I might have expected the typical slang "It DON'T t make none."

Actually, neither of you is quite right on this.

The fact that it is formally a "double negative" does NOT mean that "it really means 'it does make a difference'.

True, this sort of "double negative" is NOT considered standard English (whether formal or informal). But that doesn't mean it's simply "illogical". Rather, this form of expression has a recognized use and meaning -- which is NOT the way you are (mis)interpreting it.

These sorts of expression has a long history, is found in many dialects and is perfectly understandable. It is also a common accepted way of speaking in many languages.

The point of a double negative is simply to EMPHASIZE or add emotion to a point by using a type of repetition --in this case of negative forms.

Your way of constructing it treats the sentence as if it were a simple mathematical equation, used to convey bare facts. But, in fact, language communicates much more than that, including speakers/ feelings and attitudes toward the notion or toward others to or about whom they are speaking.

One other answer touched on this feature of language that is technically redundant ("pleonasm") though I'm not sure it made the key point. This sort of redundancy generally is intentional and does add SOMETHING to a sentence.

In this case, an expression like "it don't make none" would be equivalent to "it makes no difference AT ALL." (And note that, if you really think about the "literal meaning" of the words "at all" might also be said to be redundant, since its "logical" meaning may be exactly the same as "it makes no difference.")

A key question to ask is "is the speaker's meaning clearly understood?" In fact, it is. And it's difficult to dismiss a form as simply illogical if it is standard in many languages AND is clearly understood by the listener.

Now it is true that English MAY use two negatives to "cancel each other out". For example, the form called "litotes" (emphasis by understatement) DOES use offsetting negatives.... to make a point. "It was not unusual. . . " (to express the idea "It was, in fact, QUITE usual/common. . . ") compare "not bad! not bad at all!"

But at the same time there are OTHER double negative constructions used in slang English (and, again, other languages) in which the two negatives do NOT cancel each other out. And users of the language are generally clear about when this is happening.

Answer 3

Well, in this case "none" seems to mean "no difference" . . . in that case it would be a double negative. But "none" is a quantifier really, not a negative. If you asked someone for example if they were happy or not and they said "none" it wouldn't make much sense. If you clean up the original sentence grammatically, then it would end up being a double negative.

Answer 4

Grammatically, you are entirely right of course.
"It doesn't make none" when unabbreviated states "It does not make not one" (as 'none' is actually a contraction of 'not one'). So he's stating that it makes at least one or more differences.

However, in terms of everyday dialogue and conversation, I would think that most people would accept that, in the context in which he used it, your other half adequately communicated that he thought it made no difference.

More importantly, I would suggest that, if this is "annoying" you, then you need to chill a bit and stop being so pedantic. Try and hear what your partner means rather than pick apart his choice of words and grammar.

Answer 5

Yes, you are right. Two negatives do make a positive because the second negative cancels out the first one. This means that 'It does make one (a difference)'.

Answer 6

perhaps ur friend is a French or Italian but in English two negatives make a positive. u r right.

Answer 7

You are correct.

There are two possibilities for how much sense something can make: some or none. It can be one or the other, but not both.

If it make some sense, it does not make "none".
If it make no sense, it does not make "some".