I can't not be without my mobile

[Theseus]

An awkward triple negative - 'not' 'not' 'without' - meaning 'I have to have my mobile with me'.
A more sophisticated version also occurs in some versions of of Anselm's Ontological Argument for the existence of God i.e. if God is defined as 'that than which no greater can be thought of' and He doesn't exist, then by definition something 'greater can be thought of' than a non-existent God viz. a God which does exist, then God cannot not exist.:cheek::)

 

[azimuthios]

In the God argument we can translate: Δεν γίνεται να μην... (it is not possible that he does not...)

In the other example, I guess the triple negative is used just for emphasis.

 

[Theseus]

‘Ετσι, η σωστή μετάφραση για το πρώτο παράδειγμα θα ήταν ‘πρέπει πάντα ν’ έχω μαζί μου το κινητό' ;

 

[azimuthios]

"Πρέπει οπωσδήποτε να έχω μαζί μου το κινητό", επίσης.

ή

"Δεν κάνω χωρίς το κινητό μου", to use the negative form.

 

[drsiebenmal]

The funny thing is that a Greek triple negative defaults to "I don't want my mobile" (I think :)): Δεν (1) μπορώ να μην (2) είμαι χωρίς (3) το κινητό μου.

 

[nickel]

Is this valid English?

I can understand and even use the double negative:
I can't not invite him = Δεν μπορώ να μην τον καλέσω. (ability)
You can't not know this = Δεν μπορεί να μην το ξέρεις. Είμαι σίγουρος ότι το ξέρεις. (probability)

Therefore:
I can't be without my mobile.
I can't not have my mobile with me all the time.

But the triple negative is like tripping yourself. The correct meaning is understood only through the tolerant interpretation your listeners will make, right? :)

 

[pontios]

I could be on the wrong track but it sounds like a cry for help or a realisation of an addiction gone too far.

If you strip it back (i.e take way the negatives)
1. I can be without my mobile (leaving 1 negative - without ) = I am not addicted to my mobile.
2. I can not (=I can't) be without my mobile (2 negatives - without and not) = I am addicted to my mobile and sadly resigned to the fact.'
3. I can't ( =I can not ) not be without my mobile (3 negatives) = I can't be that way (i.e. 2 above) any longer. I mustn't. I can't let myself be defeated by this addiction = I must break this obsession and addiction ?

The sentence structure is unusually clumsy, perhaps purposefully so, and so I'm just trying not to dismiss it as lightweight, that there may be some meaning that is not immediately apparent.

 

[Hellegennes]

‘Ετσι, η σωστή μετάφραση για το πρώτο παράδειγμα θα ήταν ‘πρέπει πάντα ν’ έχω μαζί μου το κινητό' ;

Εκτός θέματος, αλλά το "να" και το "θα" δεν παθαίνουν έκθλιψη πριν από διαφορετικό φωνήεν. Τα μόνα πάθη που σχετίζεται μαζί τους είναι η αφαίρεση (να 'ρθω, θα 'μαι) και η έκθλιψη πίσω από όμοιο φωνήεν (ν' αλλάξω, θ' αργήσω).

 

[nickel]

I can't ( =I can not ) not be without my mobile (3 negatives) = I can't be that way (i.e. 2 above) any longer. I mustn't. I can't let myself be defeated by this addiction = I must break this obsession and addiction ?

Δεν (1) μπορώ να μην (2) είμαι χωρίς (3) το κινητό μου

The analysis is correct, but I tend to think one's got to have more problems than a mobile addiction to pile the negatives up like that.

As Helle mentioned before, it sounds to me too like a superfluous “not” for emphasis' sake. Think of “I can't, I just cannot, be without my mobile, no way”.
:)

 

[pontios]

Ίσως υπάρχουν νοηματικά κενά ..
Δεν (1) μπορώ να μην (2) είμαι χωρίς (3) το κινητό μου =
δεν (1) μπορώ πια (δηλαδή δεν αντέχω πια) να είμαι άτομο που δεν μπορεί (2) να ζει χωρίς (3) το κινητό του ;

I need to get over my mobile phone addiction, in other words.
I can't live without my mobile and I need to change this about myself.
Something to consider anyway ?

 

[Hellegennes]

The analysis is correct, but I tend to think one's got to have more problems than a mobile addiction to pile the negatives up like that.

As Helle mentioned before, it sounds to me too like a superfluous “not” for emphasis' sake. Think of “I can't, I just cannot, be without my mobile, no way”.
:)

I don't know how frequently this is used in Southern Greece or if it is used at all but there's a particular syntax of a phrase consisting of three negatives in a row:

Δεν γίνεται να μη δεν έρθεις.

That's a good example of a superfluous negative. "Μη δεν" retains the negative sense, here, unlike it's use in "Μη δεν πας" (you should not not go = you should go).

 

[nickel]

I don't know how frequently this is used in Southern Greece ...

We tend to give a weird look at anyone who says anything like that. At any time of the day. (You see how we prefer to use triple 'any' rather than triple negatives?)

:)