مَا زَيْدًا ضَرَبْتُ وَلَا غَيْرَهُ
I struck neither Zayd nor anyone else.
Fronting the object is not the normal solution when the listener is mistaken about whether the act occurred at all. Object-first order often evokes a contrast between possible objects, potentially confusing the intended denial.
The source tests this with a negated object-first example followed by “nor anyone else.” One must distinguish denying the action from correcting the identity of its target.
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Fronting the Object: Correction, Restriction and Ordering of Complements
مَا زَيْدًا ضَرَبْتُ وَلَا غَيْرَهُ
I struck neither Zayd nor anyone else.
Fronting the object is not the normal solution when the listener is mistaken about whether the act occurred at all. Object-first order often evokes a contrast between possible objects, potentially confusing the intended denial.
The source tests this with a negated object-first example followed by “nor anyone else.” One must distinguish denying the action from correcting the identity of its target.