On Fri, Dec 19, 2008 at 3:13 PM, Dirk Heinrichs <dirk.heinri...@online.de> wrote: > Am Freitag, 19. Dezember 2008 21:53:47 schrieb Paul Hartman: >> Yes, in English "must" can also mean that you infer or presume >> something. > > Ah, yes. I remember :-) > >> So, instead of "your kernel must not be 64bits", maybe it >> would have been clearer to say "I suspect you are not using a 64-bit >> kernel; if you were, it would not have this problem". :) > > So can "your kernel must not..." be understood as "I suspect your kernel is > not..."? Wasn't aware of this... Thanks for clarifying.
Yes, exactly. It is confusing, especially if you are used to languages that have proper rules. I think the only rule in English is "there are no rules in English" :) :) Here are English dictionary definitions for "must" when used as a verb. I think in this case numbers 4 or 7 could apply. 1 a: be commanded or requested to <you must stop> b: be urged to : ought by all means to <you must read that book> 2: be compelled by physical necessity to <one must eat to live> : be required by immediate or future need or purpose to <we must hurry to catch the bus> 3 a: be obliged to : be compelled by social considerations to <I must say you're looking well> b: be required by law, custom, or moral conscience to <we must obey the rules> c: be determined to <if you must go at least wait for me> d: be unreasonably or perversely compelled to <why must you argue> 4: be logically inferred or supposed to <it must be time> 5: be compelled by fate or by natural law to <what must be will be> 6: was or were presumably certain to : was or were bound to <if he did it she must have known> 7dialect : may , shall —used chiefly in questions
