Damiana Posted 20 years ago
Grammar
"If no more so than"
I can't understand a sentence from one of the Tolkien's letters. Will you please help me?
"It is not true actually of the Orcs – who are fundamentally a race of 'rational incarnate' creatures, though horribly corrupted, if no more so than many Men to be met today".
Does "if no more so than" signify "even more so than", or "but no more than"? In other words, does Tolkien consider the Orcs to be more corrupted than many comtemporary Men, or does he say that many Men to be met today are as corrupted as the Orcs are?
"It is not true actually of the Orcs – who are fundamentally a race of 'rational incarnate' creatures, though horribly corrupted, if no more so than many Men to be met today".
Does "if no more so than" signify "even more so than", or "but no more than"? In other words, does Tolkien consider the Orcs to be more corrupted than many comtemporary Men, or does he say that many Men to be met today are as corrupted as the Orcs are?
Top answer
simplified: The Orcs are corrupted, if no more so than many Men to be met today . The Orcs are corrupted, but not more corrupted than many Men we can meet today.
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simplified:
The Orcs are corrupted, if no more so than many Men to be met today.
The Orcs are corrupted, but not more corrupted than many Men we can meet today.
The Orcs are corrupted, if no more so than many Men to be met today.
The Orcs are corrupted, but not more corrupted than many Men we can meet today.
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