[net.nlang] Stolen book

jlg@lanl-a.UUCP (09/22/84)

>>      "I had a book stolen"
>>
>>was FIVE ways ambiguous.  I can get three readings easily.
>>
>>      1) I caused it to happen that a book was stolen.
>>      2) I was robbed of a book.
>>      3) I possessed a book which was stolen.
>>

Meaning 3 above is either equivalent to meaning 2, or it means

	   "I had a stolen book" or "I had a 'hot' book".

In either case it is not a new meaning for the original phrase.

How about:   3) I had a 'stolen' of the 'book' variety.