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From: levy@princeton.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.nlang
Subject: Re: what does "Non Serviam" mean?
Message-ID: <65@princeton.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 18-Sep-83 00:23:11 EDT
Article-I.D.: princeto.65
Posted: Sun Sep 18 00:23:11 1983
Date-Received: Sun, 18-Sep-83 13:40:34 EDT
References: <647@ihuxr.UUCP>
Organization: Princeton University
Lines: 7

"Serviam" is not a past tense -- it is a present subjuctive.  It means
(by itself) something like "That I may serve", or "May I serve".  "Non
serviam" is the opposite.

Not having read Lem's story, I cannot answer your 2nd and 3rd questions.

			-- Silvio Levy