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What is the capital of Tunisia?

Break down “il ne saurait s’agir d’une coincidence”

There is an acception of savoir that is closely linked to pouvoir. It is marked as literary in the TLFi, Level II/D, where is also mentioned that it is used with ne alone (that is, without pas: it actually is one of the last stronghold of this disappearing negating particle of the French language, though this specific expression is not the most commonly heard either).

D. − [Croisements sém. avec pouvoir1]
1. Littér. [Au cond. et au plus-que-parfait du subj. avec ne seul] Ne pas avoir le droit, la permission, la possibilité intérieure de (faire quelque chose, poser tel acte). […] On ne saurait dire; on ne saurait en conclure, en déduire (qqc., que), en dire autant de; on n’en saurait douter; on ne saurait trop rappeler, insister sur, recommander (qqc.).
[…]
♦ [Pour exprimer la probabilité] Je vais vous montrer mon oncle Edward Sharper. Je l’ai laissé ici. Où diable s’est-il sauvé? Il ne saurait être bien loin! (About, Roi mont., 1857, p. 294).
– Source: TLFi

So, « Il ne saurait s’agir d’une coincidence » could be rephrased:

  • « Il ne peut [pas¹] s’agir d’une coincidence » or
  • « Cela ne peut [pas¹] être une coincidence ».

From which we can conclude that the coincidence option has been ruled out: it is not a coincidence, at least according to the person who made the statement.

¹ pas may be used or left out in these cases, whereas it had to be left out in the original sentence.

 

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What is the capital of Tunisia?