I’d like to know if they sang “no seam” or “no seamS”. It sounds “no seam” to me. But it should be “no seams” grammatically, I presume.
Simon & Garfunkel Scarborough Fair - YouTube
Tell her to make me a cambric shirt
Parsely, sage, rosemary & thyme
Without NO SEAMs nor needlework
Then she’ll be a true love of mine
It’s “no seam”. You can easily find the lyrics online.
Gramatically, “Without NO SEAMs nor needlework” is incorrect. Gramatically, “Without NO SEAM nor needlework” is incorrect. “Without seams or needlework” is gramatically correct. “Without seam or needlework” is gramatically correct. “Without any seams or needlework” is gramatically correct. “Without any seam or needlework” is gramatically correct. “With neither seams nor needlework” is gramatically correct. “With neither seam nor needlework” is gramatically correct. This is what I HEAR from your link, “Without no seam or needlework” “Scarborough Fair” is a traditional ballad of Great Britain and the original line in the traditional ballad (NOT IN THE RECORDING) IS “Sewn without seams or fine needlework”.
As this English song from the middle ages spread, it was adapted, modified, and rewritten to the point that dozens of versions existed by the end of the 18th century, although only a few are typically sung nowadays. The Simon and Garfunkel adaptation is not gramatically correct.
Thanks, teacherNia. Yes, I know “without no …” is grammatically incorrect. It should be “without any…”. What I meant was “no seams” was correct and “no seam” was incorrect.
Your answer was both would be okay, right? Thanks.
Correct. Both are grammatically correct. Both have the same meaning. The dress has no seams. = The dress has no seam.