The Evolution of Pragmatic Markers in English Pathways of Change

206 Forms of Say concessive meaning, which follows well- known paths of semantic change, is a modern change (late Late Modern / ...

207 7.3 (I’m) Just Saying and Related Comment Clauses c. Don’t be angry. I’m only saying  – you went to that dinner and she may ...

208 Forms of Say when a declarative clause follows (e.g., 18c– d), the punctuation (and presum- ably intonation) suggests that t ...

209 7.3.3 The Function of the Forms in Present- Day English ( I’m) just saying has recently been added to the OED (s.v. say , v. ...

210 Forms of Say him- or herself from the opinion stated by not taking responsibility for it, or by defl ecting any argument, re ...

211 (b) The speaker anticipates a negative response to a request or a suggestion: I was kind of wondering if you would be my Val ...

212 Forms of Say meaning (e.g., that’s all/ what I’m saying , all/ what I’m saying is that , do you understand/ agree with what ...

213 and be (224);^22 the frequency of these verbs is evidence of the increasing con- textual independence of the wh- clause, the ...

214 Forms of Say what’s right (1854), I cannot help just saying that ... (1860), or I am just saying ... why ... (1911). 7.3.4.1 ...

215 b. “Oh, you know, I’m just saying .... I  wasn’t scolding you.” (1931 Collette, The gentle libertine [ https:// books.google ...

216 Forms of Say (d) conjoined structure:  I’m not Ving, I’m just saying (V  =  complain, argue, assert, etc.) (e) simple presen ...

217 b. and, as I was just saying to your secretary, you have served the party like a patriot, (1858 Coulburn, The life and adven ...

218 Forms of Say b. I’m raving like a real lunatic, I’m thinking, and the sorrow you put on me has my brains drownded in grief. ...

219 However, there are also early examples which seem to have comment clause functions, as they precede non- declarative clauses ...

220 Forms of Say I only say is used to undercut the presumed threat to the addressee’s negative face by the command “take care.” ...

221 its effects. The nuanced differences in meaning between only , merely , and just undoubtedly account for the preference for ...

222 Forms of Say By the later part of the seventeenth century, all - pseudo- clefts are conventional- ized with clausal focus; a ...

223 c. All I’m saying is why don’t you do something? (1953 Saturday Evening Post [COHA]) d. All I’m saying is , don’t worry abou ...

224 Forms of Say 7.3.5.2 Source(s) of All/ What I’m saying (is). Again, a number of possible source(s) for all/ what I’m saying ...

225 (48) a. and all I  say is , let every one say the same (1782 Burney, Cecilia [CLMET3.0]) b. all I  say is , I  have kept the ...