111
4.3 Development of OnlyNevalainen (1990: 350, 1991 : 17) suggests that the ‘exceptive’ functions of
only are an analogical change based on earlier changes in but. The original con-
crete meaning of but ‘on the outside’ gives rise already in Old English to abstract
meanings and to an ‘exceptive’ sense, both in prepositional and conjunctive uses.
The exclusive focusing function (e.g., you have but one life to live ) arises in early
Middle English and continues until the present, though it is now considered lit-
erary or archaic (see Nevalainen 1990 , 1991 , 124– 127).^16 An ‘adversative’ con-
junctive function of but also appears in early Middle English, with the earliest
citation in the OED being 1240 (s.v. but , def. C III 25) and in the MED being
c1275 (a1200) (s.v. but , def. 1b); it is still current.^17 According to Nevalainen
( 1990 , 1991 ), both the ‘adversative’ and the focusing sense develop directly from
the exceptive sense. The history of but can be schematized as in Table 4.2. Thus,
for but , the exceptive sense precedes the adversative and exclusive senses.
In contrast, for only , the exclusive, focusing sense precedes the ‘exceptive’ and
‘adversative’ senses. Originating in the adverbial meaning ‘solely, uniquely,’ a
focusing adverb sense of exclusivity develops. The adversative sense of only is a
direct development from the exclusive sense, as noted by Williams ( 1895 : 131),
who claims that “[t] he adversative only is an outgrowth of the sense solely that
often belongs to the adverb only .” This development is shown in Table 4.3.
The later ‘exceptive’ sense of only might best be accounted for as seman-
tic transfer of the meaning of exception from { but, save, except } that to the
originally intensifying only and the subsequent loss of the conjunctions but ,
save , and except. Owing to the almost simultaneous uses of the two func-
tions (see Table 4.1 ), whether this occurs fi rst in the prepositional function or
in conjunctive function cannot be determined. But it is likely that the modal
contexts expressing hypotheticality (see examples in 7 and 17) led to the rise
in exceptive meanings. Because the development here does not represent a
16 Exclusive but is thought to develop from negative simplifi cation of ne ... but > but (see
Nevalainen 1990 , 1991 : 125– 126; König 1991 : 167– 168; OED: s.v. but , def. C I 6).
17 Save also develops an adversative sense in the late fourteenth century (OED: s.v. save , def. 2d;
MED: s.v. sauf , def. 4c), though it does not survive beyond the Middle English period.
Table 4.2 The development of but
Old English Old English Middle English
‘on the outside’ (free Adv) exceptive (Prep/ Conj) adversative (Conj)
exclusive (focus Adv)
Source: from Laurel J. Brinton, “‘The fl owers are lovely; only, they have no scent’: The evolution
of a pragmatic marker,” in Raimund Borgmeier, Herbert Grabes, and Andreas H. Jucker (eds.),
Anglistentag 1977. Trier, Wissenschaftlicher Verlag Trier, 1998, p. 26; reprinted with permission.