219However, there are also early examples which seem to have comment clause
functions, as they precede non- declarative clauses.
(36) a. “Beware, sir! I only say , beware !” (1845 Sargent, Fleetwood [COHA])
b. Yet I blame no one but myself. I only say , deceive me no more. (1866
Trowbridge, Lucy Arlyn [COHA])
c. I only say , forgive me, forget me, and good- by .” (1877 Burnett,
Theo: A sprightly love story [COHA])
d. I do not reproach you; I only say let the past be forgotten (1880 Green, A
strange disappearance [COHA])
e. I’m not preaching. I only say , it was our Miss Lady who ... acted here as the
spirit of all that means progress, (1904 Hough, The law of the land [CEN])
f. They are sensitive, excitable people – I don’t threaten – I only say – take
care !” (1913 Ward, The Coryston family [CEN])
7.3.4.3 Summary of the History of I’m Just Saying. Corpus evidence
suggests that I’m just saying (and I’m only saying ) arose in the 1920s (or
before) in colloquial American speech. Liberman ’s ( 2012 ) postulated origin of
World War II is thus too late. The use of (I’m) just saying in the popular tele-
vision show Downton Abbey (set around World War I) is an anachronism,^29 but
perhaps not the “howling” one suggested by Bob Moore (Liberman 2012 ). As
a colloquial form, it is appropriate that it was used by a maid while address-
ing the cook in the program; however, it is likely an Americanism and thus
inappropriate in the context of this British drama.
The evidence surveyed in the previous sections points to the origin of I’m
just saying as a main clause following by a complement clause (the matrix
clause hypothesis). The scenario of development sees main- clause I’m just say-
ing gaining syntactic independence from its complement, fi rst as a parenthet-
ical and then as freestanding sentence, while the original complement clause is
reanalyzed as a main clause. Most of the other proposed sources would seem
to be of little importance to this development. While the adjunct adverbial,
as I was saying , is of early origin, it is typically restricted to the past tense,
is not modifi ed by just (or only ), and serves a different pragmatic function.
Conjoined clauses of the form I’m not Ving (complaining , arguing , proclaim-
ing , blaming), I’m just saying occur, but are of low frequency. I’m saying
(without adverbial modifi cation) seems to be a form restricted to Irish English
which serves a different function.
Only the simple present- tense form, I just say – or rather I only say – seems
of possible importance to the development of I’m just saying. It occurs earlier
as a parenthetical comment clause (see examples in 35). For example, in (35f),
29 See Ben Zimmer ’s comment on http://www.npr.org/ 2012/ 02/ 13/ 146652747/ im- just- sayin- there-
are- anachronisms- in- downton.
7.3 (I’m) Just Saying and Related Comment Clauses