259Increasing scope combined with initial position suggests the acquisition of dis-
coursal/ pragmatic functions, as what’s more comes to have scope not over a
phrasal element but over a larger segment of discourse. This shift is thus simi-
lar to the development of pragmatic markers of adverbial (non- clausal) origin,
as discussed by Traugott ( 1995a ) from clause- internal adverbial to sentential
adverb to pragmatic marker (see Section 1.4.1.1 ).
Contracted what’s more is strongly clause external (i.e., discoursal). In the
nineteenth- century data in COHA, contracted what’s more is clause external
94.8 percent of the time, while uncontracted what is more is clause exter-
nal only 74.8 percent of the time. This points to the growing fossilization of
contracted what’s more in the discourse function, although what is more still
heavily outnumbers what’s more in the nineteenth century. In the twentieth
century, the situation is reversed, with contracted what’s more coming to virtu-
ally replace what is more (see Table 9.1 : 2,503 out of 2,857 PDE examples – or
87.6% – contain contracted is ).
9.3.2 What Was More
The past- tense parenthetical what was more appears to be roughly contempo-
raneous with what is more , but is a minor variant. Early examples are given
in (11). Although what was more can be clause external (as in 11b), it is more
often clause internal (as in 11a, c– d):
(11) a. and, what was more , to his preiudice, and subuersion of the liberties
appertayning to his Crowne, (1618 Daniel, The collection of the historie of
England [EEBO])
b. and what was more , he perceived it was look’t upon with a jealous Eye by
the Universities (1677 Herne, Domus carthusiana [EEBO])
c. An Aged Husband, Rich, tho’ Plain,/ Wou’d give a slavish Wife less pain,/ And
what was more , was sooner slain, (1697 Vanbrugh, Æsop: A comedy [ED])
d. ’Till now, were my Arrivals always honour’d;/ The thund’ring Ordnance
loudly welcom’d me,/ And what was more , the Sov’raign of the World/
With gracious Looks, and open Arms receiv’d me (1704 Trapp, Abra-
mule: Or, love and empire. A tragedy I.ii.54– 57 [ED])
The rarity of the past- tense form is shown in Table 9.2 , where the frequency of
what was more never surpasses 14.3 percent.
In nineteenth- century fi ction, we fi nd what was more in passages of free
indirect speech or thought:
(12) a. Such a conclusion could not pass unanswered by Mrs. Weston. She thought
well of Frank in almost every respect; and, what was more , she loved him
very much, and her defence was, therefore, earnest. She talked with a great
deal of reason, and at least equal affection (1815 Austen, Emma Ch. 48
[UofV])
9.3 History of What’s More