120
Modern English Only and If Only
there is no diachronic evidence for the reconstruction: There is only synchronic
evidence (§5).
4.4.2 Development of If Only
While in the case of the pragmatic- marker as if- clauses (Brinton 2014a ) and
the comment clauses if you choose/ like/ prefer/ want/ wish clauses (Brinton
2014b ), I found little diachronic evidence allowing for the “reconstruction” of
the apodosis, for if only clauses, evidence for biclausal structures is much more
certain. EEBO evidence points to the earliest biclausal structures appearing
in the mid sixteenth century, with “then” being rare in the apodosis (see 25d).
The apodosis generally expresses a positive outcome that might ensue were the
protasis to occur.^28
(25) a. But if only faith doth iustifi e vs / we can nat be repelled from this mercy
(1526 Fisher, A sermon had at Paulis by the co[m] mandment of the most
reuerend father ... [EEBO])
b. Wherfore if only Chryste ought to be heard / we ought not to re|garde what
any ma~ afore vs thought to be done (1556 Cranmer, A confutation[n] of
vnwitten[n] verities [EEBO])
c. b u t if only Gods glory & the loue of our brethren do constraine vs,
God will giue vs the spirit of wildome & peace, (1577 Dering, XXVII
lectures, or readings, vpon part of the Epistle written to the Hebrues
[EEBO])
d. If only those are there meant, then of necessity, there must be at least 5 or
6 prophets or ministers in Offi ce, in one Church (for the Apostle speakes of
such a particular Church as might come together, (the whole Church) at one
time, (1646 Maddocks, Gangrænachrestum [EEBO])
Elliptical if - clauses occur in Middle English (MED: s.v. if (conj.), def. 1d), but
freestanding if only clauses appear later. Despite the existence of several earl-
ier examples in the OED quotation database,^29 corpus evidence suggests that
the earliest exclamatory monoclausal structures appear in the mid nineteenth
century:^30
28 No examples of then were found in the MED or HC.
29 The following OED quotation, for example, seems to lend itself to a focusing interpretation
rather than an exclamatory use:
(i) If only they that are alredy bymired, were..myred on more and more. (c1532 T. More, Let.
Impugnynge J. Fryth in Wks. 833/ 2 [OED])
That is, it is only those that were already befouled who were defi led more and more.
30 A search was made of The Lampeter corpus of Early Modern English tracts (Lampeter), CED,
CLMET3.0, UofV, CEN, A representative corpus of historical English registers (ARCHER),
and COHA using the search string “If only” (case sensitive where possible).