The Evolution of Pragmatic Markers in English Pathways of Change

6.6 Historical Evidence 181

b. I admit the Northwest point standeth due North, and my course is to go due
West, (1574 Bourne, A regiment for the sea [EEBO])
c. I must admit that if an Action lay by the Common Law, this Statute doth not
take it away (1689 Guilford, The late Lord Chief Justice North’s argument
[EEBO])
d. I will admitte that witches and wisserds must be consulted, (1566 Martiall,
A replie to M. Calfhills blasphemous answer [EEBO])
e. However I will admit there might be some small truth in his Story (1698
Alsop, A vindication of the faithful rebuke [EEBO])
f. I have to admit that I  was delighted with the trend of Admiral Rawson’s
questions (1899 Slocum, Sailing alone around the world [COHA])
g. I have to admit I was sort of scared, (1920 Fitzhugh, Roy Blakely, pathfi nder
[COHA])
Although not having the same performative function, you admit develops
somewhat later than I admit (see Table 6.6 ). With the exception of you admit
and you must admit , the form with an explicit that - complementizer precedes
the form without. These exceptions can likely be accounted for by gaps in
my data. However, the modalized forms you must/ will admit precede the non-
modalized you admit. This reversal can be explained pragmatically, as one can
assert what one believes is true but not what another believes is true; rather,
one can only suggest what another believes is true (hence the use of must and
will ). Have to makes a fairly late appearance in English, and hence the more
recent attestations of both I have to admit and you have to admit in the late
nineteenth century.
The earliest examples of you (modal) admit are given in (10):

(10) a. As you admit that “reason is the eye by which we are to examine the evidences”
(1820 Ballou, A series of letters in defence of divine revelation [COHA])
b. What, you admit you have not any such pretensions (1811 Holman, The
gazette extraordinary  [ED])

Table 6.6 The fi rst occurrences of you (modal) admit with clausal complements

you admit that S 1820

you admit Ø S 1811

you must admit that S 1778

you must admit Ø S 1765– 70

you will admit that S 1764

you will admit Ø S 1835

you have to admit that S 1884

you have to admit Ø S 1930

Source: adapted from Laurel J. Brinton, “From performative to concessive disjunct:

I/you admit and admittedly ,” in Merja Kytö, John Scahill, and Harumi Tanabe (eds.),

Language change and variation from Old English to Late Modern English. Bern: Peter

Lang, 2010, p. 293; with permission.