Conlock conduit

[EFLImpudence]

I cannot do anything but agree with whatever was being said - means except; except is not an adverb

I cannot do anything only agree with whatever was being said.

That needs punctuation to make sense so not the same.

Indeed - so are you saying that both versions are 'correct'? - i.e. ...
When 'but' IS preceded by 'not', it effectively means 'not' ..
so "I can not but agree" = I can not not agree" = "I agree"

Sort of.

When 'but' IS NOT preceded by 'not', it means something like 'only' ...
so "I can but agree" = "I can only agree" = "I agree" [perhaps implying something slightly stronger, such as "I definitely agree"]

I don't think "I can but agree" makes sense.
Likewise "I cannot only agree" - unless you mean you must do something else as well; so changing the meaning.

 

[EFLImpudence]

I think it is apparent that 'but' has more than one meaning - i.e. two words that are spelt the same.

Can you think of a sentence where 'but' does mean 'only' and is interchangeable with 'except'?

 

[JohnW2]

I cannot do anything but agree with whatever was being said - means except; except is not an adverb

It's not - but, even if it were, "but" does not mean 'expect' when used as an adverb - it has that meaning when used as a preposition - which, again, is not the case in the specific example we've been talking about.

I don't think "I can but agree" makes sense.

You've said that before, so it obviously must be a true reflection of your view.

However, as I said near the start, I'm not trying to argue, and nor do I have any personal view as to which is 'correct' and/or 'incorrect' (and, frankly, am not very concerned about that). Rather, I have been explaining what form of words I have been 'brought up to use', and have used (as, by implication, presumably also have most of those around me, and those with whom I have interacted) for the past 60+ years - such that 'your' (and others') version 'sounds wrong' to me to the extent that this all started when I thought what SUNRAY had written was a typo.

In other words, although "I can but agree" does not make sense to you, it obviously does make sense to me, and to most/all of those who have been around me, or interacting with me, for decades.

Likewise "I cannot only agree" - unless you mean you must do something else as well; so changing the meaning.

Indeed - as you say, that would change the meaning. However, my "I can only agree" means essentially the same as your "I cannot but agree".

Kind Regards, John

 

[EFLImpudence]

It's not - but, even if it were, "but" does not mean 'except' when used as an adverb

Maybe not - but if it is not being used as an adverb, it can?

 

[EFLImpudence]

Indeed - as you say, that would change the meaning. However, my "I can only agree" means essentially the same as your "I cannot but agree".

Well, yes, obviously if you change the wording it will probably mean what you say.

 

[JohnW2]

I think it is apparent that 'but' has more than one meaning - i.e. two words that are spelt the same. Can you think of a sentence where 'but' does mean 'only' and is interchangeable with 'except'?

If I understand you correctly, that would obviously be impossible without appreciably altering the sentence, since the concepts of "only" and "except" are essentially opposites, and therefore cannot be interchangeable.

"But" only means (or, at least, conveys the concept of) 'except' when it is being used as a preposition or a conjunction. When it is being used as an adverb, it means (or conveys the concept of) 'only' or 'just'.

When used to mean 'except', it is used to qualify other words which imply 'all' or 'nothing', in order to indicate exceptions to that 'all or nothing'. As the Cambridge Dictionary puts it ...

But means ‘except’ when it is used after words such as all, everything/nothing, everyone/no one, everybody/nobody:

Kind Regards, John

 

[JohnW2]

Maybe not - but if it is not being used as an adverb, it can?

Of course it can - that's what we are discussing, since the meaning of "but" depends upon which 'part of speech' it is being used as (and "but" can be one of several!)

The problem is that it doesn't come with a flag saying "I am being used as an adverb" (or conjunction, or preposition, or whatever). However, as I said, if it is being used to qualify "I can agree", then "can agree" is surely a verb (and the "I" the subject of that verb) - which would make something which qualified "can agree" an adverb, wouldn't it?

Kind Regards, John

 

[EFLImpudence]

But means ‘except’ when it is used after words such as all, everything/nothing, everyone/no one, everybody/nobody:

Exactly:

I cannot but agree.

I can do nothing but agree.

 

[JohnW2]

Exactly:
I cannot but agree.
I can do nothing but agree.

Another 'Exactly', this time from me

I have no problem with that second one (other than that it contains 'two unnecessary words'!)

However, as the Cambridge Dictionary you re-quote says, it is only by introducing that "nothing" word (or any of the other 'all/nothing' words) that the meaning of "but" has become 'except'. Without that "nothing" (or one of those other words) it does not mean 'except'.

Kind Regards, John

 

[EFLImpudence]

Equally, neither does your version mean 'only' following the negative 'cannot'.

 

[JohnW2]

Equally, neither does your version mean 'only' following the negative 'cannot'.

I don't really understand. 'My version' does not contain "cannot", nor any other 'negative' word (unless you count the "but" itself).

Kind Regards, John

 

[mattylad]

I cannot but Yawn......

 

[JohnW2]

I cannot but Yawn......

I know the feeling - and all because I made the mistake of pointing out what I genuinely believed to be a typo!

If I had had even an inkling of what was going to follow, I would not have dared open my mouth, particularly on a Friday evening

Kind Regards, John

 

[SUNRAY]

I can not but Yawn......

I've corrected it for you...

Sorry couldn't resist.

 

[SimonH2]

If I had had even an inkling of what was going to follow, I would not have dared open my mouth, particularly on a Friday evening

Yeah, but we've all learned a little bit more of the language