tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post88968661573711746..comments2024-03-14T10:31:26.918+00:00Comments on DCblog: On 'at all', at all?DChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10192779827863835310noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post-84892880919842637332017-07-25T21:34:42.746+00:002017-07-25T21:34:42.746+00:00From a syntactic point of view I suppose it's ...From a syntactic point of view I suppose it's adverbial in function. Pragmatically it is altering the force of the question - and, from the examples above, in different ways.DChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10192779827863835310noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post-89525081699023525852017-07-24T04:06:21.926+00:002017-07-24T04:06:21.926+00:00what linguistic term would you give "at all&q...what linguistic term would you give "at all".... is it a qualifier or an interrogative tag? Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post-72940086199713785422012-11-29T08:08:57.962+00:002012-11-29T08:08:57.962+00:00Europhile: great story!
And thanks for this persp...Europhile: great story!<br /><br />And thanks for this perspective from Irish, Eimear.DChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10192779827863835310noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post-48246786471588186252012-11-28T20:03:30.223+00:002012-11-28T20:03:30.223+00:00I suspect that "at all" in Hiberno-Engli...I suspect that "at all" in Hiberno-English corresponds heavily to <i>ar bith</i> in Irish, and that "at all at all" is a semi-jocular translation of the emphatic <i>ar chor ar bith</i>. I never hear "at all, at all" in Ireland except as deliberate top-of-the-morning paddy-whackery. <br /><i>Ar bith</i> generally carries a negative meaning - <i>rud ar bith</i> means "(no)thing at all" - but can also roughly mean "any". I think <i>bith</i> literally and somewhat obsoletely means (the) world.Eimear Ní Mhéalóidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post-8467437082287247292012-11-28T19:42:43.509+00:002012-11-28T19:42:43.509+00:00I might have posted this already. If so, apologie...I might have posted this already. If so, apologies. Having Wordpress problems.<br /><br />I'm reminded of a joke from my childhood (in Dublin).<br /><br />American visitor: What's the difference between a single yellow line and a double yellow line?<br /><br />Local: The single yellow line means "no parking at all"; the double yellow line means "no parking at all, at all".europhilenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post-39101431941475632802012-11-27T07:25:23.566+00:002012-11-27T07:25:23.566+00:00This last post is off-topic for this thread, but, ...This last post is off-topic for this thread, but, not knowing the sender's email, I can't send an answer to the question in any other way. You'll find a preliminary analysis of Twitter in a chapter of my <i>Internet Linguistics</i>.DChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10192779827863835310noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post-6547974908668387862012-11-26T23:14:25.026+00:002012-11-26T23:14:25.026+00:00Hi Mr Crystal. I understand you're on hiatus c...Hi Mr Crystal. I understand you're on hiatus currently, and my thoughts are with you during this time. However, I was wondering if in they New Year there will be more analysis of the use of Twitter? <br /><br />I'm currently studying for my English Language A'Level, and I have chosen Twitter as my coursework topic. I'm looking at the different purposes behind why an individual would use Twitter, and how it affects the content of their tweets. My teacher pushed me to research you, and I am currently waiting on my copy of 'A Little Book of Language' to arrive in the post.<br /><br />I have watched some of your interviews and I can safely say I find your views inspiring and accurate.<br />Basically, if there will be any new Twitter analysis, that would significantly useful. However, do not feel obliged, as I'm sure it's not the biggest issue right now! (Although, if you don't ask, you don't get!) (I'm feeling very cheeky now, apologies!)<br /><br />Thanks again for the book and blog.<br />Regards,<br />Ben WBenMuchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13267075120590130271noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post-83605977159115547632012-10-26T04:10:32.805+00:002012-10-26T04:10:32.805+00:00In the example of the baker asking "do you wa...In the example of the baker asking "do you want your bread sliced at all?" the listener may have be misinterpreting what the "at all" refers to.<br /><br />They thought that it modified "slice" (they stopped themselves from saying they'd take it sliced half-way), but to my ear it actually modifies "want".<br /><br />The question being asked is: "Do you have any desire for your bread to be sliced?"Marchttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01492021197573048467noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post-44499600944324478962012-10-18T14:25:38.789+00:002012-10-18T14:25:38.789+00:00Guy Deutscher mentions this usage in his Unfolding...Guy Deutscher mentions this usage in his Unfolding of Language, and posits it completely losing any sense and just becoming a question signifier, a thousand years into the future, as in: Would you like some bread tall?PHILIP WOMACKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04568326890433679833noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post-23322375314357264532012-10-03T10:44:38.339+00:002012-10-03T10:44:38.339+00:00I find the the Irish and the American examples and...I find the the Irish and the American examples and certainly the "empty" use strange, but all in all, "at all" seems more natural than the alternative "even".<br /><br />"Is he even a priest?" in most cases means "Is he a priest at all (or rather an imposter)?", not "Is he even a priest (not only a deacon as I thought)?"Phillip Mindenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16801818752833289089noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post-28716214710558627922012-10-03T10:31:50.158+00:002012-10-03T10:31:50.158+00:00This usage of "at all" reminds me of Ger...This usage of "at all" reminds me of German "überhaupt", in all its undefinable shades of meaning and usage. It expresses some kind of mental request for phatic acknowledgement, it's a gesture. I am Dutch, and although we have loads of 'little words' incomprehensible to new learners of Dutch, we don't have one for "überhaupt". So we borrowed it ;) It's a nice word.jfreijserhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13973076443317250632noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post-67458635294660872412012-10-03T07:25:11.149+00:002012-10-03T07:25:11.149+00:00"By any chance" is a gloss for this &quo..."By any chance" is a gloss for this "at all" in questions. I haven't personally noticed this usage in Ireland, so I guess it's less widespread or standard than positive "any more" there.mollymoolynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post-66212816455540492372012-10-02T19:08:59.188+00:002012-10-02T19:08:59.188+00:00Wouldn't be at all surprised.Wouldn't be at all surprised.DChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10192779827863835310noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post-17424022246277882222012-10-02T19:03:06.380+00:002012-10-02T19:03:06.380+00:00I hear it here in Canada all the time. Could it be...I hear it here in Canada all the time. Could it be due to the large number of Irish immigrants at all? <br />Sorry, I couldn't resist the usage!!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com