Difference between revisions of "Only"
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<dl><dt>"ne... que" | <dl><dt>"ne... que" | ||
− | <dd>It's <u>only</u> for a couple hours. / | + | <dd>It's <u>only</u> for a couple hours. / <i>Ce <u>n</u>'est <u>que</u> pour quelques heures.</i> |
− | + | <dd>She was <u>only</u> gone a few minutes. / <i>Elle <u>n</u>'était partie <u>que</u> quelques minutes.</i> | |
</dl> | </dl> | ||
Revision as of 02:59, 16 December 2012
Translation
French. uniquement, seulement, ne... que...
Interaction with the subordinating conjunction if:
only if = seulement si, if only = si seulement
- "ne... que"
- It's only for a couple hours. / Ce n'est que pour quelques heures.
- She was only gone a few minutes. / Elle n'était partie que quelques minutes.
Etymology
- only
- O.E. ænlic, anlic "only, unique, solitary," lit. "one-like," from an "one" (see one) + -lic "-like" (see -ly (1)). Use as an adverb and conjunction developed in Middle English. Distinction of only and alone (now usually in reference to emotional states) is unusual; in many languages the same word serves for both. German also has a distinction in allein/einzig. Phrase only-begotten (mid-15c.) is biblical, translating L. unigenitus, Gk. monogenes. The Old English form was ancenned.