Difference between revisions of "Only"
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French. uniquement, seulement, ne... que... | French. uniquement, seulement, ne... que... | ||
| − | <p>Interaction with the subordinating conjunction <i>if</i>: | + | <p>Interaction with the subordinating conjunction <b><i>if</i><b>: |
| − | only if = <i>seulement si</i>, if only = <i>si seulement</i></p> | + | <blockquote>only if = <i>seulement si</i>, if only = <i>si seulement</i></blockquote></p> |
<p>Very often best translated with "ne... que"</p> | <p>Very often best translated with "ne... que"</p> | ||
Revision as of 02:56, 16 December 2012
Translation
French. uniquement, seulement, ne... que...
Interaction with the subordinating conjunction if<b>:
only if = seulement si, if only = si seulement
</p>
<p>Very often best translated with "ne... que"</p> It's only for a couple hours. / She was only gone a few minutes. Ce n'est que pour quelques heures. / 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.
