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Part of
Grammaticalization – Theory and Data
Edited by Sylvie Hancil and Ekkehard König
[Studies in Language Companion Series 162] 2014
► pp. 257–286

“Final hanging but” in American English

Where a formal coordinator meets a functional subordinator

Mulder and Thompson (2006, 2008) point out that the final hanging but ([X but]) developed from initial but (X [but Y]) through a sequence of formal reanalyses, and insightfully observe the functional and formal parallelism between the development of the hanging type of final but and the final particalization of the Japanese subordinator -kedo. The present article demonstrates that but (and and as well) can perform a terminal bracketing function and serve as functional subordinators in spoken American English, and that they behave like final particles when the sentences are truncated. Although they are not so final-particalized as Australian final but, their interpersonal functions in final position are edging them closer to the status of final particles in spoken American English.

Published online: 24 September 2014
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https://doi.org/10.1075/slcs.162.13izu
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