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Editor for this issue: Marie Klopfenstein <marielinguistlist.org>
rz.hu-berlin.de>Dear Linguistis, several weeks ago, I posted a query on the list - Linguist List Vol-11-1795. I got a lot of useful information and I'd like to thank those who answered. Sorry that it took so long! In my query I asked for evaluation of the following English sentence translated from German: Kein Mitglied der IETF vertritt Microsoft oder die US-Regierung, sondern alle sprechen f�r sich selbst. No member of IETF represents Microsoft or the US government, ?but everybody speaks for himself/herself. I was interested whether but can be used in the meaning 'sondern' in contexts like the one in the test sentence. Usually, but would correspond to sondern in sentences like: Joe is not stupid but lazy. and to aber in sentences like Joe is not stupid but he is lazy. In sentences of this kind it is reduction vs. non-reduction of identical constituents that renders an interpretation as sondern (reduction) or as aber (non-reduction). I was interested in how but would be interpreted in such cases where there is no identical language elements that could be reduced. I got 45 responses, some with a short evaluation of the sentence presented in the query, and some including longer comments. The majority of the answers (30) suggest either to replace but with rather or to add rather: No member of IETF represents Microsoft or the US government, (but) rather everybody speaks for himself/herself. 15 linguists suggested to separate the two clauses either with a semicolon or with a full stop. In such cases can rather still be used: No member of IETF represents Microsoft or the US government. (Rather) everybody speaks for himself/herself. As alternatives to but were named instead (10 ), on the contrary (5), indeed, in truth, in fact; even so, thus, therefore and because. The latter would alter the meaning of the sentence. Further suggestions were though, however, and. No member of IETF represents Microsoft or the US government, instead / on the contrary / indeed / in truth / in fact / and everybody speaks for himself/herself. 10 linguists said the original sentence was ok, though a bit odd. Most interesting was the fact that it seems to be rather that best corresponds to Ger. sondern, at least in contexts like the one in the test sentence. There seems to be parallels to Icelandic where the adversative conjunction heldur 'but/sondern' has developed from an adverb meaning 'rather'. Kristina Kotcheva Thanks to: Fred Baube Laurie Bauer Matthew T. Bell Wayles Browne Kevin Caldwell Cassily Charles Matt Ciscel Bruce Despain Cynthia Edmiston Jed Evans Bill Fletcher Bruce Fraser Georgia M. Green Charles Gribble Daniel Hall Jack Hall Michael Hughes Richard S. Kaminski Larry LaFond Michael Lewis Tony Macheak Trace Mansfield Betsy McCall Andrew McIntyre Fiona Mc Laughlin Hank Mooney Bill Morris Amanda Owen Don Reindl Karl Reinhardt Geoffrey Sampson Erica Smale John David Stone Kirsty Taylor John te Velde Kate Torode Larry Trask James VandenBosch Rudy Vonk Max Wheeler Doug Wilson Elijah Wright Tony Wright Andrew Wilcox zappyMail to author|Respond to list|Read more issues|LINGUIST home page|Top of issue