Abstract
Abstract The origin of it. anche ‘also, too’ and of its Romance cognates is commonly traced back to Protoromance *anque, a reconstructed form, which is interpreted as a derivative of the dubitative Latin particle an. This explanation turns out to be untenable, because it does not account for the primitive meanings of anche and its Romance cognates, that is ‘still’ and ‘never’, as is evident from the oldest records of the Romance languages. Therefore, Nicholson’s hypothesis of a derivation from Latin antequam is reconsidered through the meanings of ‘before this time’, ‘up to this time’, which later evolved to ‘still, yet’ and ‘never’ in a negative context. The mechanism whereby a conjunction may become an adverb through the ellipsis of the verb is shown by quoting parallel examples in Italian.
Published Version
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callSimilar Papers
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
