[Ads-l] Initial "as well"

[Jonathan Lighter]

Familiar to me, too, I believe from cable news within the past several
years. No connection in my mind with Canada.

Nor is it the sort of thing I associate with student themes.

Beyond that I can't say.

JL



On Sun, Mar 19, 2017 at 3:37 PM, Dave Wilton <dave at wilton.net> wrote:

> Usage manuals (Garner, Fee and McAlpine's _Guide to Canadian English
> Usage_) designate the practice of using "as well" as a synonym for "also"
> at the beginning of sentences as a distinctly Canadian usage. And indeed, I
> first became aware of it when I was at the University of Toronto. But since
> coming to Texas I've found that it's also a widespread practice among my
> English comp students here.
>
> Example: "The software does not see much usage since it is a Java program
> run as a downloadable JAR file. As well, most college students are
> unfamiliar with the hosting website we use, GitHub."
>
> Is this use of "as well" a Texas-ism too, or is it just becoming more
> widespread generally?
>
>
> --Dave Wilton
>    Department of English
>    Texas A&M University
>    dwilton at tamu.edu / dave at wilton.net
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>



-- 
"If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org