Just Now

[Lynne Murphy]

Amy Speed wrote:

> My South African friend uses the phrase "just now" to mean "soon" (e.g.,
> Dinner will be ready just now.). I, as an American, use the phrase to mean
> "very recently" (e.g., When did it happen? Just now!). I am interested in
> regional takes on this phrase (I'm from the northern Midwest). Also, what do
> British/commonwealth and Australian dwellers have to say on it?
>

South African speakers can use "just now" to mean "a little while from now" in
either direction (i.e., past or future).  You have to trust contextual clues
(like verb tense) to know which direction the time's being measured in.

We'll go just now.    vs.  We came just now. ---Both acceptable in SAfE


Of course, foreigners just notice the future meaning because they find it
strange.  "Just now" in the future can mean anything from "after I get my hat"
to "after a few more beers."

This contrasts in SAfE with "now-now" which means "now".

To my knowledge (and the various sources I've read on it), only South Africans
use "just now" for the future.

Lynne

--

M. Lynne Murphy, Assistant Professor in Linguistics
Department of English, Baylor University
PO Box 97404, Waco, TX 76798 USA
Phone:  254-710-6983     Fax:  254-710-3894
http://www.baylor.edu/~M_Lynne_Murphy