pos. "anymore" again

[Douglas G. Wilson]

At 02:31 PM 4/20/01 +0800, you wrote:
>In connection with our earlier discussion, I thought it was worth
>mentioning that the OED's cite from the English Dialect Dictionary
>that I reproduced--
>
>1898 _Eng. Dial. Dict._ I. 63/1  A servant being instructed how to act,
>will answer `I will do it any more.'
>
>--was, on closer inspection of the EDD itself, from Northern Ireland,
>so at least historically this was a possible construction in Ulster.
>But the EDD (I.62-63) also has a number of cites of "any more than"
>in positive contexts with the meaning 'only', 'but', or 'except
>that', all from Wiltshire or Worcestershire:
>============
>I wouldn't a-gone any more than I promised to buy Dick a trumpet.
>
>I wouldn't do it any more than I've got so much else to do.
>
>I should be sure to go to church any more than I've not got a gownd
>[sic] to my back.
>
>I shouldn't trouble to pick them apples to-day, any more'n might be
>wet tomorrow.
>
>He's sure to come any more than he might be a bit late.
>============
>weird, hunh?  Does anyone know if this is still extant anywhere or
>shows up in any U.S. cites?

Weird indeed, and interesting, at least to me. I guess this is what is
referred to in the M-W usage dictionary (discussing positive/negative
"anymore"): "There is an _any more_ listed in the English Dialect
Dictionary that occurs in both positive and negative contexts, but its
meaning is different from that of the American usage."

The positive and negative "anymore" ("adverb") usage is 'logical', with
"anymore" = "now-as-opposed-to-previously" in positive and negative
statements. The above 1898 citation is consistent with this usage. This
"anymore" has no "than".

I think the above 'weird' usages are related to the *other* (2-word) "any
more" ("phrase rather than adverb"), as in "I won't work any more than I
need to." = "I won't work except [to the extent] that I need to.", thus
"any more than" is equated to "except that" ... I guess.

A tired joke based on the two distinct "any more"s:   "I used to smoke
heavily, but now I don't smoke any more .... Of course, I don't smoke any
less, either."

-- Doug Wilson