pos. "anymore" again

[Laurence Horn]

At 7:40 PM -0400 4/20/01, Douglas G. Wilson wrote:
>At 02:31 PM 4/20/01 +0800, you wrote:
>>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?
>
>
>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.

I have the feeling you're right, but I too can't quite figure out how
to get from 'any more than' in your example to the one in the
Wiltshire/Worcestershire examples.

>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."

Also popular among song writers--there's a more or less contemporary
Lyle Lovett song that features the refrain

I don't love you any less, but I can't love you anymore.

And then, in a different but related vein, there's the minimal pair
cited by my old mentor Barbara Partee:

Why don't you love me any more?
Why don't you love me some more?

larry