Re: Somewhat (was: another silly phonology question)

At 8:32 am -0500 4/12/00, John Cowan wrote:
>On Mon, 4 Dec 2000, Raymond Brown wrote:
>
>> In earlier English, including early modern English, 'somewhat' was not
>> infrequently used as a _pronoun_ = something.
>
>I did a little Google search, and one place where "somewhat" is in active
>use as a pronoun in the U.S. (and I suppose, elsewhere) is in the
>construction "somewhat of an X", as in
>
>        I have somewhat of a problem with this.
>
>which is equivalent to
>
>        I have something of a problem with this.
Yes, now you mention it, that type of expression can be heard this side of
the Atlantic also.

>
>both meaning that I have a problem to a small degree.
>
>> The thing the puzzles me is why 'somewho' (= some one) has AFAIK been
>>attested.
>
>I suppose you mean "not attested".
I did - another darn negative got away!

Ray.

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A mind which thinks at its own expense
will always interfere with language.
                   [J.G. Hamann 1760]
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