Quoting Tim May <butsuri@...>:
> Andreas Johansson wrote at 2003-12-28 01:14:50 (+0100)
> > Quoting Tim May <butsuri@...>:
> >
> > > It occurs to me that in at least some dialects there is at least one
> > > word which may fall between "a" and "lot of". While the phrase "a
> > > whole lot of" may not be standard English, exactly, it is well known
> > > and generally understood. I would be interested to hear how this is
> > > accounted for by those who consider "alot" to be a single word.
> >
> > Presumably by "alot" not occuring in that phrase.
> >
>
> But "lot" in "a whole lot of" is clearly the same lexical item as in
> "a lot of"
I wouldn't thought so, but I'm rather arguing from a position of inferiority
here.
Andreas