Only connect
Sir: As 'a pleasant enough cove', I hesitate to prolong the discussion of the misplaced `only', but since Dot Wordsworth was kind enough to devote her column to a discus- sion of it (Mind your language, 8 August) may I ask her to consider the following: Only I saw him yesterday. I only saw him yesterday. I saw only him yesterday. I saw him only yesterday. I saw him yesterday only.
Do these not have delicate shades of shifted meaning that ought to command our attention and put us on our guard against ambiguity? English is not an inflect- ed language. Much of its subtlety lies in its word order. What a shame it would be if attempts to analyse that subtlety were always to be dismissed as pedantry! I am sure the sublime Dorothy would not really have it so.
I frequently refer students to The Specta- tor as one of the few remaining citadels against linguistic barbarism. I tell them that in its pages is still to be found the well-writ- ten essay, founded on respect for language.
`No dumbing down there,' I say. So, wor- thy editor, look to your laurels. Do not let it be said of you, 'The fortress was betrayed, even of them that should have defended it.'
If that sounds all a bit old-fashioned, so be it. Remember, in matters of quality, pre- cision never destroys; relativism never saves.
Michael Lynch
12 Holly Drive, Lutterworth, Leics
Previous page
