Some
restricted UWs used in the examples are not yet confirmed using the KB.
Some new attributes are also proposed. Accordingly, some very slight
adjustment on the UWs or attributes may be done in near future. We hope the
explanation in this document could help to have an idea about the solution
of some word like "but" in your language. 18Nov2001
About “but”[1],[2]
Meiying Zhu, UNL Center
18 November 2001
Conjunction | Adverb | Preposition
1.
To introduce a word or phrase
that contrasts with what was said before, as in:
“It wasn’t the red one but the blue one”
“He’s poor but happy”
In this case, the pair of attribute “@contrast” and relation “and” should be used. The attribute “@contrast” is attached to the UW of the second predicate, as shown in the following examples.
; He’s poor but happy.
{unl}
aoj(poor, he)
aoj(happy.@contrast.@entry, he)
and(happy.@contrast.@entry, poor)
{/unl}
or,
{unl}
aoj(:01.@entry, he)
and:01(happy.@contrast.@entry, poor)
{/unl}
What about
the following sentences:
“I’d asked everybody but only two people came”
“By the end of the day we were tired but happy”
(1) If “but” in these sentences can be interpreted as expressing
contrast, the attribute @contrast should be used, as follows:
; I’d asked everybody but only two people came.
{unl}
agt(ask.@past.@complete, I)
obj(ask.@past.@complete, everyone)
and(come.@past.@entry.@contrast, ask.@past.@complete)
agt(come.@past.@entry.@contrast, :01)
qua:01(people.@entry,2)
mod(:01,only)
{/unl}
(2) If you think “but” in these sentences express a kind of meaning like
“however” or “in spite of (this)”, an UW stands for these adverbs like “however{(icl>how)},
or “but” itself like “but(icl>however)”, then, can be used. In this case,
the UNL expression will be the following:
; I’d asked everybody but only two people came.
{unl}
agt(ask.@past.@complete, I)
obj(ask.@past.@complete, everyone)
and(come.@past.@entry, ask.@past.@complete)
man(come.@past.@entry, but(icl>however))
agt(come.@past.@entry, :01)
qua:01(people.@entry,2)
mod(:01,only)
{/unl}
|
The MD of “in spite of” is the
following: in spite of{(icl>how,obj>thing)} The MD of “however is the following: however{(icl>how)} |
2.
When saying sorry about
something, as in:
“I’m sorry but I can’t stay any longer”
In this case, the something introduced by “but” is the object of “sorry”. And “but”, in this case, may be replaced by "for" as "I'm sorry for not being able to stay (or capable of staying) any longer".
The UNL expressions are shown below:
{unl}
aoj(sorry.@entry, I)
obj(sorry.@entry, stay.@not.@possibility)
man(stay.@not.@possibility, long(icl>how))
man(long(icl>how), more)
{/unl}
3.
Shows the speaker’s surprised,
dissatisfied or disagreeable feeling, as in
“But that’s not true/possible”
“(I'll tip you 10 pence.) But that's not enough!”
“(He has succeeded!) But that's great!”
The attribute “@dissent”, “@discontented”, “@dissatisfied” and etc. should be used, as shown in the following examples:
; But that’s not true.
{unl}
aoj(true.@entry.@not.@dissent, that)
{/unl}
; (I'll tip you 10 pence.) But that's not enough!
{unl}
aoj(enough.@entry.@not.@discontented, that)
{/unl}
; (He has succeeded!) But that's great!
{unl}
aoj(great.@entry.@surprised, that)
{/unl}
4.
Means “except”, as in:
“I have no choice but sign the contract.”
“All but he came.” (If “him” is used instead of “he”, "but", in this case, is a preposition)
In this case, the UW “except(mod<thing,obj>thing)” or “except(icl>how,obj>(man>how))” should be used, as shown in the following examples:
; All but he came. (= “All but him came”. “But”, in this case, is a preposition)
{unl}
agt(come.@past, all)
mod(all, excpet(mod<thing,obj>thing))
obj(except(mod<thing,obj>thing), he)
{/unl}
; I have no choice but sign the contract.
{unl}
aoj(have.@entry, I)
obj(have.@entry, choice.@not)
man(have.entry, except(icl>how,obj>(man>how)))
obj(excpet(icl>how,obj>(man>how)), sign)
obj(sign,contract.@def)
{/unl}
5.
To emphasize (that) something
(is always true)
(1) Used
before repeating a word in order to emphasize it, as in:
“Nothing, but nothing would make him change his mind”
In this case, the attribute “@emphasis” should be used as the following example shows:
{unl}
agt(make.@possibility.@entry, nothing.@emphasis)
obj(make.@possibility.@entry, change)
agt(change,he)
obj(change,mind)
mod(mind,he)
{/unl}
(2) To
emphasize that something is always true, as in:
“She never passed her old home but she thought of the happy years she had spent there”
In this case, the attribute “@emphasis” should also be used, as shown below:
“But” is an
adverb in the following sentences:
“He's but a child.”
“I have but just seen him.”
“But”, as an adverb, is a synonym of the adverb “only”.
In this case, the UW “but(icl>only(icl>how))” or “only(icl>how)” can be used.
; He’s but a child
{unl}
aoj(child.@undef.@entry, he)
man(child.@undef.@entry, but(icl>only(icl>how)))
{/unl}
; I have but just seen him.
{unl}
agt(see.@complete.@just.@entry, I)
obj(see.@complete.@just.@entry, he)
man(see.@complete.@just.@entry, but(icl>only(icl>how)))
{/unl}
1.
Often used following “no one”, “nobody”,
“none”, “nothing”, “anything,” “all”, “every one” or an interrogative like “who”,
to express the meaning “except”.
In this case the UW “except(mod<thing,obj>thing)” should be used. For instance,
; It's nothing (else) but a joke.
{unl}
aoj(nothing.@entry, it)
mod(nothing.@entry, except(mod>thing,obj>thing))
obj(except(mod<thing,obj>thing), joke.@undef)
{/unl}
2.
Used in the form “the first
[next, last] but one [two, three]”, to express a number of order.
[British
English]
For instance, “the last house but one [two]”, which means “the second [third] house from the last”, can be expressed in the following two ways:
(1) Direct expression for the sentence “The last house but one”
{unl}
mod(house.@def, last(pof>order{,mod<thing}))
mod(last(pof>order{,mod<thing}), except(mod<thing,obj>thing))
obj(except(mod<thing,obj>thing), 1)
{/unl}
(2) Indirect or well-interpreted expression as “The second house from
the last” shows
{unl}
mod(house.@def, 2.@ordinal)
plf(house.@def, last(icl>thing).@def)
{/unl}
For reference:
The UW “last(pof>order{,mod<thing})” stands for the adjective use of “last” for the meaning of a ordinal number.
The UW “last(icl>thing)” stands for the pronoun use of “last” for the meaning of the “last thing [person]”.