When did placing “maybe” in a subsequent verb phrase become common?
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While answering another question about maybe, I was reminded of the existence of a specific pattern of expression. Here are a few examples from the Corpus of Contemporary American English:
"For Israeli-Born Chef, Hummus and Tehina are a Bridge to Home." Fresh Air (radio program), 5 May 2017.
So it's natural to go out, to maybe have a couple of drinks and wind down.
"Coverage of 89th Academy Awards," CNN (news program), 27 February 2017.
They will come in here, maybe have a little libation, have some food courtesy of Wolfgang Puck, maybe have some chocolate as well, and party, right.
Steven Hayward, To dance the beginning of the world : stories. 2016.
When he left the service he came back to the Springs where he planned to open a practice, get married, maybe have a couple of kids.
Literally describing the usage poses little problem. "Maybe" functions as an adverb that qualifies the verb phrase it is proximal to. In a list of verb phrases, maybe adds a candid quality. It has temporal logic, where the more definite item often comes first and is followed by a more uncertain or optional activity. It feels glib and colloquial. I'll write this question, put it out there, maybe get some answers.
However, I have no idea when this specific application of maybe as a glib conjecture became commonplace.
etymology phrases adverbs
asked May 14 at 14:34
TaliesinMerlinTaliesinMerlin
10.6k2042
add a comment |
While answering another question about maybe, I was reminded of the existence of a specific pattern of expression. Here are a few examples from the Corpus of Contemporary American English:
"For Israeli-Born Chef, Hummus and Tehina are a Bridge to Home." Fresh Air (radio program), 5 May 2017.
So it's natural to go out, to maybe have a couple of drinks and wind down.
"Coverage of 89th Academy Awards," CNN (news program), 27 February 2017.
They will come in here, maybe have a little libation, have some food courtesy of Wolfgang Puck, maybe have some chocolate as well, and party, right.
Steven Hayward, To dance the beginning of the world : stories. 2016.
When he left the service he came back to the Springs where he planned to open a practice, get married, maybe have a couple of kids.
Literally describing the usage poses little problem. "Maybe" functions as an adverb that qualifies the verb phrase it is proximal to. In a list of verb phrases, maybe adds a candid quality. It has temporal logic, where the more definite item often comes first and is followed by a more uncertain or optional activity. It feels glib and colloquial. I'll write this question, put it out there, maybe get some answers.
However, I have no idea when this specific application of maybe as a glib conjecture became commonplace.
etymology phrases adverbs
asked May 14 at 14:34
TaliesinMerlinTaliesinMerlin
10.6k2042
1
Would that pattern be typical just of "maybe" or also of other adverbs?
– user240918
May 14 at 15:03
1
It seems exactly the same question could be asked of perhaps and possibly. Or are you asking only about maybe? And, if so, why?
– Jason Bassford
May 14 at 18:01
Interesting thoughts. I've gone through COCA for both perhaps and possibly; I found one example with perhaps ("We check in, perhaps have some light dinner, and go to bed") but the application seems rarer; I can't find "possibly" used in that way, though it and a few other adverbs are theoretically possible. So I ask about maybe because it is the instance I can find the most evidence for, it feels recent (but I don't know), and I want to understand more about its register and usage.
– TaliesinMerlin
May 14 at 19:33
Can you show us what those sentences would look like with "maybe" in some other location(s)?
– aparente001
May 15 at 5:17
add a comment |
While answering another question about maybe, I was reminded of the existence of a specific pattern of expression. Here are a few examples from the Corpus of Contemporary American English:
"For Israeli-Born Chef, Hummus and Tehina are a Bridge to Home." Fresh Air (radio program), 5 May 2017.
So it's natural to go out, to maybe have a couple of drinks and wind down.
"Coverage of 89th Academy Awards," CNN (news program), 27 February 2017.
They will come in here, maybe have a little libation, have some food courtesy of Wolfgang Puck, maybe have some chocolate as well, and party, right.
Steven Hayward, To dance the beginning of the world : stories. 2016.
When he left the service he came back to the Springs where he planned to open a practice, get married, maybe have a couple of kids.
Literally describing the usage poses little problem. "Maybe" functions as an adverb that qualifies the verb phrase it is proximal to. In a list of verb phrases, maybe adds a candid quality. It has temporal logic, where the more definite item often comes first and is followed by a more uncertain or optional activity. It feels glib and colloquial. I'll write this question, put it out there, maybe get some answers.
However, I have no idea when this specific application of maybe as a glib conjecture became commonplace.
etymology phrases adverbs
asked May 14 at 14:34
TaliesinMerlinTaliesinMerlin
10.6k2042
While answering another question about maybe, I was reminded of the existence of a specific pattern of expression. Here are a few examples from the Corpus of Contemporary American English:
"For Israeli-Born Chef, Hummus and Tehina are a Bridge to Home." Fresh Air (radio program), 5 May 2017.
So it's natural to go out, to maybe have a couple of drinks and wind down.
"Coverage of 89th Academy Awards," CNN (news program), 27 February 2017.
They will come in here, maybe have a little libation, have some food courtesy of Wolfgang Puck, maybe have some chocolate as well, and party, right.
Steven Hayward, To dance the beginning of the world : stories. 2016.
When he left the service he came back to the Springs where he planned to open a practice, get married, maybe have a couple of kids.
Literally describing the usage poses little problem. "Maybe" functions as an adverb that qualifies the verb phrase it is proximal to. In a list of verb phrases, maybe adds a candid quality. It has temporal logic, where the more definite item often comes first and is followed by a more uncertain or optional activity. It feels glib and colloquial. I'll write this question, put it out there, maybe get some answers.
However, I have no idea when this specific application of maybe as a glib conjecture became commonplace.
etymology phrases adverbs
etymology phrases adverbs
asked May 14 at 14:34
TaliesinMerlinTaliesinMerlin
10.6k2042
asked May 14 at 14:34
TaliesinMerlinTaliesinMerlin
10.6k2042
asked May 14 at 14:34
TaliesinMerlinTaliesinMerlin
10.6k2042
asked May 14 at 14:34
TaliesinMerlinTaliesinMerlin
10.6k2042
asked May 14 at 14:34
TaliesinMerlinTaliesinMerlin
10.6k2042
10.6k2042
1
Would that pattern be typical just of "maybe" or also of other adverbs?
– user240918
May 14 at 15:03
1
It seems exactly the same question could be asked of perhaps and possibly. Or are you asking only about maybe? And, if so, why?
– Jason Bassford
May 14 at 18:01
Interesting thoughts. I've gone through COCA for both perhaps and possibly; I found one example with perhaps ("We check in, perhaps have some light dinner, and go to bed") but the application seems rarer; I can't find "possibly" used in that way, though it and a few other adverbs are theoretically possible. So I ask about maybe because it is the instance I can find the most evidence for, it feels recent (but I don't know), and I want to understand more about its register and usage.
– TaliesinMerlin
May 14 at 19:33
Can you show us what those sentences would look like with "maybe" in some other location(s)?
– aparente001
May 15 at 5:17
add a comment |
1
Would that pattern be typical just of "maybe" or also of other adverbs?
– user240918
May 14 at 15:03
1
It seems exactly the same question could be asked of perhaps and possibly. Or are you asking only about maybe? And, if so, why?
– Jason Bassford
May 14 at 18:01
Interesting thoughts. I've gone through COCA for both perhaps and possibly; I found one example with perhaps ("We check in, perhaps have some light dinner, and go to bed") but the application seems rarer; I can't find "possibly" used in that way, though it and a few other adverbs are theoretically possible. So I ask about maybe because it is the instance I can find the most evidence for, it feels recent (but I don't know), and I want to understand more about its register and usage.
– TaliesinMerlin
May 14 at 19:33
Can you show us what those sentences would look like with "maybe" in some other location(s)?
– aparente001
May 15 at 5:17
1
1
Would that pattern be typical just of "maybe" or also of other adverbs?
– user240918
May 14 at 15:03
Would that pattern be typical just of "maybe" or also of other adverbs?
– user240918
May 14 at 15:03
1
1
It seems exactly the same question could be asked of perhaps and possibly. Or are you asking only about maybe? And, if so, why?
– Jason Bassford
May 14 at 18:01
It seems exactly the same question could be asked of perhaps and possibly. Or are you asking only about maybe? And, if so, why?
– Jason Bassford
May 14 at 18:01
Interesting thoughts. I've gone through COCA for both perhaps and possibly; I found one example with perhaps ("We check in, perhaps have some light dinner, and go to bed") but the application seems rarer; I can't find "possibly" used in that way, though it and a few other adverbs are theoretically possible. So I ask about maybe because it is the instance I can find the most evidence for, it feels recent (but I don't know), and I want to understand more about its register and usage.
– TaliesinMerlin
May 14 at 19:33
Interesting thoughts. I've gone through COCA for both perhaps and possibly; I found one example with perhaps ("We check in, perhaps have some light dinner, and go to bed") but the application seems rarer; I can't find "possibly" used in that way, though it and a few other adverbs are theoretically possible. So I ask about maybe because it is the instance I can find the most evidence for, it feels recent (but I don't know), and I want to understand more about its register and usage.
– TaliesinMerlin
May 14 at 19:33
Can you show us what those sentences would look like with "maybe" in some other location(s)?
– aparente001
May 15 at 5:17
Can you show us what those sentences would look like with "maybe" in some other location(s)?
– aparente001
May 15 at 5:17
add a comment |
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1
Would that pattern be typical just of "maybe" or also of other adverbs?
– user240918
May 14 at 15:03
1
It seems exactly the same question could be asked of perhaps and possibly. Or are you asking only about maybe? And, if so, why?
– Jason Bassford
May 14 at 18:01
Interesting thoughts. I've gone through COCA for both perhaps and possibly; I found one example with perhaps ("We check in, perhaps have some light dinner, and go to bed") but the application seems rarer; I can't find "possibly" used in that way, though it and a few other adverbs are theoretically possible. So I ask about maybe because it is the instance I can find the most evidence for, it feels recent (but I don't know), and I want to understand more about its register and usage.
– TaliesinMerlin
May 14 at 19:33
Can you show us what those sentences would look like with "maybe" in some other location(s)?
– aparente001
May 15 at 5:17