Discussion Groups / English Usage / January 2004

It seems to me that the meaning would depend upon the function of the word.
To take another verb as an example of this principle, in "I think, therefore
I am," the verb "am" is functioning as an intransitive verb, with the
meaning of "exist." But in "I am going to think about it," the "am" has
another function: it's an"auxiliary verb" or "verbal auxiliary"[1]. And in
"I am tired," the "am" functions as a copula (or "linking verb").

The function, and thus the meaning, of "than" as used as a conjunction is
different from "than" used as a preposition. The words which follow the word
"than" take the appropriate grammatical form.

"Than" is a word which started out as a conjunction and became in some uses
a preposition. There's another interesting case, that of "until." According
to *Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary,* 11th ed., "until" as a
preposition dates to the 13th century. Used as a conjunction it dates to the
14th century.

Note:

[1] *Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary,* 11th ed., considers these to
be synonyms, which means that a "verbal auxiliary" is a verb. In his
*Columbia Guide to Standard American English* at

http://www.bartleby.com/68/41/641.html

Kenneth G. Wilson, under the entry "auxiliaries, auxiliary verbs" mentions
another name for them, "helping verbs." But he also mentions the following:
"Many grammars assert that _auxiliaries_ are not verbs at all, since they
behave differently from verbs: most of them have no past participles such as
verbs have." That position has been defended previously by some members in
this newsgroup.

Doc Robin:

If that's what you say is the truth then, yes, I believe you.  It's the kind of
mistake I could see myself making.

Physics?  Oy!  I *hate* physics!  But, I've still always found the Arabic
preficees hella useful, especially in the post-computer age.