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Nevertheless

Posted by Smokey Stover on July 16, 2007

In Reply to: Nevertheless posted by Smokey Stover on July 14, 2007

: : Can anyone explain the term "never-the-less". How do those words end up meaning "although"? It doesn't make sense or does it?

: They DON'T mean "although." And usually it is spelled as one word, nevertheless. It means exactly the same as "nonetheless," and has for a long time. For an explanation you can back up one page to where your question appears, then go down the page somewhere past sixty or seventy other questions until you see "Nonetheless." Your question is answered there.

: Or you can back up one page, go to the search box at the top of the page, and enter your word there. You might try "nonetheless" as well. However, the response farther down the page on which your question appears may be the fuller explanation.
: SS

My bad, what you will find further down the page is "None the less," which ought to be, but is not, "Nonetheless." To save you trouble finding it, here is the meaning given there.

'The exact meaning lies in the words. Nonetheless, nevertheless, however, all imply an antecedent, in spite of which [whatever you next say]. Nonetheless [for that which has just been said], or not less true because of what has been said, never the less true for that which has just been said. Example (a poor one, but worth every penny). You call me a freak. Nonetheless, I have arms and legs and a mouth just like you. You say the houses are ugly. Nevertheless they are selling fast. (It is none the less true that they are selling fast.)

However is similar. It's not just a long way of saying "but," but has a meaning: however true that may be... Or, in an example. You say you are of noble stock. However (or how ever true) that may be, you are nonetheless a cad. Or, your blue blood notwithstanding, you are a cad. Or, Okay, so you're of noble birth. All the same, your behavior is ignoble. Despite your pedigree you behave like a cur. Your pretensions notwithstanding, from here you look like a jerk.

Are you finding yourself any closer to understanding these expressions? Except for nonetheless and nevertheless, which are synonyms, they are not necessarily interchangeable. They have a lot of overlap, but their use in sentences varies. "However" and "nevertheless" can both be found as early as the 14th century, "notwithstanding" from the 15th century, "nonetheless" (or "natheless") from the 16th century.'

If you need to locate something further down a long page, enter Ctrl-F, then enter the word you're searching, then press "search." This may work.

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