In a message dated 9/11/06 11:15:16 AM, [log in to unmask] writes:


> By the way, the fuzziness of the categories “conjunction” and “adverb” 
> becomes particularly clear when you consider all the “But, …” and “And, …”, 
> where, in speech, the “but” or “and” would have clause intonation.  Of 
> course, there is a proscription on beginning sentences with conjunctions, a 
> proscription that is a handy way for writing teachers to eliminate one source of 
> problems.  But, there’s nothing intrinsically wrong with starting a sentence 
> with a conjunction.  So are “but” and “and” in these usages conjunctions, 
> adverbs, qualifiers, conjunctive adverbs, …?
> 
Great question, Herb.   So does anyone have any idea when or where or why 
this proscription originated?   Is beginning a sentence with et prohibited in 
Latin?



Peter Adams

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