Friday, June 10, 2016

Which meaning of 'all but' in 'all but unheard of?



What does '‘end of the Eastern Bloc’ suggest? - Test 3, Q21, p 143 reveals another English issue:



The 95 Theses were written in 1517 and by 1521 [Martin] Luther had developed these ideas and burned the Book of Canon Law and the Papal Bull Exsurge Dominie. Four years in the C20 would be considered relatively quick for the weakening of an established order. The end of the Eastern Bloc did not happen overnight. In the C16 such an occurrence was all but unheard of. However, on closer analysis, arguments against this approach can be forwarded.



How do you determine which definition of all but applies? Please explain the steps or thought processes; I’d like to try to resolve this myself in the future? The Oxford online dictionary lists two meanings:



1 Very nearly: the subject was all but forgotten


2 All except: we have support from all but one of the networks



What are the similarities and differences between these two meanings? From that other question, I think a different meaning applies; it seems like all but just intensifies how 'unheard of' it was:




In the C16 such an occurrence was ... unheard of.



Source: p 142, Mastering the National Admissions Test for Law, Mark Shepherd




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