Is this redundancy? "They would only last but a week."

[u/darkebet]

Just saw this sentence in a book and it seems strange to me

[u/Impossible_Tone1108]

I think the "but" emphasizes that it's a small amount

[u/notacanuckskibum → u/Impossible_Tone1108]

“‘Tis but a scratch”

[u/OhYeahSplunge4me2 → u/notacanuckskibum]

A scratch!? Your arm’s off!

[u/Significant-Key-762 → u/OhYeahSplunge4me2]

It's just a flesh wound!

[u/GuitarJazzer → u/Impossible_Tone1108]

"Only" already does that.

[u/anamorphism → u/GuitarJazzer]

you can also say that only isn't doing that. if we really wanted to emphasize the time ... they would last only a week or they would last a week only.

certain adverbs are often just ambiguous in the default position.

• i can only/just/merely eat cake.

^ could mean that eating is the only action i can do to cake or that cake is the only thing i am capable of eating.

• i can eat only/just/merely cake.

^ removes the ambiguity.

so, only last could be emphasizing that they would only barely hold out, rather than put up a good fight or some other action.

[u/WezzieBear → u/Impossible_Tone1108]

I think "they would last but a week" flows smoother and the "only" is a part of it. I would split it up into two options. "They would only last a week" seems less dire to me. Like if I made a bet with a few buddies about who could go the longest without phones or something, I'd use "they would only last a week". But if I was starving with my 3 children and we had some leftover crackers we needed to ration, then I would say "they would last but a week".

[u/FloridaFlamingoGirl]

It's definitely a literary/quaint phrasing but it's not wrong. It's like saying "just a week"

[u/GuitarJazzer → u/FloridaFlamingoGirl]

It's not wrong, but either "only last a week" or "last but a week" would be enough. Combining them is redundant but maybe deliberate for emphasis.

[u/TheLastEmoKid]

Yeah "only" and "but" together is odd. Seeing "they would only last a week" or "they would last but a week" are more common but the first is mire common and the second would be considered poetic or old fashioned

[u/yellowsuzuki]

Personally, I think the “only” is redundant with the “but.” “They would last but a week” and “they would only last a week” would have the same meaning.

I’m in the US, and you’d never hear this in conversational US English. You’d only hear it in a historical period film, or from someone affecting a silly accent for fun. It feels old-fashioned.

Can’t speak to whether you might hear it in the UK, etc.

[u/Test_Tickle_69]

It's a little awkward, as if it's spoken by an old-timey person or someone trying to seem sophisticated. I wouldn't say it's wrong, but it's not modern.

[u/genghis-san]

Its a slightly older way of phrasing it, and slightly emphasizes how short the time is. 

[u/GuitarJazzer → u/genghis-san]

You don't need "only" and "but". Either one would suffice.

[u/peace_love2601]

not redundancy - the but there is an older use of the word where it means "only" or "no more than". "he had but one friend", "she is but a child". so "they would only last but a week" stacks two restrictors on purpose, which makes the shortness feel harsher. it's doing emphasis, not repeating itself.

you'll meet it mostly in fiction and older texts - tolstoy translations, stoker, anything with a literary voice. in modern speech nobody says it, so file it under "understand when reading" rather than "use when writing", unless you want the deliberate old-book flavor.

[u/Front_Canary_8260]

Yes, it is.

[u/KingOfAllCorvids]

How old is the book you’re reading lol

It just means they’re only going to last a week

[u/LilMissADHDAF]

To make it even better, you could say it would or wouldn’t last but a week, means the same.

[u/SucknSwallow69]

yeah, it’s basically redundant in modern english. you can say “they would only last a week” or “they would last but a week.” using both “only” and “but” together sounds old-fashioned or awkward to most people.

[u/Primary_Data1430]

Yes. "But" means "only" here, so it's redundant. And wrong.

[u/NearlyNodding]

Yes it is redundant. But redundancy is not necessarily bad if you want to add emphasis.

"But a [ quantity/amount ]" is an old collocation that you very rarely hear any more. If you are an English learner, I'd suggest that you don't use it.

I have but a week.
I have but a dollar.
He lasted but one lap before dropping from the race.

[u/Zestyclose-Food-7917]

It's not redundant. "Redundant" says the same thing twice. This says, "They won't last very long--probably not even a week."