cannot but en · VERB
Meanings
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(no-past-participle, no-present-participle) To have to; to cannot help; to be unable to do otherwise than.
I cannot but applaud your zeal for preserving the purity of our language, both in its expressions and pronunciation, and in correcting the popular errors several of our States are continually falling into with respect to both.
1789, Benjamin Franklin, “Letter to Noah Webster, December 26, 1789”, in E. Sargent, editor, The select works of Benjamin Franklin, published 1855, page 498:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| can't help but | alternative | lexicographic | |
| could not but | Tense=Past | lexicographic | |
| can't but | alternative | lexicographic | |
| cannot help but | alternative | lexicographic | |
| cannot but | Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres | lexicographic |
Translations (7)
pl nie móc nic poradzić (cannot but) · es no poder dejar de (cannot but) · pl nie móc przestać (cannot but) · pl nie móc się powstrzymać (cannot but) · sw siwezi lakini (cannot but) · es no poder evitar (cannot but) · fr ne pas pouvoir ne pas (cannot but)