Also 5–6 excepte, 5 Sc. excep. [ad. L. except-us, pa. pple. of excipĕre: see EXCEPT v.]
† A. pple. = excepted, pa. pple. of EXCEPT v.
† 1. As predicate (with the vb. to be) or as complementary obj.: Not included. Also occas., Exempted, Obs.
1482. Monk of Evesham (Arb.), 63. He thoughte hym selfe excepte in this worlde fro the comon labur of men.
1523. Ld. Berners, Froiss., I. cxlvii. 177. To this truse all parties were agreed, but Bretayne was clerely excepte.
1526. Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W., 1531), 62. The greatest synner that is may attayne therto, and none be excepte.
1535. Coverdale, 1 Kings xv. 22. Kynge Asa caused it be proclamed in all Iuda: Here be no man excepte.
† 2. ? Accepted. Obs. (See EXCEPT v. 6.)
(The old edd. read expert, which may be correct.)
c. 1400. Rom. Rose, 4291. She was except in his servise.
† 3. In concord with a sb. in the nominative absolute; = ‘(being) excepted.’ Obs.
a. preceding the sb. (See B. 1.)
b. following the sb.
1467. in Eng. Gilds (1870), 394. Yf eny citezen fforen wolle … sue eny citezen denesyn for eny matere or cause done wt outforth … ples of lond only except.
1494. Fabyan, Chron., V. cx. 84. All other, as well of Brytons as of Saxons, faylyd, or lefte of, that allonly excepte.
1535. Coverdale, Acts xxvi. 29. I wolde to God that … I mighte persuade … the … to be soch as I am these bondes excepte. [Wyclif, out takun thes bondis; Vulg. exceptis vinculis his.]
1594. Shaks., Rich. III., V. iii. 243. (Richard except) those whom we fight against, Had rather haue vs win, then him they follow.
1646. E. F[isher], Mod. Divinity, 7. Let all the fruits of Paradise be in thy power, one tree except.
1667. Milton, P. L., II. 678. God and his Son except, Created thing naught vallu’d he nor shun’d.
B. prep.
1. In ME., in the construction A. 3, the pple., like its synonym out-taken, might precede the sb. When this collocation of a pple. ceased to be idiomatic, except became a prep., with the sense: Excepting, with the exception of, save, but.
Owing to the rarity of instances in which an inflected pron. takes the place of a sb., it is impossible to say definitely how soon the change in the grammatical character of the word took place, but it had prob. begun before 16th c. Cf. Fr. excepté and hormis, which are now treated as preps. Possibly the word was sometimes taken as the imperative of EXCEPT v.; cf. excipe in the Eton Latin Syntax.
1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. IX. 140. Alle shal deye … Excepte oneliche of eche kynde a couple [A. X. 169 out-taken Eihte soules and of vche beest A couple].
c. 1470. Henry, Wallace, V. 1026. Thai entryt in, befor thaim fand no ma, Excep wemen.
14[?]. Customs of Malton, in Surtees Misc. (1890), 58. In ye feyldes and in ye more … and in all othyr places, excepptt severall of ye lorde.
1560. Whitehorne, Arte Warre (1573), 83 b. No Capitayne will lye neere the enemie except hee that is disposed to fighte the fielde.
1591. Shaks., 1 Hen. VI., I. i. 91. France is reuolted from the English quite, Except some petty Townes.
1655. W. F., Meteors, III. 56. Old Wives are wont to say that no night in the year except one, passeth without Lightning.
1766. Goldsm., Vic. W., xix. The rabble of mankind … know nothing of liberty except the name.
1860. Dickens, Uncomm. Trav., iii. Everybody else in the room had fits, except the wardswoman.
1870. Morris, Earthly Par., I. i. 291. There where we go shall all be new to thee Except the love that thou hast won from me.
† 2. Leaving out of account; hence, in addition to, besides, as well as. Obs. rare.
1578. Dalrymple, trans. Leslie’s Hist. Scot., 27. Excepte fleshe, fishe and eldinge … this Ile hes a pasture … that may feid sum wethiris.
1756. Amory, J. Buncle (1770), I. 101. Except hours of sleep, we were rarely from each other.
† 3. Without. Obs. rare–1.
1588. J. Mellis, Briefe Instr., F v b. Neuer enter any parson in your booke … except the consent of the same person.
C. conj.
1. Introducing a predicative clause expressing a fact that forms an exception to the statement made. Now only in full form except that (in which except looks like a prep. with sentence as obj.); in 16–17th c. that was sometimes omitted. Cf. Fr. excepté que.
1568. Grafton, Chron., II. 260. Then there came … men of estate out of the good Townes of Flaundyrs, except out of Gaunt there came none.
1593. Shaks., Rich. II., I. iv. 6. Rich. What store of parting tears were shed? Aum. Faith none for me: except the Northeast wind … Awak’d the sleepie rhewme, and so by chance Did grace our hollow parting with a tear. Ibid. (1601), All’s Well, IV. iii. 300. More of his souldiership I know not, except in that Country, he had the honour to be the Officer … to instruct for the doubling of files.
Mod. The cases are quite parallel, except that A. is a younger man than B.
2. Introducing a hypothetical clause expressing a supposed case in which an exception will or may exist; = ‘unless,’ ‘if not.’
† a. in full form except that, except that if. Obs. rare.
1513. More, in Harding’s Chron. (1543). This is my minde … excepte that any of you my Lordes anye thinge perceaue to the contrarye [The reading is doubtful; Rastell’s text (More’s Wks. 1557 I. 48) omits that].
1523. Ld. Berners, Froiss., I. ccxii. 257. He shall leaue them entierly to us, excepte that if ye Frenche kynges had theym by exchaunge for other landes.
b. as simple conj. The use of subjunct. or indic. follows the same rules as with IF.
14[?]. Customs of Malton, in Surtees Misc. (1890), 59. Exceppyd thay haffe prisoners for to delyver.
1526. Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W., 1531), 1. Harde it is for any persone … to perceyue the … dryfte of this treatyse … excepte they rede before … the two fyrst bokes.
1531. Act 23 Hen. VIII., i. § 4. Every such person … shall … abide in perpetuall prison … Except onely such person… do fynde two sufficiente suerties.
1641. Winthrop, New Eng. (1826), II. 43. He … said he would not go off the bench except he were commanded.
1678. C. Hatton, in Hatton Corr. (1878), 163. I desire not to meddle with ye mother, except yr Loppe will take ye boys.
1703. Moxon, Mech. Exerc., 252. And except my memory fails me, these are all.
1754. Richardson, Grandison (1781), IV. xix. 149. Nobody knows of the matter, except he has complained to my Brother.
1850. Tennyson, In Mem., xciv. In vain shalt thou … call The spirits … Except … thou too canst say, My spirit is at peace with all.
1872. Sir G. W. Dasent, Three to One, I. 219. She never offered any one advice except it were asked of her.
c. After except conj. the phrases it be, it were, etc., are often used instead of repeating the principal verb.
1591. Shaks., 1 Hen. VI., I. i. 43. Ne’re throughout the yeere to Church thou go’st, Except it be to pray against thy foes.
1643. Milton, Divorce (1644), To Parl. Eng. (Webster, 1864). Except it be, because her method is so glib and easie.
1812. Southey, Lett. (1856), II. 252. No drama … will be [written] except it be by the same hand.
3. Followed by an adv., phrase, or clause expressing the particular manner, degree, time, place, means, purpose, attendant circumstance, etc., with regard to which the proposition is not applicable: Otherwise (or elsewhere, etc.) than.
This construction may be regarded as an instance of the use of the prep. (see B. 1) with advb. phrase as obj., for which cf. expressions like ‘The cause was tried in London instead of at York.’ It may, however, have arisen from 2 by ellipsis: cf. similar use of unless.
1586. A. Day, Eng. Secretary, I. (1625), 53. The ordering whereof (except in Letters Excusatorie or Defensorie) is wholly exempted, the course in those Letters prescribed.
1596. Shaks., Merch. V., II. i. 12. I would not change this hue, Except to steale your thoughts my gentle Queene.
1654. Fuller, Triana, iii. He … affirms her disease mortal, except one herb procured for her [etc.].
1766. Goldsm., Vic. W., xxiv. Nor do I know how to prevent the course of justice, except by paying the money myself.
1816. J. Wilson, City of Plague, I. iii. A lone castaway … Who hopes no resting-place except in heaven.
1857. Buckle, Civiliz., I. xi. 632. Society can have no hold on any class except through the medium of their interests.
1868. C. Clarke, Relig. & Duty, 70. The Apostle counted himself weak except as strengthened by the Spirit of God.
1877. F. Hall, Eng. Adj. in -able, 161. Rely, Except metaphorically, has not a personal reference.
Mod. The city was strongly fortified on all sides, except here.
b. Except for: exception being made for, were it not for, but for.
