"Too much" - how to spell it correctly

2024 Author: James Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 14:00

There is a lot of poor-quality text on the Internet, unedited articles with uncorrected errors. People reading such news cannot answer simple questions, such as how to spell “too much”. Let's figure out why exactly such a norm is fixed, and not separate spelling or preservation of a voiced consonant.

Etymology and spelling norms

Using the adverb "too much" in oral and written speech, many people know how to spell it correctly, but there are also those who cannot choose the right option. They write it separately or with a voiced consonant in the middle of the word. Meanwhile, this is an adverb formed by the fusion of the preposition "through" and the obsolete noun "chur". Previously, this term was used to designate boundary pillars on the border, presumably it came from the ancient European ("cut", "cut off").

In modern language, this is a root, but initially the word was formed by merging a prefix and a noun, which already in this form began to play the role of an adverb.

Interesting! As it is spelled "abroad" - together or separately

In modern language, "through" no longer plays the role of a prefix, but can act as an alliance or pretext. It would be logical to assume that the rules for joining with a root will not apply to this word form.

Linguists have only one explanation - the duration of its implementation in speech. At the time of the merger of the preposition and the noun, the rule of stunning the last letter of the prefix before the initial consonant of the root was still in effect. Such a norm has become firmly established and exists to this day, therefore, it does not seem entirely clear if viewed from the point of view of etymology.

Helpful advice

In order not to experience difficulties in writing a dictation or in compiling a written text, you need to remember a simple rule: there are no other options except for continuous writing. Neither separate use, nor with a hyphen, nor with a voiced consonant "z" is unacceptable.

Analyzing the examples, we can recall another pattern - the spelling of prefixes in Russian: before the voiced beginning of the root, the voiced ending of the prefix is preserved. If the base starts with a deaf, the prefix is also stunned. Therefore, "through" at the beginning of the word turned into "cheres" before "h".

Interesting! When VLOOKUP is in 7th grade in 2022 and what subjects

When extending this rule to an adverb formed by merging two lexical units, one should not forget that it simply continues to operate in an integral lexeme; when parsing a word, it is considered a single root. The second axiom, not subject to dispute, is the merged spelling of two once equal parts. No semantic and positional nuances affect the spelling of the word. "Too much" is the only correct option:

• "Well, this is already too much!" - said my mother indignantly, seeing a couple of dirty children on the doorstep.
• I went too far with the salt in the soup - I poured too much.
• Drinking too much liquid with yeast and sugar will put you on weight quickly.
• He was too wary of danger - in everything he saw only a potential threat.
• I think you put on too much makeup and therefore look a little like a clown.

In any scientific source, you can find the statement that in the spelling of this word form there is only one correct option - "too much", with a stunned consonant in the middle of the word and in a continuous spelling. Perhaps it was once separate, it was used as a tandem of a service word and a significant part of speech, but in the process of development of the language it acquired a new look and consolidated a different spelling.

Outcomes

• The word is formed by merging a prefix and a noun, which already in this form began to play the role of an adverb.
• In modern language, "through" can act as a union or preposition.
• The correct spelling is “too much”.