Apples in the Basket

Russell: Do you have any apples in that basket?
Moore: No.
Russell: Do you then have _some_ apples in the basket?
Moore: No.
Russell: Do you, then, have _apples_ in the basket?
Moore: Yes.
"he replied. And, from that day forth,
we remained the very closest of friends."
(J. Miller, 'Portrait from Memory',
_Beyond the Fringe_, Angel CD ZDM 077776477121).

-- This is perhaps the place to discuss 'any', 'some' and 'all'. Let us start with 'all'. Doesn't it bother you that you feel like you want to say, 'every'.

"Some apple is rotten"
"Every apple is rotten"

In scholastic logic (I was reading last summer at the Swimming Pool Library a book by a London-based logician called, interestingly, "Barbara Celarent" -- which I had used as textbook in one of my logic classes at the caves), it's usually or ceteris-paribus singular

S is P
some S is P
omnis S is P

Consider OED on 'all' -- and report back -- ha ha:

* 'all'. " 'all' = 'every'. Cognate with Latin "omnis", Fr. "tout" ("tout
homme"). [cfr. the northern] 'all body'.

== Bear with me as you browse through things you already knew!

Cites:
1175 Lamb. Hom.
"Wurthian alre erest thine father & thine mother over all earthly thing."
1398 Trevisa Barth.
"And this we see all day, with our eyes."
1556 Lauder Tract.
"Zour dewtie that ghe aucht till all creature."
1558 Kennedy in Wod. Soc. Misc.
"Let all Christian man have refuge to the judge."
"'all' can also mean 'any whatever'. In universally exclusive sentences
or clauses; as "without all" (cf. Latin "sine omni"). Now only in such phr.
as "beyond all question", "beyond all doubt", "beyond all controversy",
etc., or where the exclusion is expressed by a verb, as to deny, disclaim,
renounce, all connexion.
Cites:
1605 Shaks. Macb. iii. ii. 11
"Things without all remedy, Should be without regard."
1855 Macaulay Hist. Eng.
"He disclaimed all intention of attacking the memory of Lord Russell."
"Distributed to each member or part of the whole, by the forms "all and
some".
Cites:
1325 Coeur de L.
"They that would nought Christian become, Richard leet sleen him all and
some."
1386 Chaucer Knts T.
"These lords all and some been in the Sunday to the city come."
1460 Play Sacr.
"Whyle they were alle together & some Comedite corpus meum."
1600 Holland Livy
"To endeavour and strain themselves, both all and some [singulis
universisque]."
1681 Dryden Abs. & Achit.
"Now stop your noses, readers all and some."
1870 Morris Earthly Par.
"Two hours after midnight all and some into the hall to wait his word
should come."
"It has been suggested that in this phrase some was a corruption of
isame (isome) `together,' but the phonology shows that it is not so; with
the first quot. above cf. this from the same poem:
1325 Coeur de L.
"Among the toun folk was no game; To counsayl they gaderyd hem insame."
"all and some" was also used in sing., as if confused with "sum"; = "the
whole sum", "the sum total".
1303 R. Brunne Handl. Synne
The tale is written all and some in a book of Vitas Patrum.
1380 Sir Ferumb.
"He shridde him therewith & clothed him all & some."
1386 Chaucer Wife's T. Prol
"This is all and some"
1480 Childe of Bristowe
"By that the fourtenyht was come, his gold was gone, all and some."
1520 Wyatt Wks.
"Henceforth, my Poins, this shall be all and sum."
1625 Gonsalvio's Sp. Inquis.
"Herein resteth all and some concerning these matters."

Now compare with 'every'

* "every". "Etymological note: Old English "aefreaelc, "aefreylc": see "ever" and "each". The OE. "aelc", "ylc", was a compound of "a", synonymous with "aefre"; but, owing to umlaut and contraction, the etymological force of the word had become obscured, and "aefre" was prefixed in order to express more distinctly the original sense. Although the phrase was always written in OE. as two words, it had in 10th c. already come to be felt as a compound, and when it is governed by a prep. this is placed before the first of the two words. The forms marked A descend from "aefreelc", and the b forms, including the mod. "every", from "aefreylc". It does not appear that "aefre" was prefixed to the other two words, "aeaehwilc" and
"aeehwilc", which enter into the history of "each".]
"'Every' is used to express distributively the sense that is expressed collectively by "all". Originally this sense was expressed by "each", from which "every" differed only in emphasizing the element of universality in the signification. Thus Wyclif writes "every langour and each sekenesse,' it being unnecessary to repeat the emphasis. When "every" had ceased to be recognizable as a compound of "each", the two words were at first often used somewhat indiscriminately, but their functions were gradually differentiated."

Etc, but of course, as a lifelong native, I expect you knew that all-the-ready.

Etc.

Cheers,

JL