One dictionary I looked at says 'although' is used to introduce a subordinate clause which contains a statement that contrasts with the statement in the main clause. What confuses me is whether there is emphasis 'although' puts on one of the two clauses it connects.
Here is a example sentence in that dictionary:
Although he is known to only a few, his reputation among them is very great.
If I rewrite the sentence into 'He is known to only a few, although his reputation among them is very great.', is there any difference in meaning between these two sentences?
Another dictionary says 'although' means 'but'. I know they are grammatically different conjunctions. If 'although' and 'but' actually have emphasis on some part of the two clauses they connect, I'm curious to know whether they put emphasis on the same part.
Best Answer
The stronger clause of two clauses conjoined with "although" is the main clause, NOT the subordinate clause with "although". So, while both "although" and "but" are used to show contrast, they have opposite meanings in terms of which is the stronger clause. I'm not surprised to find this poor definition in Wordlink and the American Heritage Dictionary. As usual, Merriam Webster gets it right:
So your first example about reputation means, "He has a great reputation. Incidentally, not many people know him." Your second example means, "Not many people know him. Incidentally, he has a good reputation among those who do." These are clearly different to each other in emphasis.
To contrast "although" with "but": "He is known to only a few, but his reputation among them is very great" carries roughly the meaning of your first example, but the conjunctions introduce different clauses.