How do you break down "かといって"?


In the phrase `かといって` or `かと言って`, meaning `having said that, on the other
hand`, I'm not sure what the `か` and `と` are.

My first guess is that these are the generic particles (か+と+いって), but I
couldn't find any evidence to suggest that (or, for that matter, to refute
it).

Of course, I could be over thinking this, so it could be a "that's just how it
is said" kind of phrase.




Like you say, かと言って is just か＋と＋言って.

  * か makes it into a question
  * と is the quoting particle
  * 言って is "say/called"

It can appear without any ambiguity in the middle of a sentence

> 家まで送ろうかと言ってくれた。  
>  He offered to bring me home.

When it is used as a conjunction at the beginning at a sentence it works like
というか, なので, だから, etc., which apply to the whole preceding sentence (or
argument).




Like you say, かと言って is just か＋と＋言って.

  * か makes it into a question
  * と is the quoting particle
  * 言って is "say/called"

It can appear without any ambiguity in the middle of a sentence

> 家まで送ろうかと言ってくれた。  
>  He offered to bring me home.

When it is used as a conjunction at the beginning at a sentence it works like
というか, なので, だから, etc., which apply to the whole preceding sentence (or
argument).

