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Is the word but in the sentence below necessary here? Or is it just an intensifier? What is the difference between them in terms of meaning?
He admitted that had he but taken my advice, he would have saved himself money.( original)
He admitted that had he taken my advice, he would have saved himself money. ( I omitted the word 'but')
The word but is not necessary in that sentence. It does have an intensifying nuance but really means "if only he had" or "if he had just take my advice..." My sense is that the sentence with but is slightly more literary than "if only he had" or "if he had just."
