Any time 與 anytime

這是一則討論區的討論文章，我查了一些資料，匯整了一些看法。現在重新在這裡呈現，問題的核心在於 any time， anytime，與 at any time 何者對何者錯。這個問題的探討突顯出「用法」的考量凌駕「文法」應用的有趣現象。

一個句子 If you have any problem, you can come to me ___. 後面空白處如果要填 any time, anytime, 與 at any time，到底該選哪一個呢？我查過的資料是這樣子的：
Collins Cobuild English Usage 這本書有底下這樣的說明：

any time

If you can do something any time or at any time, you can do it whenever you want to.
If you’d like to give it a try, just come any time.
They can leave at any time.
When you use any time without ‘at’, you can spell it anytime.
I could have left anytime.
We’ll be hearing from him anytime now.
If you want to say that something can be done whenever a particular thing is needed, you can use any time with a ‘that’-clause, usually without ‘that’.
Any time you need him, let me know.
Any time the bees want a queen to hatch out of the egg, they can do it.

以上是 Collins 用法書的解說。

Concise Oxford English Dictionary, 11th Edition, 2004 辭典裡，any 底下收錄有：
any time (also anytime) at whatever time.

American Heritage Dictionary 4th ed, 2004 裡面寫著：
anytime adv, At any time.

Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, 7th edition 裡面寫著：
any time (BrE) (also anytime NAmE, BrE) adverb

一九六五年版的 Fowler’s Modern English Usage 有這樣的說明：
Any time is sometimes written as one word in US, but is always two in Britain.

同樣這本用法書到了二○○○年經過 R.W. Burchfield 修訂過的第三版有更詳盡的說明，如下：
anytime. Another characterically American adverb (= at any time). Example: She said she would vote for him anytime ─ New Yorker, 1987

另一本用法書 Bryan A. Garner 編寫的 A Dictionary of Modern American usage, 1998年版， 裡面有這樣的說明：
anytime, adv., = at any time; whenever. E.g.: “Anytime a seller rents back from a buyer, an interim occupancy agreement should be completed.”

根據以上的各家之言，我們可以得到一個比較接近事實的認識，那就是 any time 與 anytime 其實都是對的。原來英國只有 any time，後來美國開始出現 anytime 時，英國甚至還認為那是「僅限美國」的用法。後來也不得不接納anytime 的說法，成為正式的英文字。

所以，當一個人告訴你 any time 正確時，那麼您大概知道給這樣答案的人可能是比較重視傳統的英國人，或者是比較講究的母語人士。相反的，告訴您答案是 anytime 的人可能是比較新潮的美國人，或者比較勇於嘗試創新的人。當然 at any time 也是正確的用法。

這不是對或不對的問題，而是用法喜好的問題。但是我真的懷疑，即便是母語人士，也都清楚這樣的細微差別嗎？下次遇到老外時，不妨做個實驗，看看與你相處的老外是不是有真才實學。