Janet,
I've heard the expression, and I think you're analysis is right, except that it doesn't work for "Just taint done," where the "it" would have to come before "just." That suggests that "tain't" has fossilized in this expression.
Herb
Herbert F. W. Stahlke, Ph.D.
Emeritus Professor of English
Ball State University
Muncie, IN 47306
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________________________________________
From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar [[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Castilleja, Janet [[log in to unmask]]
Sent: June 4, 2009 3:06 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: ain't
My mother used to occasionally "Taint done" or "Just taint done" about
things one shouldn't do, like go downtown on the bus without gloves or
have an affair. She new it was colloquial, so she had a more formal
alternative: "'Tisn't the done thing."
I'm assuming 'taint' is 'it ain't.'
Janet
-----Original Message-----
From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of DD Farms
Sent: Wednesday, June 03, 2009 3:39 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: ain't
At 02:02 p.m. 2/06/2009, O'Sullivan, Brian P wrote:
>I think I've heard people say things like "I ain't done that yet."
DD: In the fourth grade classes that my mother taught in Knoxville,
TN, way back in the years of segregated schools, at a white lower
socio-economic class public school, the simple expression for the
guilty was, when accused, "Ain't done." She thought there was a
slight "t" sound at the end and it meant, "I ain't done it." e.g.
"Young man, have you done your homework?" "Ain't done." However, it
was also used in the exchange; "Who threw that spit ball?" Class in
unison, "Ain't done."
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