Another possibility on “hain’t” is that it’s from an
/h/-insertion dialect. Those are mostly British, but there are restricted
instances of it in Appalachia, including “hain’t” and “hit” for “it.” The
latter form occurs in Old and Middle English, but I don’t know if the
Appalachian form descends from that or is a local innovation.
Herb
From: Assembly for the
Teaching of English Grammar [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Wollin,
Edith
Sent: 2009-06-03 10:45
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: training wheels & ain't
I’ve been wondering if there is any connection between the
“ain’t” for “have” and the dialect that uses “hain’t.” My father-in-law
from Ohio used to say “hain’t.”
Anybody know?
Edith Wollin
From: Assembly for the Teaching
of English Grammar [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Dick
Veit
Sent: Wednesday, June 03, 2009 7:07 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: training wheels & ain't
I'd do it but I ain't got the
time.
On Tue, Jun 2, 2009 at 2:36 PM, Larry Beason <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
Herb,
Can you give examples of people who use 'ain't' for a contraction of 'has/have
not.' I might not be thinking it through, but I cannot think of any such
instances myself.
Just curious.
Larry
____________________________
Larry Beason, Associate Professor
Director of Composition
University of South Alabama
Mobile, AL 36688-0002
Office: 251-460-7861
FAX: 251-461-1517
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