Wordsmith.org: the magic of words

Wordsmith Talk

About Us | What's New | Search | Site Map | Contact Us  

Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Page 1 of 2 1 2
#122479 02/10/04 12:43 AM
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 2,154
Z
Zed Offline OP
Pooh-Bah
OP Offline
Pooh-Bah
Z
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 2,154
Can.....Can not.....Can't
Do.......Do not.......Don't
Has.....Has not......Hasn'T
Could...Could not...Couldn't
Will.....Will not.....Won't???

Anyone know why? Willn't or wiln't
is....is not....isn't...all that difficult to say.




#122480 02/10/04 03:13 AM
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 3,467
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 3,467
Comes from contractions of woll not or wonnot, both old forms of will not. Per OED.



TEd
#122481 02/10/04 03:23 PM
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,891
B
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
B
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,891
Thanks TEd, I was waiting for someone to answer Zed on this one.


#122482 02/11/04 04:51 PM
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 2,154
Z
Zed Offline OP
Pooh-Bah
OP Offline
Pooh-Bah
Z
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 2,154
Woll
Interesting, thanks TEd


#122483 02/14/04 09:58 PM
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,788
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,788
Dare ... dare not ... dasn't.




#122484 02/16/04 05:38 PM
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 11
E
stranger
Offline
stranger
E
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 11
We don't say dasn't in the UK, and only occasionally do we use daren't. I've always assumed that dasn't is a corruption of dares not, whether or not dares is the grammatically correct verb form.


#122485 02/16/04 05:45 PM
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 3,230
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 3,230
>dasn't

I always thought the contraction for dares not was dursn't. Thanks for correctifying me, kind sir.


#122486 02/16/04 06:06 PM
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,788
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,788
"There was a place on my ankle that got to itching, but I dasn't scratch it; and then my ear begun to itch; and next my back, right between my shoulders." ~Mark Twain, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Chapter 2.


"Politics. You dasn't scare anybody for fear they will squawk." Robert A. Heinlein, Methuselah's Children, p 269 .



#122487 02/16/04 06:26 PM
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Now *there's a good source for proper English grammar!

Nex thang you'll be citing Riddley Walker.


#122488 02/16/04 07:42 PM
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,788
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,788
I'm so confused. Here I foolishly thought that Mark Twain was being descriptive when the dolt should have known that usage in novels is prescriptive.





Page 1 of 2 1 2

Moderated by  Jackie 

Link Copied to Clipboard
Forum Statistics
Forums16
Topics13,912
Posts229,283
Members9,179
Most Online3,341
Dec 9th, 2011
Newest Members
TRIALNERRA, befuddledmind, KILL_YOUR_SUV, Heather_Turey, Standy
9,179 Registered Users
Who's Online Now
0 members (), 442 guests, and 3 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Top Posters(30 Days)
Top Posters
wwh 13,858
Faldage 13,803
Jackie 11,613
tsuwm 10,542
wofahulicodoc 10,510
LukeJavan8 9,916
AnnaStrophic 6,511
Wordwind 6,296
of troy 5,400
Disclaimer: Wordsmith.org is not responsible for views expressed on this site. Use of this forum is at your own risk and liability - you agree to hold Wordsmith.org and its associates harmless as a condition of using it.

Home | Today's Word | Yesterday's Word | Subscribe | FAQ | Archives | Search | Feedback
Wordsmith Talk | Wordsmith Chat

© 1994-2024 Wordsmith

Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5