[mythtv-users] British vs. American English (was MythTVrequires a better name)
joe.white at wachovia.com
joe.white at wachovia.com
Fri Sep 21 15:09:45 UTC 2007
mythtv-users-bounces at mythtv.org wrote on 09/21/2007 10:52:49 AM:
> At 10:15 PM -0600 9/20/07, Robert Johnston wrote:
> >Ain't is a contraction of "am not" (I am not amused/I ain't amused).
> >It originated from the linguistic abhorrence of "mn't" as a suffix (I
> >amn't amused), so the "a" from "am" was expanded into a hard A (Ai)
> >and the suffix for an abbreviated not (n't) was added to the end,
> >thereby making ain't.
>
> Every once in a while, just to be funny, I use "amn't" in casual
> speech. People never really think about how odd it is that this
> particular contraction hasn't come into popular use.
> --
> Dan Wilga "Ook."
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Unlike "isn't", "amn't" doesn't roll off the tongue with any more ease
than "am not". Probably because the mouth position for the ending m and
beginning n are so close. Besides, when I say, "I am not", I am usually
emphasising the "not", often through gritted teeth.
Its all a matter of emphasis and ease.
Don't y'all agree?
joe white
> ForwardSourceID:NT0001B296
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