inquiry

Dennis R. Preston preston at PILOT.MSU.EDU
Tue Aug 20 11:16:10 UTC 2002


This is a joke, right? A trap to catch Yankees who may not be able to
recognize "need not" --> "needn't" --> "needn" --> "neen"?

dInIs

PS: Notice the unusual "to" marking on a infinitive after a negative
quasimodal (perhaps here a real modal), a rare feature, but one I
have recorded in Appalachia, e.g., "You should not to think you can
get away with that."

>I have long wondered about the origin of a word that is routinely used in
>Eastern Kentucky and other parts of Appalachia. The word is nean or neen, I
>am not sure of the spelling, but it rhymes with mean. An example of the
>usage is "Lynn, you nean to think you can get away with that. Does anyone
>have any ideas about the origin of this word?
>
>
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