Invariant innit, isn ´t it

[Jonathon Green]

Barnhart wrote:
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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Barnhart <barnhart at HIGHLANDS.COM>
> Subject:      Re: Invariant innit, =?ISO-8859-1?Q?isn=B4t_?= it
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>
> Unless I've missed the point, there's an entry in DARE at _isn't it_ in
> which evidence from their files cites _innit?_ (1993. 1994, 1995).  The
> first evidence I've found in dialect dictionaries on the side of the pond
> is in Wentworth's American Dialect Dictionary (c. 1944) from Michigan and
> Ohio (date: 1940) with the suggestion that it comes from Dutch.  DARE
> appears to cite the same evidence.
>
> David K. Barnhart
>
> barnhart at highlands.com
>
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The point about the current use of 'innit' in London and doubtless
across the (young, urban) UK is that while it _does_ indeed elide 'isn't
it', it is not in fact used, as would be expected, after a question
(although this 'traditional' use is of course still as common as ever),
but as a meaningless punctuation, following a statement.  I recommend a
glance at the entry on urbandictionary.com , which gives, inter much
alia, the example "Yo look at my new car innit!", and suggests that it's
primary use is 'in places where it would make no sense whatsoever if
expanded'. Urban Dict. contributors suggest that it was first
popularised either in the Asian community or among white working class
'Chavs'. My own bet would be on the latter.

JG

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