Is there such a phenomenon as "undercorrection/hypocorrection?

[Dennis R. Preston]

A-dancin and a-prancin is widespread mongst us a-prefixers.

dInIs

>It may be a set phrase in this area; I doubt that it is anywhere
>else.  I've also heard "a-dancin' and a-prancin'"--not common elsewhere,
>I'm sure.
>
>At 05:01 PM 3/16/2005, you wrote:
>>Isn't "a-screamin and a-hollerin" just a set phrase? The interviewee then
>>just reversed the internal order of this phrase for emphasis.
>>
>>Benjamin Barrett
>>Questioning in Seattle
>>
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: American Dialect Society [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf Of
>>Beverly Flanigan
>>----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>---
>>
>>By the way, for those of you who think a-prefixing is dead, or at least
>>isn't used in Ohio, I heard a great example on local radio this morning.
>>Concerning a murder about 30 miles from here, in southeastern Ohio, the
>>interviewee said "They were a-screamin' and a-hollerin', and a-hollerin' and
>>a-screamin'"--four attestations!


--
Dennis R. Preston
University Distinguished Professor of Linguistics
Department of Linguistics and Germanic, Slavic, Asian, and African Languages
A-740 Wells Hall
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI 48824
Phone: (517) 432-3099
Fax: (517) 432-2736
preston at msu.edu