Double modal

[Beverly Flanigan]

It's not native to me either; I'm a Minnesotan originally!

At 02:46 PM 12/28/2006, you wrote:
>Sorry, I was just joking. There is nothing wrong with the double modal
>construction. It's just not used around here and I would say most
>Wisconsinites don't have it as part of their grammar (that's what I mean
>when I say "ungrammatical" for us). It's perfectly grammatical for others,
>such as yourself, since it is part of your grammar. I still say that most
>people around here get confused by double modals because they don't exist in
>their grammars and they are very foreign. Everyone I've talked to (not just
>questioned) around here seems to consider double modals semantically
>unintelligible, or at least confusing. It's just odd for us to use two
>modals like "might" and "could" together in a clause.
>Double modals are ok with me. Don't worry, I am not following in the
>footsteps Mr. Z here.
>
>Scot
>
>
>>From: Beverly Flanigan <flanigan at OHIO.EDU>
>>Reply-To: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>>To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
>>Subject: Re: Double modal
>>Date: Thu, 28 Dec 2006 14:30:03 -0500
>>
>>---------------------- Information from the mail header
>>-----------------------
>>Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>>Poster:       Beverly Flanigan <flanigan at OHIO.EDU>
>>Subject:      Re: Double modal
>>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>>Or do they stop to think about it only because you raise the issue?  I
>>don't see how it could be "unintelligible," and it's certainly not
>>"ungrammatical" to native users.  "All bad"--what does that mean???
>>
>>At 02:06 PM 12/28/2006, you wrote:
>> >I don't know. Most fellow Northerners that I ask about the double modal
>> >construction seem to stop and scratch their heads when hearing it. At
>>least
>> >around here in Wisconsin it is quite noticeable and nearly unintelligible
>> >(to us anyway). I've spent some time studying them recently and they
>>still
>> >seem ungrammatical to my internal dialect. But I figure if Lee Majors
>>uses
>> >them, they can't be all bad, can they?
>> >
>> >Scot
>> >
>> >
>> >>From: Beverly Flanigan <flanigan at OHIO.EDU>
>> >>Reply-To: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>> >>To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
>> >>Subject: Re: Double modal
>> >>Date: Thu, 28 Dec 2006 13:49:49 -0500
>> >>
>> >>---------------------- Information from the mail header
>> >>-----------------------
>> >>Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>> >>Poster:       Beverly Flanigan <flanigan at OHIO.EDU>
>> >>Subject:      Re: Double modal
>> >>-----------------------------------------------------------------------
>> --------
>> >>
>> >>I'm not sure it's that noticeable, or off-putting, to Northerners.  A
>> >>similar "double" is the Southern double complementizer "like that," as
>>in
>> >>"It seems like that we're in a mess in Iraq."  I made that up, but
>>Southern
>> >>Congressmen are heard using the form often--as would any normal
>>Southerner,
>> >>of course.
>> >>
>> >>At 01:19 PM 12/28/2006, you wrote:
>> >> >Is that the same species as one of Jeff Foxworthy's "You might be a
>> >> >redneck..." shibboleths,
>> >> >
>> >> >         _I used t' could'a'_
>> >> >
>> >> >?
>> >> >
>> >> >-jk
>> >> >
>> >> >At 09:35 AM 12/28/2006, Scot LaFaive wrote:
>> >> >>---------------------- Information from the mail header
>> >> >>-----------------------
>> >> >>Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>> >> >>Poster:       Scot LaFaive <spiderrmonkey at HOTMAIL.COM>
>> >> >>Subject:      Double modal
>> >>
>> >>-----------------------------------------------------------------------
>> >> --------
>> >> >>
>> >> >>This weekend, while suffering through "Smoky Mountain Christmas"
>> >>starring
>> >> >>Lee Majors and Dolly Parton, I heard Lee Majors' character use a
>>double
>> >> >>modal ("might could"). This isn't thrilling (esp. considering that at
>> >>least
>> >> >>one of writers is from the South as is Lee Majors), but it did stand
>>out
>> >>a
>> >> >>little. I was surprised that a cheesy, feel-good, mass market movie
>> >>would
>> >> >>use a double modal that might frighten the Northerners.
>> >> >>Just thought it was worth noting.
>> >> >>
>> >> >>Scot
>> >> >>
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