Double modal
Dennis R. Preston
preston at MSU.EDU
Thu Dec 28 20:39:53 UTC 2006
Beverly,
I was fixin' to out you, but you did it your own self. Don't you feel
better now that the fact that you're a Minnesotan is out in the open?
dInIs
>---------------------- Information from the mail header
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>Sender: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>Poster: Beverly Flanigan <flanigan at OHIO.EDU>
>Subject: Re: Double modal
>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>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
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>>> >> >>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
>>> >> >>
>>> >> >>_________________________________________________________________
>>> >> >>The MSN Entertainment Guide to Golden Globes is here. Get all the
>>> >>scoop.
>>> >> >>http://tv.msn.com/tv/globes2007/
>>> >> >>
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--
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Dennis R. Preston
University Distinguished Professor
Department of English
15-C Morrill Hall
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI 48824-1036
Phone: (517) 353-4736
Fax: (517) 353-3755
preston at msu.edu
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