Double modal
Beverly Flanigan
flanigan at OHIO.EDU
Thu Dec 28 21:02:29 UTC 2006
No--I just wanted to point out that I have no trouble with the
grammaticality of the double modal, _even though_ it's not native to
me. Hey, I've adopted plural you-all with no difficulty a-tall!
At 03:39 PM 12/28/2006, you wrote:
>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
>>-----------------------
>>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
>>>> >> >>-----------------------
>>>> >> >>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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>
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