a whole nother

[Michael Adams]

 My point is different: if another is the matrix into which whole is inserted, we ought to end up with awholenother thing. What we end up with is a phrase, which would imply that either (1) we meant to infix but ended up interposing (which shouldn't happen), or (2) the metanalysis of another into a nother has already occurred, and all we have is just a phrase -- neither infixing nor interposing. Charlie's Google search confirms that nother is out there on its lexical own now (though it doesn't get around much), which it wouldn't be were it an element of an infixed form. (Absof*****'lutely doesn't yield free *lutely -- at least, it hasn't yet).

 I am glad that you brought up druther and druthers! One of my classes is discussing reanalysis of this kind right now, and it's a great example that had slipped my mind.

 ~ Michael

 -----Original Message-----
 From: david.sutcliffe at UPF.EDU
 To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
 Sent: Sun, 8 Oct 2006 6:45 AM
 Subject: Re: a whole nother

  Re:

And here's a whole nother reason it can't (read "shouldn't") be infixing in

English: it would be the only case I can think of in which a proposed infixing

would end up generating an interposing -- another infixed as a whole nother ends

up becoming a phrase, "a whole nother," in which whole is interposed. I would

never say that it couldn't happen (always unwise to say), but given our current

expectations it shouldn't happen -- should it? Can anyone think of another

example?



~ Michael





Michael, I'm not sure if I understand.  Are you saying that instances like:



  A'm right ---> Is a'm right?

 or

A'm goin,  A'm sure is goin.



-can't happen, because they do, of course, in AAVE.



Also in AAVE / southern you get:



 I'd ruther -->  I druther  ---> If I had my druthers.



Against that background, "a whole nother" seems par for the course.



David



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