Want I should?

Mon Aug 13 23:46:02 UTC 2007

On Aug 12, 2007, at 2:31 PM, Scot LaFaive wrote:

> I'm curious where or in what group "want I should" is spoken and
> from, as in
> "You want I should come over?" I found the link below that says
> it's from
> Yiddish. (BTW, is this "Ben" on the ads-list?)
>
> http://positiveanymore.blogspot.com/2006/03/you-want-i-should-grow-
> beard.html
>

wonderful, wonderful comments.  i think i might do a Language Log
posting on "if it sounds german, it's yiddish (and from new york city)".

by the way, "want" plus finite clause (rather than infinitival)
complement could trace back to a number of different substrate
languages, not just germanic ones, since 'want'-verb plus finite
clause is very widespread.

arnold

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