Tense in BE

[Dennis Preston]

Wilson,

Does that mean you ain't sayin' it now? Is 'BEEN' consistent with
"awla my life"?

dInIs, being picky


>---------------------- Information from the mail header
>-----------------------
>Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>Poster:       Wilson Gray <hwgray at GMAIL.COM>
>Subject:      Re: Tense in BE
>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>Shoot, dInIs, I BEEN sayin' that! In fac', I been sayin' that kina
>thang awla my life.
>
>-Wilson, writing in the guise of [wIusn]
>
>On 5/30/07, Dennis Preston <preston at msu.edu> wrote:
>>  ---------------------- Information from the mail header
>>-----------------------
>>  Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>>  Poster:       Dennis Preston <preston at MSU.EDU>
>>  Subject:      Re: Tense in BE
>>
>>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>>  Margaret,
>>
>>  I remember quite distinctly "I BEEN knowing this" (with remotive
>>  stressed BEEN) from Black speakers (Louisville area) from some time
>>  ago (50s). As I recall, however, the context was "Why are you telling
>>  me what I've known for a long time?" The remotive plus progressive is
>>  not at all rare, and this could be the source for the "knowing this"
>>  for you cite, but in your memory it seems to be a simple agreement
>>  marker while I remember it as a slightly annoyed response to old news.
>>
>>  I know; this breaks Preston's law of sociolinguistics #2. But since
>>  both my laws are broken daily here, I can't resist.
>>
>>  dInIs
>>
>>  >---------------------- Information from the mail header
>>  >-----------------------
>>  >Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>>  >Poster:       Margaret Lee <mlee303 at YAHOO.COM>
>>  >Subject:      Re: Tense in BE
>>  >-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>  >
>>  >Wilson Gray <hwgray at GMAIL.COM> wrote:    When I was stationed in
>>  >Berlin ca.1961, I used to hear some black GI's
>>  >say "knowin' this" instead of "fuckin' A" or "I'm hip." At the time, I
>>  >figured that this was local slang brought from home, wherever that
>>  >was.
>>  >
>>  >
>>  >And the cool way to say it was with the stress on the first
>>  >syllable, "know' in this," used to indicate that you agree with what
>>  >someone has just said.
>>  >
>>  >   Margaret
>>  >
>>  >
>>  >---------------------------------
>>  >Park yourself in front of a world of choices in alternative vehicles.
>>  >Visit the Yahoo! Auto Green Center.
>>  >
>>  >------------------------------------------------------------
>>  >The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>>
>>  ------------------------------------------------------------
>>  The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>>
>
>
>--
>All say, "How hard it is that we have to die"---a strange complaint to
>come from the mouths of people who have had to live.
>-----
>                                               -Sam'l Clemens
>
>------------------------------------------------------------
>The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org