Tense in BE

[Sarah Lang]

Can that be paired thus: "I might shoulda been knowin' that" or "I
useda could known (?)"?

(Btw, I've started recording speech in my neighbourhood [http://
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodlawn,_Chicago]; I'll let you know how it
goes.)

S.

On May 30, 2007, at 11:57 AM, Dennis Preston wrote:

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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Dennis Preston <preston at MSU.EDU>
> Subject:      Re: Tense in BE
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> ---------
>
> Wilson,
>
> Does that mean you ain't sayin' it now? Is 'BEEN' consistent with
> "awla my life"?
>
> dInIs, being picky
>
>
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>> 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:
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>>>  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
>>>
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>>>> 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.
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>>
>>
>> --
>> 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
>>
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