Heard on The Judges: _for to_ VP

[George Thompson]

I have the impression that "for to" is fairly common in folk poetry, I suppose to help maintain the meter.

Can't think of examples, though.

Actually, Jimmie Rogers, Blue Yodel #9 -- the one with Louis Armstrong backing him, and "Miss Lil" on piano -- his girl gave him $5 for to buy him some clothes.  (from memory)

GAT

George A. Thompson
Author of A Documentary History of "The African Theatre", Northwestern Univ. Pr., 1998, but nothing much lately.

----- Original Message -----
From: Margaret Lee <mlee303 at YAHOO.COM>
Date: Thursday, July 8, 2010 6:50 am
Subject: Re: Heard on The Judges: _for to_ VP
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU

> The words to one of the so-called Negro spirituals, "Swing Low, Sweet
> Chariot," are, "Swing low, sweet chariot, coming _for to_ carry me home."
>
>
> --Margaret Lee
>
>
>
>
> On Tue, Jul 6, 2010 at 6:28 PM, Wilson Gray <hwgray at gmail.com> wrote:
> > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> > Thirty-ish, black female speaker living in Youngstown, OH:
> >
> > "I ain't riding in no hooptie with no *bungee cord* _for to_ hold up
> > the bumper!"
> >
> > >>
> > > --Wilson
> > –––
> > 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.
> > –Mark Twain
> >
> > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> >
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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