[Ads-l] ain't

[Ben Zimmer]

See e.g. sense 3 in the DARE entry for "ain't."

---
https://www.daredictionary.com/view/dare/ID_00000433
3 Do not, does not, did not.
among Black speakers
1894 Stuart in 1941 Warfel-Orians Local-Color Stories 742 AR, I ain't keer
who play de music.
1899 Edwards Defense 115 GA, “Do you think so, Isam?” A shadow fell upon
her face. “Ain' I know hit?” [Isam replied].
1922 Gonzales Black Border 139 sSC, GA coasts [Gullah], Ent you know suh
'ooman lub uh freehan' man?
Ibid 261, Ent you know dat dey ent uh Chryce' hom'ny een de house fuh eat?
1927 Kennedy Gritny 87 sLA [Black], Ain't you know Felo bin stay'n wid me .
. ?
1930 DN 6.79 cSC, “I ain' know.” Negroism.
1966 DARE Tape
SC10Listen, I ain't feel so good.
1976 Wolfram-Christian Appalachian Speech 114, In some varieties, such as
Vernacular Black English, a third correspondence developed-the use of
_ain't_ for _didn't_, so that we have constructions such as _He ain't go to
the store_ in this variety.
---


On Tue, Jan 4, 2022 at 11:42 AM Laurence Horn <laurence.horn at yale.edu>
wrote:

> Not at all novel.  It's one of the standard characteristics of AAVE/BVE
> ("ain't" for preterite rather than just perfect participle).
>
> On Tue, Jan 4, 2022 at 10:36 AM Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> > 'Didn't.'
> >
> > Not sure of this is novel, but it's new to me.
> >
> >
> >
> https://www.yahoo.com/news/alabama-woman-apologizes-while-being-181100759.html
> >  :
> >
> > “I ain’t intend to do this. Can y’all forgive me,” Kaillyn Harris cried
> > after turning herself in.
> >
>

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