mayn't
DanS.
Edward M. Kennedy
> probably the most underused contraction in the US
Some may not agree with the notion that it should be used at all.
--Tedward
the_andr...@yahoo.com
> "DanS." <dsla...@yahoo.com> wrote
>
> > probably the most underused contraction in the US
>
> Some may not agree with the notion that it should be used at all.
Mayn't, may - to each his own.
a.
R H Draney
>
>"DanS." <dsl...@yahoo.com> wrote
>
>> probably the most underused contraction in the US
>
>Some may not agree with the notion that it should be used at all.
One dasn't suggest another....r
--
A pessimist sees the glass as half empty.
An optometrist asks whether you see the glass
more full like this?...or like this?
Frisbee�
Mightn't feels left-out.
James Hogg
>Edward M. Kennedy filted:
>>
>>"DanS." <dsl...@yahoo.com> wrote
>>
>>> probably the most underused contraction in the US
>>
>>Some may not agree with the notion that it should be used at all.
>
>One dasn't suggest another....r
I would dare to suggest the Ulster English "amn't I" (pronounced
like "amanda", with the stress on the first syllable).
How did the form "are" ever get combined with the first person
singular in "aren't I?"
--
James
Peter Duncanson (BrE)
wrote:
Aaarrre - Wouldn't you like to know, Jim lad.
<end piraticality>
--
Peter Duncanson, UK
(in alt.usage.english)
Ray O'Hara
"Peter Duncanson (BrE)" <ma...@peterduncanson.net> wrote in message
news:du8r855ak3rnic9a8...@4ax.com...
Or Robert Newtonly to be more correct.
Joe Fineman
> probably the most underused contraction in the US
That's because "may" in the sense required (giving permission) counts
as formal usage in the US, and anyone wanting to be that formal will
probably also want to emphasize the negation:
Colloquial: "Can I go now?" "No, you can't."
Formal (not to say frigid): "May I go now?" "No, you may *not*."
--
--- Joe Fineman jo...@verizon.net
||: Sanity itself is a form of politeness. :||
Mike Lyle
> Quoth R H Draney <dado...@spamcop.net>, and I quote:
>
>> Edward M. Kennedy filted:
>>>
>>> "DanS." <dsl...@yahoo.com> wrote
>>>
>>>> probably the most underused contraction in the US
>>>
>>> Some may not agree with the notion that it should be used at all.
>>
>> One dasn't suggest another....r
>
> I would dare to suggest the Ulster English "amn't I" (pronounced
> like "amanda", with the stress on the first syllable).
That's from Scots E.
>
> How did the form "are" ever get combined with the first person
> singular in "aren't I?"
Misinterpretation of "a'n't I?" That spelling is to be found in older
print.
--
Mike.
DanS.
> DanS. <dsl...@yahoo.com> writes:
>
>> probably the most underused contraction in the US
>
> That's because "may" in the sense required (giving permission) counts
> as formal usage in the US, and anyone wanting to be that formal will
> probably also want to emphasize the negation:
>
> Colloquial: "Can I go now?" "No, you can't."
> Formal (not to say frigid): "May I go now?" "No, you may *not*."
I actually found the need to use it today. In a note to my son's
teachers giving them my contact information, I said, "Cell: 387-xxxx
(is a minute phone, and mayn’t always have minutes)" I felt a bit of
the Aussie runnin' through muh blood.
Nick Spalding
on Thu, 20 Aug 2009 22:32:48 +0100:
No, the m is clearly audible, and it isn't just Ulster either.
--
Nick Spalding
BrE/IrE
Athel Cornish-Bowden
I seem to recall that this very question was discussed and answered on
one of the linguistics blogs in the past couple of months. It may have
been on Language Log, but I'mn't sure. I think the answer was that it
arose as a shortened form of "amn't I".
--
athel
Mike Lyle
No, I was at that point answering the question about how "aren't I?"
arose, not adding to my comment about the Scots "amn't I?".
--
Mike.
Joe Fineman
> I actually found the need to use it today. In a note to my son's
> teachers giving them my contact information, I said, "Cell: 387-xxxx
> (is a minute phone, and mayn’t always have minutes)" I felt a bit of
> the Aussie runnin' through muh blood.
Very unAmerican, to be sure. That is the "may" of possibility rather
than permission; I cannot imagine wanting a contraction for it.
--
--- Joe Fineman jo...@verizon.net
||: Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as :||
||: equals. :||
Nick Spalding
on Fri, 21 Aug 2009 21:11:03 +0100:
I see that now, sorry!
--
Nick Spalding
BrE/IrE
DanS.
> DanS. <dsl...@yahoo.com> writes:
>
>> I actually found the need to use it today. In a note to my son's
>> teachers giving them my contact information, I said, "Cell: 387-xxxx
>> (is a minute phone, and mayn’t always have minutes)" I felt a bit of
>> the Aussie runnin' through muh blood.
>
> Very unAmerican, to be sure. That is the "may" of possibility rather
> than permission; I cannot imagine wanting a contraction for it.
^ There. There it is. A reason for wanting a contraction for it. I
just showed you ^ there.
--
Yours,
Dan S.
Giving money and power to government is like giving whiskey and car
keys to teenage boys. -someone else
Fred
"DanS." <dsl...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:mn.a32a7d987...@yahoo.com...
> probably the most underused contraction in the US
>
>
What about amn't? Aren't I is common but illogical.
Maria Conlon
> DanS. wrote:
>> probably the most underused contraction in the US
>
> What about amn't? Aren't I is common but illogical.
Yes, and thus I prefer to say/ask "am I not." ("Amn't" is too hard to
pronounce.)
--
Maria Conlon
John Lawler
> probably the most underused contraction in the US
Most Anglophone linguists would agree that 'may' doesn't
really contract with 'not' in ordinary speech, at least in the
US. I.e, "mayn't" isn't just underused, it's nonexistent.
Not for phonological reasons, either. If you can say "ain't",
you can say "mayn't". It's just that may+not doesn't have
a conventional contraction, and pretty much has to be
said as 'may not' in the US. It may exist in writing, but
not very often.
This is one of the several oddities that 'may' has, even for
a modal auxiliary verb, which are, gods know, the most
consistently irregular and odd class of verbs in English.
For instance, while all the Diamond modals ('may, can,
might, could', so-called because the logical symbol for
"Possible" is a diamond "◇") mean that something is
possible:
This may be your only chance.
This might be your only chance.
This could be your only chance.
This can be your only chance.
but in a negative context, may/might is not really
synonmous with can/could:
may not = 'Possible + Not' (◇¬)
This may not be your only chance.
can not = 'Not + Possible' (¬◇)
This can't be your only chance.
I think Larry Horn made a proposal some time
ago that modal-not contractions only occur
when the logical structure is ¬◇, which words
for can and could, but excludes may. Might
seems to contract at least a bit, but 'might
not' is more common in my idiolect, at least.
There is often a considerable literature available
on many topics like this, if anyone were interested.
-John Lawler http://www.umich.edu/~jlawler
"A man does not know what he is saying until
he knows what he is not saying."
-- G.K. Chesterton, 1936, "As I Was Saying"
Reinhold {Rey} Aman
[...]
> For instance, while all the Diamond modals ('may, can,
> might, could', so-called
Sorry, John, here it's "so called" (w/o a hyphen).
"So-called" is something else (an adjective).
> because the logical symbol for "Possible" is a diamond
--
~~~ Reinhold {Rey} Aman ~~~
A so-called pedant
Mike Lyle
> On Aug 20, 10:30 am, DanS. <dsla...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>> probably the most underused contraction in the US
>
> Most Anglophone linguists would agree that 'may' doesn't
> really contract with 'not' in ordinary speech, at least in the
> US. I.e, "mayn't" isn't just underused, it's nonexistent.
>
British speech.
--
Mike.
Jaybyrd
> probably the most underused contraction in the US
sounds like a suthn thaing.
Tonawanda Kardex
> probably the most underused contraction in the US
Pretty sure Tebow uses it regularly.
Edward M. Kennedy
> probably the most underused contraction in the US
<
<sounds like a suthn thaing.
Ayup.
--Tedward
DanS.
> -John Lawler http://www.umich.edu/~jlawler
> "A man does not know what he is saying until
> he knows what he is not saying."
> -- G.K. Chesterton, 1936, "As I Was Saying"
Uhh, be that as it may, Go Irish!
Jeffrey Turner
> Edward M. Kennedy filted:
>> "DanS." <dsl...@yahoo.com> wrote
>>
>>> probably the most underused contraction in the US
>> Some may not agree with the notion that it should be used at all.
>
> One dasn't suggest another....r
You oughtn't know.
--Jeff
--
The comfort of the wealthy has always
depended upon an abundant supply of
the poor. --Voltaire
Jeffrey Turner
> John Lawler formulated the question :
>> -John Lawler http://www.umich.edu/~jlawler
>> "A man does not know what he is saying until
>> he knows what he is not saying."
>> -- G.K. Chesterton, 1936, "As I Was Saying"
>
> Uhh, be that as it may, Go Irish!
Root, root for old Notre Dame. But Lawler's a wolverine fan,
apparently.
Jeffrey Turner
Remember the mayn't.
Edward M. Kennedy
>>> probably the most underused contraction in the US
>> <
>> <sounds like a suthn thaing.
>>
>> Ayup.
>
> Remember the mayn't.
And Al's a mole.
--Tedward