i hate the word "aint"

hate? hatred is pretty strong as a word itself.

In the mid twentieth century, people in the US who said ain't, my aunt for example, hadn't absorbed much rigorous schooling if they'd been lucky enough to undergo it. I don't know, it still may be part of the local language in some places.

Some have kept using the word as a kind of prick to the pride balloon of the Better English Speakers.

Use of words within a social format is a study for many with interest in how people communicate. Words are sometimes used to taunt or stubbornly used to maintain identity.

What do you mean by "hate" the word?

Is aint an abbreviated form of aren't or am not?

I hate it for ya... a real bitch ain't it?

The language used by the working class has often lagged behind that of the "ruling" class, because of illiteracy, and because for most of history, workers had little or no leisure to persue literacy. Therefore, the settlers in the "back country" of the American colonies spoke what was very nearly Elizabethan English, while the merchants and "gentlemen farmers" of the monied and propertied classes had intellectually and linguistically entered the Augustan age of English culture.

The Elizabethan English often pronounced the word "are" as "air"--we air bound for the river. Additionally, verb conjugations were only loosely recognized--this can be seen among poor people in the United States in our times who may say "we was" rather than "we were." So "air" for "are" gets used in the singular and plural, and in all three persons. The negative--"air not"--gets abbreviated as "airn't" and then finally, ain't. (A really anal type would write that as "ai'n't,"--who ain't that anal is me.)

The persistence of the use of Elizabethan and Jacobite forms in the rural areas of Appalachia was such that in one of the many studies of disappearing culture funded in the FDR administration, university types and journalists went into the mountains to ascertain the degree of literacy and record the language. (Katherine Hepburn starred in the film Spitfire, released in 1934, and as was the case with Hollywood productions of the day, the director scrupulously assured that Miss Hepburn correctly spoke the patois of Appalachia. That movie [a bad, bad, bad movie] and Sergeant York [1941], with Gary Cooper and Walter Brennan, are probably two of the best sources to hear how the people of Appalachia spoke in the 1930's.) The study which originally suggested a very high degree of illiteracy among the Appalachian population, had a surprising and unanticipated result--people who could not read or could only with difficulty read New York Times could with ease read aloud from the King James version of the Bobble, and from works such as The Pilgrim's Progress. If any books at all had made it into the mountains with their ancestors, it was books such as those.

The language used by the working class has often lagged behind that of the "ruling" class, because of illiteracy, and because for most of history, workers had little or no leisure to persue literacy. Therefore, the settlers in the "back country" of the American colonies spoke what was very nearly Elizabethan English, while the merchants and "gentlemen farmers" of the monied and propertied classes had intellectually and linguistically entered the Augustan age of English culture.

The Elizabethan English often pronounced the word "are" as "air"--we air bound for the river. Additionally, verb conjugations were only loosely recognized--this can be seen among poor people in the United States in our times who may say "we was" rather than "we were." So "air" for "are" gets used in the singular and plural, and in all three persons. The negative--"air not"--gets abbreviated as "airn't" and then finally, ain't. (A really anal type would write that as "ai'n't,"--who ain't that anal is me.)

The persistence of the use of Elizabethan and Jacobite forms in the rural areas of Appalachia was such that in one of the many studies of disappearing culture funded in the FDR administration, university types and journalists went into the mountains to ascertain the degree of literacy and record the language. (Katherine Hepburn starred in the film Spitfire, released in 1934, and as was the case with Hollywood productions of the day, the director scrupulously assured that Miss Hepburn correctly spoke the patois of Appalachia. That movie [a bad, bad, bad movie] and Sergeant York [1941], with Gary Cooper and Walter Brennan, are probably two of the best sources to hear how the people of Appalachia spoke in the 1930's.) The study which originally suggested a very high degree of illiteracy among the Appalachian population, had a surprising and unanticipated result--people who could not read or could only with difficulty read New York Times could with ease read aloud from the King James version of the Bobble, and from works such as The Pilgrim's Progress. If any books at all had made it into the mountains with their ancestors, it was books such as those.

I regret the double post, and i blame this lame web site--i'm outta here . . .

Re: i hate the word "aint"


I hate it when people use the word "like" when it's not like anything at all; just as you did. I do it sometimes and it's still annoying to me.

Why would you hate the word "ain't" when you don't hate saying things like (proper use of the word there) "I really like can't stand the word 'ain't'."

"Ain't" is a great word. It should be added to the dictionary.

"Ya'll" is another one. And so is "fixin' to."

See ya'll later, I'm fixin' to click "submit."

"Ain't" is a great word. It should be added to the dictionary.

"Ya'll" is another one. And so is "fixin' to."

See ya'll later, I'm fixin' to click "submit."

Debug mode. Ain't it great?

Debug mode. Ain't it great?

Re: i hate the word "aint"


I like know what you are saying like, Bella.

ok fine


ok fine... i DISLIKE the word (or for those who dont like proper english- i DONT LIKE the word

oh yeah..
[quote="kingofmen"]Is aint an abbreviated form of aren't or am not?[/quote]

oh yeah .. never thought of it as that way..
hmm maybe..
probably..
i thought it was just made up slang word or something
*shrugs*

lol


lol i dont think its too late.. the reason why: its the only forum where peopel actualyl reply!
i mean look.. i wrote a lil stupid "i hate teh word aint" post...
and look how many replies i got!
wow.. this place isnt too bad..

Re: i hate the word "aint"


like is just an overused word that gets stuck in ur mind and u say it wihtout noticing mostly..
i dont say it too much
but its alright to SOMETIMES say it
its not such an annoying word as aint...
thats just the annoyingest of all annoying words.. (dont comment on my improper english here, im just having fun)

I hat people who don't capitalize "English" and who ain't able to distinguish when to use "it's" versus "its."

haha im just a lil too lazy for that

How do you hat someone? Flog them with your fedora?