Why Do We Say Won't Instead Of Win't?

barry1010 | 02:07 Sat 31st Dec 2022 | ChatterBank

23 Answers

Why do we write fridge and not frig?
Sarge instead of serge?
What the heck is ain't a contraction of?

Fao - The K. M Players

Good Morning Early Birds

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Canary42

Language evolves flexibly, not rigidly.

Wiki says the following for ain't :-

[Quote]

Etymology

According to Etymology Online, the term was first attested in 1706 meaning am not, and it was used with that sense until the early 19th century, when it began to be used as a generic contraction for are not, is not, etc. in the Cockney dialect of London. It was then "popularized by representations of this in Dickens, etc., which led to the word being banished from correct English."

The shift from /ænt/ to /eɪnt/ parallels a similar change some dialects made to can't. In other dialects, the pronunciation shifted to /ɑːnt/, and the spelling aren't, when used to mean “am not”, is due to the fact that both words are pronounced /ɑːnt/ in some non-rhotic dialects. Historically, ain't was present in many dialects of the English language, but not in the southeastern England dialect that became the standard, where it is only found in the construction ain't I.

As a contraction of have not and has not, ain't derives from the earlier form han't, which shifted from /hænt/ to /heɪnt/, and underwent h-dropping in most dialects.

[END QUOTE]

Canary42

P.S. Frig means something completely different, and vulgar.

jno

somewhere along the line "will not" came to be pronounced as "wonnot", and "won't" is a contraction of that. "Wonnot" may still be the pronunciation in some regions, I don't know.

ain't comes from "am not"; it's grown to represent "is not" and "are not"

I say serge the same as surge. However, some words with an E used to be pronounced like an A, especially among the upper classes. Clerk was pronounced clark (still is in the UK, not so much in the US) and derby is darby.

THECORBYLOON

I say and write, "amn't I" instead of the illogical, "aren't I".

Gromit

I think this is my local dialect and not national, but around here we use the word ‘want’ or ‘wan’t’ as a shortened form of wasn’t.

It want my fault.

1ozzy

Surely it should be willn't

Hopkirk

The answer is simply because we do.

Arksided

When it comes to dialects scousers and geordies sound like they’re on helium or speed. Brummies sound like they need their batteries charging

drmorgans

And cockneys like they're trying to sell you a dodgy used car.

douglas9401

Or a table. :-P

Xeronema

Ain't no thing but a chicken wing.

fbg40

Barry
It's one of the multitude of anomalies of our English Language !!
Phew, that took some thinking as I was typing it !
Happy New Year.
FBG40

barry1010

Question Author

Re frig, it's a matter of pronunciation. There is no d in refrigerator.
At least aye spake proper, being from the Black Country, doh aye

Happy new year, everyone

Rosie29

Sorry if this is high jacking this thread - but in Pointless when they're trying to increase the jackpot - wht does AA say "let's see if we can't raise the jackpot amount " instead of " let's see if we can raise the amount " ?
Seems odd.

jno

works both ways I suppose, Rosie - once you've seen if you can, you've simultaneously seen if you can't.

douglas9401

Well done if you got this at home.