British English and "ain't"

[Caligulust]

I actually didn't know what it was until I was about five, when I was told not to say it, through song.

It didn't work.

 

[Palademon]

I only use the word "ain't" if I'm deliberately trying to sound stupid, silly, or overloading a sentence with slang.

Also:

The shorter, the better.

HA!

 

[TheEndlessSleep]

'Ain't' is pretty common here in the UK.

But a lot of people also say 'isn't' cos we're not all cockneys.

Damn you Dick Van Dyke!!!

 

[Escapefromwhatever]

I'm curious if the British Escapists here either use or hear the word "ain't" used by folks from where you're at. I'm also pretty sure that it's a regional thing for the Southwest US, too, but I'll study that at a later date.

I'm really sorry, but since you did post about grammar, please don't end a sentence with "at," OP. Re-examine it. You don't need it. "Where you are" conveys the message just as well as "where you are at," but without the clutter of "at."

That's proper grammar, mate. It's a casual question and is accepted sentence construction.

http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/ending-prepositions.aspx

While I enjoy colloquialisms, "it was casual" does not exclude using "at" to end a sentence. That'll get a grammar Nazi to your door.

http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/ending-prepositions.aspx

I can get a more reputable source if you like, but this sums it up nicely. I am not the only person who thinks ending a sentence on "at" is awful.

Hi. I'm a linguist. Nice to meet you. I study sentence construction, situational and regional variations in language use, and etymology. After more than a cursory examination of internet language use, it's easy to see that typical language use on the internet is akin to verbal speech. While in a written format, you would be correct, that, quite simply, does not apply here.

So, really, while I understand where you're coming from with a written format, this isn't exactly the best of places to argue proper preposition usage. Quit being stubborn and just accept it. If you'll notice, I'm being consistent with what I'm stating and how I'm stating it. That's the importance of the language use here.

Again, kindly remove your hat, Mr. Nazi.

Edit: I would enjoy continuing this and hit reply prior to your edit. Probably PMs would be the best bet.

It's Ms. Nazi, and of course. I was never really bothered, but I refused to back down when I assumed I was correct. I suppose that was my fault. While I will occasionally come across as more prepared in my writing, unless I'm using a specific style when I'm speaking, I tend to write like I speak and speak like I write. I have never used at to end a sentence when talking, but that is just me. It is really no big deal, and I apologize if I was coming across as stubborn. You simply set off one of my pet peeves. As a History major, which involves enough writing on its own, I have taken to studying language as a hobby. I see that I still have room to learn.

Nice to meet you as well.

 

[StBishop]

I'm Australian and everyone here says "aren't", although some pronounce it more like "arnt".

So too am I Australian, and I know of not a single person (besides you now) who pronounces the word 'aren't'. So perhaps one should think more before speaking for an entire country.

Do you have any idea how much The Australian accent varies from state to state, did you take into account people outside your own age bracket?? I don't know a single person over 55 who doesn't pronounce it 'aren't'.

Are you saying that people say are-ent? (Like "There are Ent in these woods!", assuming that the plural of Ent remains Ent rather than Ents.)

I can attest to different accents by region in Australia. There's a much more "British" turn on words in W.A. where as Queesnland is more nasal and "Ocka" (spelling). And everything is a question in Adelaide.

 

[Mouse One]

Wow, there's so many linguists and history types around here that I feel ignorant of the subject. But this being the internet, I'll post anyway.

I was under the impression that "ain't" goes waaaaaay back (at least 18th c), and was widely used in 19th century England, mostly among the lower classes (saw it a lot in Dickens), but also ironically by the upper classes, particularly among the "fishin' and shootin'" set. Sort of like the "milk before tea or team before milk?" thing.

 

[Naheal]

Wow, there's so many linguists and history types around here that I feel ignorant of the subject. But this being the internet, I'll post anyway.

I was under the impression that "ain't" goes waaaaaay back (at least 18th c), and was widely used in 19th century England, mostly among the lower classes (saw it a lot in Dickens), but also ironically by the upper classes, particularly among the "fishin' and shootin'" set. Sort of like the "milk before tea or team before milk?" thing.

Actually, you're quite correct, but it's usage has always been looked down on, since it's been considered slang. More recently, however, it's been moved from being "slang" to being a.... for a lack of a better term, a proper word, but not one that you'd use in any form of a formal setting. A parallel word would be "cool."

I'm mostly interested in seeing if the word is still being used internationally or if it's completely faded out of use outside of the US. From the looks of it, it's starting to go that way.

 

[Naheal]

I only use the word "ain't" if I'm deliberately trying to sound stupid, silly, or overloading a sentence with slang.

Also:

The shorter, the better.

HA!

There's a "that's what she said" joke in there somewhere, isn't there...

 

[StBishop]

and when no-one is looking we slip in extra vowels.

...that explains why the Japanese word for Australia's so fucked up.

Osutoreria
Australia

I think (know) it's more to do with the fact that, with the exeption of "N", all Japanese leters are formed of either a vowel alone or a consonant directly followed by a vowel. That, and the lack of an L.

ie. a, i, u, e ,o, ka, ki, ku, ke, ko, ta, chi, tsu, te, to, ha, hi, hu, he, ho etc. Additionally the way that Katakana is pronounced/spelled is directly related. So the fact that we read Australia as Oz-trail-ee-ah is reflected in the Japanese spelling.

 

[Naheal]

and when no-one is looking we slip in extra vowels.

...that explains why the Japanese word for Australia's so fucked up.

Osutoreria
Australia

I think (know) it's more to do with the fact that, with the exeption of "N", all Japanese leters are formed of either a vowel alone or a consonant directly followed by a vowel. That, and the lack of an L.

ie. a, i, u, e ,o, ka, ki, ku, ke, ko, ta, chi, tsu, te, to, ha, hi, hu, he, ho etc. Additionally the way that Katakana is pronounced/spelled is directly related. So the fact that we read Australia as Oz-trail-ee-ah is reflected in the Japanese spelling.

Fully aware. It's still a ***** to say in Japanese, though. I can never get the word out without biting my tongue.

 

[Vern]

I'm from the upper midwest... really more towards the west rather than midwest of the US. I've heard ain't quite a few times in my life, but in the last six or so years it hasn't come up that often. I honestly can't stand the word, what exactly is it a contraction of? Aren't and not? Are and isn't? Those both require contractions to begin with. I've always had a desire to use words that are specific to the circumstance. But the one word I truly can't bear to hear is irregardless. Any person that uses it should be shot on sight, I'm sorry but it's true.

 

[sky14kemea]

Urmm..

I'm British and I use "ain't". :/

Then again I did watch a lot of American cartoons... Still, I use it all the time.

 

[StBishop]

and when no-one is looking we slip in extra vowels.

...that explains why the Japanese word for Australia's so fucked up.

Osutoreria
Australia

I think (know) it's more to do with the fact that, with the exeption of "N", all Japanese leters are formed of either a vowel alone or a consonant directly followed by a vowel. That, and the lack of an L.

ie. a, i, u, e ,o, ka, ki, ku, ke, ko, ta, chi, tsu, te, to, ha, hi, hu, he, ho etc. Additionally the way that Katakana is pronounced/spelled is directly related. So the fact that we read Australia as Oz-trail-ee-ah is reflected in the Japanese spelling.

Fully aware. It's still a ***** to say in Japanese, though. I can never get the word out without biting my tongue.

Right, I didn't know you were a linguist (Recently read it in one of your posts) just thought I'd inject a little knowledge on the subject into the dicussion.

I never had any trouble with it but I'm an Aussie so I've had much more practice than someone who's never had to ask Japanese exchange students if they like Australia or tell people that they're Australian in Japanese.

 

[Naheal]

and when no-one is looking we slip in extra vowels.

...that explains why the Japanese word for Australia's so fucked up.

Osutoreria
Australia

I think (know) it's more to do with the fact that, with the exeption of "N", all Japanese leters are formed of either a vowel alone or a consonant directly followed by a vowel. That, and the lack of an L.

ie. a, i, u, e ,o, ka, ki, ku, ke, ko, ta, chi, tsu, te, to, ha, hi, hu, he, ho etc. Additionally the way that Katakana is pronounced/spelled is directly related. So the fact that we read Australia as Oz-trail-ee-ah is reflected in the Japanese spelling.

Fully aware. It's still a ***** to say in Japanese, though. I can never get the word out without biting my tongue.

Right, I didn't know you were a linguist (Recently read it in one of your posts) just thought I'd inject a little knowledge on the subject into the dicussion.

I never had any trouble with it but I'm an Aussie so I've had much more practice than someone who's never had to ask Japanese exchange students if they like Australia or tell people that they're Australian in Japanese.

Most of their borrowed words from English are based on the British and Australian pronunciations for them. So, if you're American and you want to learn Japanese, you're going to be hating English for a while. Good luck spelling anything properly.

 

[GLo Jones]

I'll say it now and then when I'm flustered, or in a rush. But I live in Salisbury, Wiltshire, which is effectively the meeting point of the south east and west country accents.

 

[Zykon TheLich]

Yes, 'aint' is in pretty common usage, although it's generally thought of as a 'lower class' word, the kind of thing English Lit teachers and posh mums will tell their children off for saying. Though I think there's probably regionality to it, where I live now "i'nt" or "i'n" is more common as a contraction.

 

[McShizzle]

I live in Vancouver, Canada and it's used sometimes; however it's not really a part of our dialect but rather some people just choose to say it while others do not

I'm going to second that for Canada (Toronto area). As far as I know there isn't really any difference in dialect between BC and Ontario. Most people I know however say it somewhat ironically, like if they're purposefully being comedic and dumbing down a sentence.
EDIT: Just want to make it clear that I don't think using the word is stupid, or you are stupid for using it regularly.

Thirded from Ottawa. You never hear it used around here unless it's in an ironic sense, to poke fun, or to place particular emphasis on the notion that something is not going to happen, usually with a twang in ones voice ie. "Professor, I ain't gonna do your dang assignment."

 

[EeveeElectro]

I know people who use it but I tend to stray away from it.
Not because I'm some sort of snob, but I don't think it flows right.
Then again, I say such nonsense as, "am not bothered" "What you doing?" because I'm a classy Northern bird.

 

[thylasos]

Only when impersonating my friend Joe's extremely Estuary accent. Otherwise, no. It's never naturally entered my speech. "It's not" or "s'not" comes much more naturally.

 

[RobCoxxy]

Ain't that a kick in the heeeeaaaaaaaaad?