Ain't
Encyclopedia
Ain't is a colloquialism and contraction for "am not", "is not", "are not", "has not", and "have not" in the common English language
vernacular
. In some dialects ain't is also used as a contraction of "do not", "does not", and "did not". The usage of ain't is a perennial subject of controversy in English. Widely used by many people, and found in most dictionaries, its use is often considered to be informal, nonstandard, or improper.
, reflected in writing with the new form an't. Aren't as a contraction for are not first appeared in 1675. In non-rhotic dialects
, aren't also began to be represented by an't.
An't (sometimes a'n't) arose from am not and are not almost simultaneously. An't first appears in print in the work of English Restoration
playwrights. In 1695 an't was used as a contraction of "am not", in William Congreve
's play Love for Love: I can hear you farther off, I an't deaf. But as early as 1696 Sir John Vanbrugh
uses an't to mean "are not" in The Relapse: Hark thee shoemaker! these shoes an't ugly, but they don't fit me.
An't for is not may have developed independently from its use for am not and are not. Isn't was sometimes written as in't or en't, which could have changed into an't. An't for is not may also have filled a gap as an extension of the already-used conjugations for to be not. Jonathan Swift
used an't to mean is not in Letter 19 of his Journal to Stella (1710–13): It an't my fault, 'tis Patrick's fault; pray now don't blame Presto.
An't with a long "a" sound began to be written as ain't, which first appears in writing in 1749. By the time ain't appeared, an't was already being used for am not, are not, and is not. An't and ain't coexisted as written forms well into the nineteenth century - Charles Dickens
used the terms interchangeably, as in Chapter 13, Book the Second of Little Dorrit
(1857): "I guessed it was you, Mr Pancks," said she, "for it's quite your regular night; ain't it? ... An't it gratifying, Mr Pancks, though; really?" In William Hickey
's memoirs (1808–1810), ain't appears as a contraction of aren't; "thank God we're all alive, ain't we..."
Han't appeared in the work of English Restoration playwrights, as in The Country Wife
(1675) by William Wycherley
: Gentlemen and Ladies, han't you all heard the late sad report / of poor Mr. Horner.
Much like an't, han't was sometimes pronounced with a long "a", yielding hain't. With H-dropping, the "h" of han't or hain't gradually disappeared in most dialects, and became ain't.
Ain't as a contraction for has not/have not first appeared in dictionaries in the 1830s, and appeared in 1819 in Niles' Weekly Register: Strike! Why I ain't got nobody here to strike.... Charles Dickens likewise used ain't to mean haven't in Chapter 28 of Martin Chuzzlewit
(1844): "You ain't got nothing to cry for, bless you! He's righter than a trivet!"
Like with an't, han't and ain't were found together late into the nineteenth century, as in Chapter 12 of Dickens' Our Mutual Friend
: "Well, have you finished?" asked the strange man. "No," said Riderhood, "I ain't"...."You sir! You han't said what you want of me."
During the nineteenth century, the propriety of ain't began to be disputed. Some writers did not know or pretended not to know what ain't was a contraction of, and its use was classified as a vulgarism
—a term used by the lower classes. Perhaps partly as a reaction to this trend, the number of situations in which ain't was used began to expand; some speakers began to use ain't in place of is not, have not, and has not. Charles Dickens
used ain't in the vernacular of many working- or middle-class characters in his works, such as the Cockney
slang in his 1838 novel Oliver Twist
: "...see what a pride they take in their profession, my dear. Ain't it beautiful?" Lewis Carroll
may or may not have been tweaking purist
s in his 1871 novel Through the Looking-Glass
, when the character Tweedledee says to Alice, "If it was so, it might be; and if it were so, it would be; but as it isn't, it ain't. That's logic."
Ain't was used freely by educated speakers in some geographical areas as late as the turn of the twentieth century. For Victorian
English novelists William Makepeace Thackeray
and Anthony Trollope
the educated and upper classes in 19th century England could use ain't freely, but in familiar speech only. It continues to be in conversational use among well-educated speakers of various English dialects including Southern American English
.
The use of "Ain't I?" addresses one logical problem of English grammar
; it serves as a contracted inverted form of the question "Am I not?" Some prescriptivists would not allow any contraction of that question. Others prefer "Aren't I?", even though "aren't" is a contraction of "are not", which is not a standard first person singular construction.
dialect, and is often considered improper speech by the middle and upper classes, in contrast to 19th century England where it was readily used in familiar speech by the educated and upper classes.
In some dialects of English, the use of ain't is commonly used under certain conditions. For example, in African American Vernacular English
, ain't is used as a substitute for hasn't in certain past tenses. Thus, one would say "she ain't called me" for "she hasn't called me".
Ain't is a common word in Southern American English
and in rural parts of the United States, used in casual conversation settings (see also Y'all
).
: "the wackiness of movies, once so deliciously amusing, ain't funny anymore."
It can also be used deliberately for what Oxford American Dictionary describes as "tongue-in-cheek
" or "reverse snobbery".
Although ain't is seldom found in formal writing, it is frequently used in more informal written settings, such as popular song lyrics.
Ain't is obligatory in some fixed phrases, such as "You ain't seen nothing yet".
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
vernacular
Vernacular
A vernacular is the native language or native dialect of a specific population, as opposed to a language of wider communication that is not native to the population, such as a national language or lingua franca.- Etymology :The term is not a recent one...
. In some dialects ain't is also used as a contraction of "do not", "does not", and "did not". The usage of ain't is a perennial subject of controversy in English. Widely used by many people, and found in most dictionaries, its use is often considered to be informal, nonstandard, or improper.
Etymology
Ain't has several antecedents in English, corresponding to the various forms of to be not and to have not that ain't contracts. The development of ain't for to be not and to have not is a diachronic coincidence; in other words, they were independent developments at different times.Contractions of to be not
Amn't as a contraction of am not is known from 1618. As the "mn" combination of two nasal consonants is disfavored by many English speakers, the "m" of amn't began to be elidedElision
Elision is the omission of one or more sounds in a word or phrase, producing a result that is easier for the speaker to pronounce...
, reflected in writing with the new form an't. Aren't as a contraction for are not first appeared in 1675. In non-rhotic dialects
Rhotic and non-rhotic accents
English pronunciation can be divided into two main accent groups: a rhotic speaker pronounces a rhotic consonant in words like hard; a non-rhotic speaker does not...
, aren't also began to be represented by an't.
An't (sometimes a'n't) arose from am not and are not almost simultaneously. An't first appears in print in the work of English Restoration
English Restoration
The Restoration of the English monarchy began in 1660 when the English, Scottish and Irish monarchies were all restored under Charles II after the Interregnum that followed the Wars of the Three Kingdoms...
playwrights. In 1695 an't was used as a contraction of "am not", in William Congreve
William Congreve
William Congreve was an English playwright and poet.-Early life:Congreve was born in Bardsey, West Yorkshire, England . His parents were William Congreve and his wife, Mary ; a sister was buried in London in 1672...
's play Love for Love: I can hear you farther off, I an't deaf. But as early as 1696 Sir John Vanbrugh
John Vanbrugh
Sir John Vanbrugh – 26 March 1726) was an English architect and dramatist, perhaps best known as the designer of Blenheim Palace and Castle Howard. He wrote two argumentative and outspoken Restoration comedies, The Relapse and The Provoked Wife , which have become enduring stage favourites...
uses an't to mean "are not" in The Relapse: Hark thee shoemaker! these shoes an't ugly, but they don't fit me.
An't for is not may have developed independently from its use for am not and are not. Isn't was sometimes written as in't or en't, which could have changed into an't. An't for is not may also have filled a gap as an extension of the already-used conjugations for to be not. Jonathan Swift
Jonathan Swift
Jonathan Swift was an Irish satirist, essayist, political pamphleteer , poet and cleric who became Dean of St...
used an't to mean is not in Letter 19 of his Journal to Stella (1710–13): It an't my fault, 'tis Patrick's fault; pray now don't blame Presto.
An't with a long "a" sound began to be written as ain't, which first appears in writing in 1749. By the time ain't appeared, an't was already being used for am not, are not, and is not. An't and ain't coexisted as written forms well into the nineteenth century - Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens was an English novelist, generally considered the greatest of the Victorian period. Dickens enjoyed a wider popularity and fame than had any previous author during his lifetime, and he remains popular, having been responsible for some of English literature's most iconic...
used the terms interchangeably, as in Chapter 13, Book the Second of Little Dorrit
Little Dorrit
Little Dorrit is a serial novel by Charles Dickens published originally between 1855 and 1857. It is a work of satire on the shortcomings of the government and society of the period....
(1857): "I guessed it was you, Mr Pancks," said she, "for it's quite your regular night; ain't it? ... An't it gratifying, Mr Pancks, though; really?" In William Hickey
William Hickey (memoirist)
William Hickey was an English lawyer, but is best known for his vast Memoirs, composed in 1808–10 and published between 1913 and 1925, which in their manuscript form cover seven hundred and forty closely written pages...
's memoirs (1808–1810), ain't appears as a contraction of aren't; "thank God we're all alive, ain't we..."
Contractions of to have not
Han't or ha'n't, an early contraction for has not and have not, developed from the elision of the "s" of has not and the "v" of have not.Han't appeared in the work of English Restoration playwrights, as in The Country Wife
The Country Wife
The Country Wife is a Restoration comedy written in 1675 by William Wycherley. A product of the tolerant early Restoration period, the play reflects an aristocratic and anti-Puritan ideology, and was controversial for its sexual explicitness even in its own time. The title itself contains a lewd pun...
(1675) by William Wycherley
William Wycherley
William Wycherley was an English dramatist of the Restoration period, best known for the plays The Country Wife and The Plain Dealer.-Biography:...
: Gentlemen and Ladies, han't you all heard the late sad report / of poor Mr. Horner.
Much like an't, han't was sometimes pronounced with a long "a", yielding hain't. With H-dropping, the "h" of han't or hain't gradually disappeared in most dialects, and became ain't.
Ain't as a contraction for has not/have not first appeared in dictionaries in the 1830s, and appeared in 1819 in Niles' Weekly Register: Strike! Why I ain't got nobody here to strike.... Charles Dickens likewise used ain't to mean haven't in Chapter 28 of Martin Chuzzlewit
Martin Chuzzlewit
The Life and Adventures of Martin Chuzzlewit is a novel by Charles Dickens, considered the last of his picaresque novels. It was originally serialized between 1843-1844. Dickens himself proclaimed Martin Chuzzlewit to be his best work, but it was one of his least popular novels...
(1844): "You ain't got nothing to cry for, bless you! He's righter than a trivet!"
Like with an't, han't and ain't were found together late into the nineteenth century, as in Chapter 12 of Dickens' Our Mutual Friend
Our Mutual Friend
Our Mutual Friend is the last novel completed by Charles Dickens and is one of his most sophisticated works, combining psychological insight with social analysis. It centres on, in the words of critic J. Hillis Miller, "money, money, money, and what money can make of life" but is also about human...
: "Well, have you finished?" asked the strange man. "No," said Riderhood, "I ain't"...."You sir! You han't said what you want of me."
Linguistic prescriptivism
Prescriptivists categorize ain't as a nonstandard contraction in the same way that innit is categorized as a nonstandard contraction of "isn't it".During the nineteenth century, the propriety of ain't began to be disputed. Some writers did not know or pretended not to know what ain't was a contraction of, and its use was classified as a vulgarism
Vulgarism
A vulgarism , also called scurrility, is a colloquialism of an unpleasant action or unrefined character, which substitutes a coarse, indecorous word where the context might lead the reader to expect a more refined expression.-See also:*Euphemism*Grotesque body*Ribaldry, scatology, toilet...
—a term used by the lower classes. Perhaps partly as a reaction to this trend, the number of situations in which ain't was used began to expand; some speakers began to use ain't in place of is not, have not, and has not. Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens was an English novelist, generally considered the greatest of the Victorian period. Dickens enjoyed a wider popularity and fame than had any previous author during his lifetime, and he remains popular, having been responsible for some of English literature's most iconic...
used ain't in the vernacular of many working- or middle-class characters in his works, such as the Cockney
Cockney
The term Cockney has both geographical and linguistic associations. Geographically and culturally, it often refers to working class Londoners, particularly those in the East End...
slang in his 1838 novel Oliver Twist
Oliver Twist
Oliver Twist; or, The Parish Boy's Progress is the second novel by English author Charles Dickens, published by Richard Bentley in 1838. The story is about an orphan Oliver Twist, who endures a miserable existence in a workhouse and then is placed with an undertaker. He escapes and travels to...
: "...see what a pride they take in their profession, my dear. Ain't it beautiful?" Lewis Carroll
Lewis Carroll
Charles Lutwidge Dodgson , better known by the pseudonym Lewis Carroll , was an English author, mathematician, logician, Anglican deacon and photographer. His most famous writings are Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and its sequel Through the Looking-Glass, as well as the poems "The Hunting of the...
may or may not have been tweaking purist
Purist
A purist is one who desires that an item remains true to its essence and free from adulterating or diluting influences. The term may be used in almost any field, and can be applied either to the self or to others. Use of the term may be either pejorative or complimentary, depending on the context...
s in his 1871 novel Through the Looking-Glass
Through the Looking-Glass
Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There is a work of literature by Lewis Carroll . It is the sequel to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland...
, when the character Tweedledee says to Alice, "If it was so, it might be; and if it were so, it would be; but as it isn't, it ain't. That's logic."
Ain't was used freely by educated speakers in some geographical areas as late as the turn of the twentieth century. For Victorian
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
English novelists William Makepeace Thackeray
William Makepeace Thackeray
William Makepeace Thackeray was an English novelist of the 19th century. He was famous for his satirical works, particularly Vanity Fair, a panoramic portrait of English society.-Biography:...
and Anthony Trollope
Anthony Trollope
Anthony Trollope was one of the most successful, prolific and respected English novelists of the Victorian era. Some of his best-loved works, collectively known as the Chronicles of Barsetshire, revolve around the imaginary county of Barsetshire...
the educated and upper classes in 19th century England could use ain't freely, but in familiar speech only. It continues to be in conversational use among well-educated speakers of various English dialects including Southern American English
Southern American English
Southern American English is a group of dialects of the English language spoken throughout the Southern region of the United States, from Southern and Eastern Maryland, West Virginia and Kentucky to the Gulf Coast, and from the Atlantic coast to most of Texas and Oklahoma.The Southern dialects make...
.
The use of "Ain't I?" addresses one logical problem of English grammar
English grammar
English grammar is the body of rules that describe the structure of expressions in the English language. This includes the structure of words, phrases, clauses and sentences...
; it serves as a contracted inverted form of the question "Am I not?" Some prescriptivists would not allow any contraction of that question. Others prefer "Aren't I?", even though "aren't" is a contraction of "are not", which is not a standard first person singular construction.
Regional usage and dialects
In England, ain't is generally used only by the working classes, such as those speaking the CockneyCockney
The term Cockney has both geographical and linguistic associations. Geographically and culturally, it often refers to working class Londoners, particularly those in the East End...
dialect, and is often considered improper speech by the middle and upper classes, in contrast to 19th century England where it was readily used in familiar speech by the educated and upper classes.
In some dialects of English, the use of ain't is commonly used under certain conditions. For example, in African American Vernacular English
African American Vernacular English
African American Vernacular English —also called African American English; less precisely Black English, Black Vernacular, Black English Vernacular , or Black Vernacular English —is an African American variety of American English...
, ain't is used as a substitute for hasn't in certain past tenses. Thus, one would say "she ain't called me" for "she hasn't called me".
Ain't is a common word in Southern American English
Southern American English
Southern American English is a group of dialects of the English language spoken throughout the Southern region of the United States, from Southern and Eastern Maryland, West Virginia and Kentucky to the Gulf Coast, and from the Atlantic coast to most of Texas and Oklahoma.The Southern dialects make...
and in rural parts of the United States, used in casual conversation settings (see also Y'all
Y'all
Y'all is a contraction of the words "you" and "all". It is used as a plural second-person pronoun. Commonly believed to have originated in the Southern United States, it is primarily associated with Southern American English, African-American Vernacular English, and some dialects of the Western...
).
Deliberate usage
Ain't can be used in both speech and writing to catch attention and to give emphasis, as in "Ain't that a crying shame," or "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary gives an example from film critic Richard SchickelRichard Schickel
Richard Warren Schickel is an American author, journalist, and documentary filmmaker. He is a film critic for Time magazine, having also written for Life magazine and the Los Angeles Times Book Review....
: "the wackiness of movies, once so deliciously amusing, ain't funny anymore."
It can also be used deliberately for what Oxford American Dictionary describes as "tongue-in-cheek
Tongue-in-cheek
Tongue-in-cheek is a phrase used as a figure of speech to imply that a statement or other production is humorously intended and it should not be taken at face value. The facial expression typically indicates that one is joking or making a mental effort. In the past, it may also have indicated...
" or "reverse snobbery".
Although ain't is seldom found in formal writing, it is frequently used in more informal written settings, such as popular song lyrics.
Ain't is obligatory in some fixed phrases, such as "You ain't seen nothing yet".
Notable examples
- "Ain't I a Woman?", 1851 speech by abolitionist Sojourner TruthSojourner TruthSojourner Truth was the self-given name, from 1843 onward, of Isabella Baumfree, an African-American abolitionist and women's rights activist. Truth was born into slavery in Swartekill, New York, but escaped with her infant daughter to freedom in 1826. After going to court to recover her son, she...
. - "If you want to know who we are", from The MikadoThe MikadoThe Mikado; or, The Town of Titipu is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert, their ninth of fourteen operatic collaborations...
lyrics by W. S. GilbertW. S. GilbertSir William Schwenck Gilbert was an English dramatist, librettist, poet and illustrator best known for his fourteen comic operas produced in collaboration with the composer Sir Arthur Sullivan, of which the most famous include H.M.S...
"We figure in lively paint: Our attitude's queer and quaint —You're wrong if you think it ain't, Oh!" (1885). - "Say it ain't so, Joe!", reportedly said by a young baseball fan to Shoeless Joe JacksonShoeless Joe JacksonJoseph Jefferson Jackson , nicknamed "Shoeless Joe", was an American baseball player who played Major League Baseball in the early part of the 20th century...
after the fan learned about the Black Sox scandalBlack Sox ScandalThe Black Sox Scandal took place around and during the play of the American baseball 1919 World Series. Eight members of the Chicago White Sox were banned for life from baseball for intentionally losing games, which allowed the Cincinnati Reds to win the World Series...
involving throwing the 1919 World Series1919 World SeriesThe 1919 World Series matched the American League champion Chicago White Sox against the National League champion Cincinnati Reds. Although most World Series have been of the best-of-seven format, the 1919 World Series was a best-of-nine series...
. - "You ain't heard nothing yet!" spoken by Al JolsonAl JolsonAl Jolson was an American singer, comedian and actor. In his heyday, he was dubbed "The World's Greatest Entertainer"....
in The Jazz SingerThe Jazz Singer (1927 film)The Jazz Singer is a 1927 American musical film. The first feature-length motion picture with synchronized dialogue sequences, its release heralded the commercial ascendance of the "talkies" and the decline of the silent film era. Produced by Warner Bros. with its Vitaphone sound-on-disc system,...
(1927), the first feature-length motion picture with synchronized dialogue sequences. - "Ain't She SweetAin't She SweetAin't She Sweet was an American album featuring four tracks recorded in Hamburg in 1961 by The Beatles featuring Tony Sheridan and cover versions of Beatles and British Invasion-era songs recorded by the Swallows...
", popular 1927 song by Milton AgerMilton AgerMilton Ager was an American composer.Ager was born in Chicago, Illinois, the sixth of nine children. Leaving school with only three years of formal high-school education, he taught himself to play the piano and embarked on a career as a musician. After spending time as an accompanist to silent...
(music) and Jack YellenJack YellenJack Selig Yellen was an American lyricist and screenwriter.-Life and career:Born in Poland, Yellen emigrated with his family to the United States when he was five years old. The oldest of seven children, he was raised in Buffalo, New York and began writing songs in high school...
(lyrics). - "It Ain't Necessarily SoIt Ain't Necessarily So"It Ain't Necessarily So" is a popular song with music by George Gershwin and lyrics by Ira Gershwin. The song comes from the Gershwins' opera Porgy and Bess where it is sung by the character Sportin' Life, a drug dealer, who expresses his doubt about several statements in the Bible.The role of...
", song from Porgy and BessPorgy and BessPorgy and Bess is an opera, first performed in 1935, with music by George Gershwin, libretto by DuBose Heyward, and lyrics by Ira Gershwin and DuBose Heyward. It was based on DuBose Heyward's novel Porgy and subsequent play of the same title, which he co-wrote with his wife Dorothy Heyward...
(1935); music by George GershwinGeorge GershwinGeorge Gershwin was an American composer and pianist. Gershwin's compositions spanned both popular and classical genres, and his most popular melodies are widely known...
, words by Ira GershwinIra GershwinIra Gershwin was an American lyricist who collaborated with his younger brother, composer George Gershwin, to create some of the most memorable songs of the 20th century....
. - "You Ain't Seen Nothing YetYou Ain't Seen Nothing Yet"You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet" is a rock song written by Randy Bachman and performed by Bachman–Turner Overdrive on the album Not Fragile. It was released as a single in 1974 with an instrumental track "Free Wheelin'" as the B-side...
", 1974 song by Bachman–Turner Overdrive. - "It ain't over til the fat lady sings", generally attributed to San Antonio News-Express sportswriter Dan CookDan CookDaniel John Cook, Jr. was a sports writer for the San Antonio Express-News, where he worked for 51 years. He is most notable for popularizing the phrase "the opera ain't over 'til the fat lady sings." Described as a "sports icon", Cook also was a sports anchor at San Antonio television station...
(1970s).
Further reading
- "ain't", Merriam-Webster's dictionary of English usage (1995) pp 60-64 online