The Negation Of Being?
Posted in Linguistic Annoyances at 20:26 on 19 November 2008
Do any of you say, “Are I?”
Thought not.
Would any of you say, “Are I not?”
Not likely is it? (Personally I would say, “Am I not?”)
Then why do we hear people say, “Aren’t I?”
It’s a horrible construction, ugly and ungrammatical. [In the jargon of grammatical discourse, the subject fails to agree in number with its verb; in plainer terms it combines a plural verb with a singular noun.]
And I hate it.
None of the characters in my fiction has ever uttered the phrase. If I had my way they never would. (Unfortunately, there will come a time when one has to because of who they’re supposed to be and where they’re supposed to come from. But I’ll still hate it.)
Where I was brought up the suitably grammatical phrase, “Amn’t I?” performed the function perfectly.
I do not expect it to catch on.
Tags: Linguistic Annoyances
doctorvee
20 November 2008 at 00:59
Chambers lists “amn’t” as a Scots word.
Martin McCallion
20 November 2008 at 13:51
One hundred percent agreement, sir!
Bigrab
20 November 2008 at 13:56
Tut! tut!
Don’t you know the correct construction is ‘Um urny’
jackdeighton
20 November 2008 at 18:14
Yes Rab, the conjugation of the verb not to be in West Scots is:-
“Ahm no’, ah’m nut, and ahm urnae.
We’re no’, we’re nut and we urnae.
They’re no’, they’re nut and they urnae.”
(Extract from an old Dumbarton Academy School Show.)
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