Chris Croughton wrote:
> On Tue, 05 Jul 2005 00:40:00 GMT, Bob Cunningham
> <exw6sxq@earthlink.net> wrote:
>
> > On Mon, 4 Jul 2005 18:48:11 +0100, Chris Croughton
> > <chris@keristor.net> said:
> >
> >> I don't believe "usedn't" is a word in English at all <g>.
> >
> > But it is.
> >
> > It's in _Merriam-Webster's Unabridged Dictionary_:
>
> It may be in American, I said that I don't believe it's English <g>.
>
> > Main Entry: usedn't
> > Variant:or usen't [...]
> > chiefly Britain : used not
> >
> > Not that I, for one, would ever say it.
>
> I might say (and have certainly heard) "he used not to live there", but
> it's not very common ("he used to not live there" being a lot more
> common).
>
> Chris C
Welcome to alt.languages.english, Bob. As you can see, we barbarous,
wretchedly ignorant Americans around here have to take it to the next
level.
usen't
c1863 T. TAYLOR in M. R. Booth Eng. Plays of 19th Cent. (1969) II. 96,
I usen't to mind unkind looks and words much once. 1907 G. B. SHAW
Major Barbara III. 255 That is a new accomplishment of Andrew's, by the
way. He usent to drink. 1929 'H. H. RICHARDSON' Ultima Thule III.
v. 279 Usen't Richard to say that it was etiquette in the profession to
treat a patient's relatives..as so many cretins?
Oxford English Dictionary Online
It seems that the Brits don't like "usedn't" and prefer "usen't," those
of them who use it at all.
Picky, picky, picky...
|
| Follow-ups: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 |
|