Is The Word `Aint` Naughty?

[Jabberwocky 46]

"Thy ANT seen nowt yet" sounds far more romantic!

[Digsy 10]

I just ran the phrase through an Eng>Scot translater.

In Scottish you would have to say:-

 

"Ye aint seen hee haw yet".

[Halibut 12]

I don't agree ... but I don't feel free to tell you why on here.

 

Cowed by political correctness? Fie for shame.

[dosxuk 10]

I think it's similar to aught and shan't - both old words which have fallen from common use.

[Digsy 10]

I think it's similar to aught and shan't - both old words which have fallen from common use.

 

Exactly, spot on, it's fallen from common usage, leaving it for the verbal connoisseur.

 

There should be laws against word discrimination, some words are just treat better than others, it's wrong.

[manofstrad 10]

So,my little nostril miners, is Aint a bad word? Should we allow the language to "Evolve" or should we start putting the boot into people who say "innit" and generally tear the language to bits...?QUOTE]

 

Where's Alchoblog when we need him? I think the word 'innit' is proper sick, and the word 'aint' is safe.

[Badlittlepup 10]

Oh deary, deary me. I'm from South London and I can tell you for a fact using the word 'ain't' is the start of a slippery slope.

 

Next she'll move on to innit, then before you know it she will have morphed into Shaznay from Penge pregnant at fourteen by the local spliff dealer, necking Lambrini going out every Saturday in Bromley for a drink and a fight and she'll have frosted tips and a knuckle duster before she's even in secondary school.

 

Nip it in the bud, that's my advice. Saaarf London stuff is like and STD, once you've got it, it's bloody hard to get rid of it.

[natjack 10]

Cowed by political correctness? Fie for shame.

she probably means some definition like this http://www.bbc.co.uk/voices/yourvoice/conversation3.shtml

if you read the last para, nothing to do with US rappers, innit?

 

In the East End the slang of choice now is a mix of all sorts of immigrant words and pronunciations. You don't hear many cockney voices these days, me old china, only the old ones.

[pattricia 575]

I thought we had to say "Is it not ?":)

[Dozy 11]

I'd say 'aint' was a regression rather than an evolution. IIRC all classes used it during the Regency, for example, and it gradually fell into disuse in this country being replaced with 'isn't'. This is why a lot of Americans say 'aint', they've retained a lot of the old usages of the English language. As indeed have we Northern English.

 

One thing I do find puzzling is why do Sheffield teens use 'innit' when we already had the perfectly usable 'intit'?

My bold

 

Good grief, Ruby, you can remember even further back than moi!

[Badlittlepup 10]

Because 'innit' comes from US rap culture and is therefore hard and cool.

 

'Intit' comes from Yorkshire old man culture and is therefore (as the kids'll see it) uncool.

 

I have never, ever heard the word 'innit' being used by a US rapper and I know for a fact that word isn't used in the US.

 

It's purely a Cockney saying innit.

[maxofe 10]

I think it's similar to aught and shan't - both old words which have fallen from common use.

ooh i use those! does that make me posh (or strange!!)

 

op....i dont like "aint" and would correct my children on it! i rate it up there with: dont wanna, not gonna and prolly