Discussion Groups / English Usage / January 2004

On 16 Jan 2004, Raymond S. Wise wrote

Collins has both, as well.  Interestingly, they classify "wanna" as a
representation of dialect, but gonna" as slang.

Michael Nitabach <mnitabach@acedsl.com> wrote on 16 Jan 2004:

I tried it that way, but it didn't look right.

You mean, I suppose, that you didn't know a "t" was missing,
but you did know that two "t"s were missing.  "Wanna",
pronounced ['wA:n@], is a contraction of "want to",
pronounced ['wA:nt t@].  The apostrophization should be
"wann'a" if anyone should want to apostrophize, which no one
should.  Some people might want to use two apostrophes, one
for each missing "t" ("wann''a"), but I wouldn't.  

I guess the added "n" may be to keep the reader from wanting
to pronounce it ['weIn@].  But I don't see what keeps the
reader from wanting to pronounce it ['w&n@] until he or she
realizes it's a contraction for "want to" and the
pronunciation is then inherited from that of "want".

"John Dean" <john-dean@frag.lineone.net> wrote on 17 Jan 2004:

Ya lern sumpun nu ever dei awn AUE, doncha?

More worrying: there's an 'n' after the missing 't'(s)?

Cheers,
Daniel.

Well said, sound logic.

In the newsgroup fr.lettres.langue.anglaise the use of "a-" in such
dialectal sentences as "I'm a-fixin' to answer you." came up for discussion.
I found the following under the entry for "a" as a preposition in *The
Century Dictionary,* an American dictionary of 1895 at
www.century-dictionary.com . This is relevant to the present discussion
because it appears to show a standard spelling for a nonstandard usage in
the very process of development. It's also interesting in its own right:
Note the mention of the controversy at the end of the 19th century involving
the progressive passive participle, as in "The house is being built." and
"The work is being done."

[quote, with pronunciation represented by ASCII IPA]

*a*3 [@] or [eI], _prep.  [<ME. and late AS. _a,_ re-
duced form of _an, on,_ on, in :  see _on._]  A reduced
form of the preposition _on,_ formerly common
in all the uses of _on,_ but now restricted to cer-
tain constructions in which the preposition is
more or less disguised, being usually written as
one word with the following noun. [...]  (_d_) Of
process :  In course of, with a verbal noun in _-ing,_
taken passively :  as, the house is _a_ building ;
"while the ark was _a_ preparing" (1 Pet. iii. 20) ;
while these things were _a_ doing.  The prepo-
sitional use is clearly seen in the alterna-
tive construction with _in :_  as, "Forty and six
years was this temple _in_ building," John ii. 20.
In modern use the preposition is omitted, and the verbal
noun is treated as a present participle taken passively :
as, the house _is building._ But none of these forms of
expression has become thoroughly popular, the popular
instinct being shown in the recent development of the
desired "progressive passive participle" :  as, the house _is_
being built,_ the work _is being done,_ etc.  This construction,
though condemned by logicians and purists, is well estab-
lished in popular speech, and will probably pass into
correct literary usage.  (_e_)  Of action :  In, to, into ;
with a verbal noun in _-ing,_ taken actively.
(1)  With _be :_ as, to be _a_ coming ;  to be _a_ doing ;  to be _a_
fighting.  Now only colloquial or provincial, literary
usage omitting the preposition, and treating the verbal
noun as a present participle :  as, to be coming ;  to be
doing.  (2)  With verbs of motion :  as, to go _a_ fishing ;  to
go _a_ wooing ;  to go _a_ begging ;  to fall _a_ crying ;  to set
_a_ going.  The preposition is often joined to the noun
by a hyphen, as to go _a_-fishing, or sometimes omitted,
as, to go fishing, to set going, etc.  For other examples of
the uses of _a_3, _prep.,_ see the prepositional phrases _abed,
aboard, ahead,_ etc., or the simple nouns.

[end quote]

The spelling of the usage appears to have become standardized in the "a-"
spelling, that is, in the form which uses a hyphen. When the pronunciation
itself is standard--the pronunciation having become lexicalized in a
standard dialect--as in the words "aboard" and "ahead," no hyphen is used.

In alt.english.usage on Fri, 16 Jan 2004 16:25:36 -0600 "Raymond S.
Wise" <mplsrayNOSPAM@gbronline.com> posted:

I wanna be around to pick up the pieces, when somebody breaks your
heart...

s/ meirman    If you are emailing me please  
say if you are posting the same response.

Born west of Pittsburgh Pa. 10 years
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