Back to the Future (was: I'm back, sort of)

On Tuesday, September 23, 2003, at 06:47 , Joe wrote:

[snip]
> 'Future English' is everywhere.  I know future English will be at least a
> slightly synthetic language, with forms for at least negatives ( I dunno,
>  I
> ain't).
Future?

"ain't" had been the mark of upper class aristo English for a few
centuries;
it retreated among "the lower orders" because of the pretensions of the
19th century bourgeoisie, but never disappeared.  Indeed, in rural dialects
of england it remained and, in the south at least, was (and probably still
is)
pronounced /Ent/ - a fact Tolkien used in tLotR in Treebeard's pun:
"..there are Ents and things that look like Ents but ain't, as you might
say."

Sorry, "ain't" ain't future English - 'tis centuries old.

Dunno how old "dunno" is, but it was certainly already in common currency
this side of the Pond 50 years ago or more.

Ray
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