6 Louise Pound 



For the vowel sound of ain't, so far as I am aware, no ex- 

 planation has been offered, at least no accepted explanation. The 

 (e, ei) could hardly be due, as I have once or twice heard sug- 

 gested, to the analogy of mayn't, or of some such form perhaps 

 as the dialectal bain't. If following analogy the contraction 

 would more likely have fallen in with shan't and can't. Nor 

 could it have assumed the vowel of hain't. The latter arose, 

 probably, slightly later, and has itself to be explained. Rather 

 may (e, ei) be the result of some sort of unconscious compro- 

 mise between the vowels of am, are, and is. The vowel of are 

 would be moved forward and higher, and that of am be made 

 higher and closer, through the influence of is. A compromise 

 between (a), (ae), and (i) could hardly result otherwise. The 

 vowel of han't then went the same way. 



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