"am not" does not contract. I am not becomes I'm not, while you are not can become either you're not or you aren't, and he is not can become either he's not or he isn't.
But in the word order of questions, we somehow get a perfectly frequently-used contraction seemingly from I are. The more I think about this, the weirder it seems.
milosrdenstvi commented on the word aren't I
"am not" does not contract. I am not becomes I'm not, while you are not can become either you're not or you aren't, and he is not can become either he's not or he isn't.
But in the word order of questions, we somehow get a perfectly frequently-used contraction seemingly from I are. The more I think about this, the weirder it seems.
December 29, 2010
ruzuzu commented on the word aren't I
I hear people say amn't sometimes. (I'm not saying it's right.)
December 29, 2010
hernesheir commented on the word aren't I
You ought to list it, because it's a part of the common speech for many many English speakers.
December 29, 2010
ruzuzu commented on the word aren't I
There are some more examples over on amn't I.
December 29, 2010
ruzuzu commented on the word aren't I
And a'n't.
Edit: something about a'n't is different, though--it's more like ain't.
December 29, 2010
ruzuzu commented on the word aren't I
Ah--check out what the Century Dictionary has to say about an't.
December 29, 2010
bilby commented on the word aren't I
Were you looking for be i?
December 29, 2010
ruzuzu commented on the word aren't I
Arrrr. That I be, Wordnik.
December 29, 2010