Date: Mon, 9 Oct 1995 11:13:23 -0500

From: Natalie Maynor maynor[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]RA.MSSTATE.EDU

Subject: Re: /z/ + /n/ = /d/ + /n/



I'm glad you asked. I say "idn't," "wadn't" and "doedn't" in casual

speech (I was born and raised in rural NW Indiana). I never noticed it

(some sociolinguist I am) until a Southerner pointed it out to me and said

Elvis Presley does this in a movie in order to sound like a hick. Since



Idn't, wuhdn't, duhdn't, and hadn't (homophonic with the other "hadn't")

are used by all social classes in Mississippi.

--Natalie (maynor[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]ra.msstate.edu)