Ain't

[mecef]

what exactly "ain't" means?
dictionary says it stands for "am not, have not"
isn't "I ain't got no shoes" double negative then?

[bhaisahab]

Originally Posted by mecef

what exactly "ain't" means?
dictionary says it stands for "am not, have not"
isn't "I ain't got no shoes" double negative then?

Yes it is, it's very poor English.

[mecef]

oh... ok, I see, I took it from this song
YouTube - Nina Simone I Ain't Got No (I Got Life)
thanks for reply
maybe English is poor, but the song is still great

[RonBee]

The word "ain't" is nonstandard English. It is also used by many native speakers of English.

[abaka]

It's very common slang; and, like a lot of slang, vivid and rich in meaning: somewhat lower-class, thoroughly unsuitable for any formal setting, to be avoided at all costs by people who are learning English, but indispensable in literature and even life, depending on where you find yourself.

[Tdol]

Originally Posted by abaka

somewhat lower-class

Ain't was widely used by the upper classes in Britain. The ideas of what was acceptable were more middle class in origin.

[abaka]

Originally Posted by Tdol

Ain't was widely used by the upper classes in Britain. The ideas of what was acceptable were more middle class in origin.

You got me. I'm a colonial.

[RonBee]

Ain't it pretty?

-- RonBee

[Charlie Bernstein]

Originally Posted by mecef

isn't "I ain't got no shoes" double negative then?

Yes. English is a melting pot of languages. In many languages, double negatives are good grammar because they agree.

So double negatives have thoroughly infiltrated English in every country, even though they make no sense in our grammar: Two wrongs don't make a right, two rights don't make a left, and two negatives don't make a positive.