Newsgroups: sci.lang
Path: cantaloupe.srv.cs.cmu.edu!das-news2.harvard.edu!das-news.harvard.edu!news2.near.net!MathWorks.Com!europa.eng.gtefsd.com!howland.reston.ans.net!agate!dog.ee.lbl.gov!ihnp4.ucsd.edu!pacbell.com!amdahl!netcomsv!ix.netcom.com!netcom.com!smryan
From: smryan@netcom.com (S M Ryan)
Subject: Re: [q] why "won't"
Message-ID: <smryanCxCCH5.6ME@netcom.com>
Organization: Dawn Patrol on the Internet
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.2 PL1]
References: <37102f$evp@hpcan240.mentorg.com>
Date: Sat, 8 Oct 1994 06:24:41 GMT
Lines: 18

: I have a simple question: Why does one say "won't"
: in English and not "willn't" or "wiln't"?

Larnygealisation of 'i' leading to the vowel shift and loss of 'l'?

: Someone even suggested to me it should be a word
: by itself spelled "wont"! [without an apostrophe)

"wont" is already an English word, if rarely used.

The spelling with an apostrophe is in line with don't he'll they'd.
Retaining the apostrophe is consistent. Besides, English writers
are wont to be conservative.
-- 
----------------------------------------+----------------------------------
FREE THE KEATING 5!!!!P OYou are a fluke| smryan@netcom.com	PO Box 1563
FREE THE FORTUNE 500!!  N O   IA, of the|             Cupertino, California
NSA, FBI, aNeitzche iB I L L SGuniverse!| (xxx)xxx-xxxx               95013
