Hadn't to

Hi EyeSeeYou

Saying hadn't to rather than didn't have to certainly does not sound natural. Hadn't to sounds extremely odd to me. A search of the BNC supports my feeling and, in fact, indicates that hadn't todoes not exist at all.

I think it can be found in UK or Australia, see this search at the BBC:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=site%3Abbc.co.uk+%22hadn%27t+to%22+&btnG=Google+Search

e.g.:

The use of have as an operator is extremely rarely heard in AmE. It's chiefly British, and probably rare in this semi-modal construction, even there.

Examples with "operator have":

I haven't a clue why this is so.
We hadn't a key, so we couldn't get in.
We haven't to go now, but we can if you're ready.

CJ

Hi Marius

What struck me in your Google search was that the BBC results came almost exclusively from a single section of it (entitled "WW2 People's War). That in itself seems quite odd.

YankeeHi Marius

What struck me in your Google search was that the BBC results came almost exclusively from a single section of it (entitled "WW2 People's War). That in itself seems quite odd.

Probably the same people recording memories of survivors, thus using the same language.

Anyway, my example in the above doesn't fit that

Marius HancuProbably the same people recording memories of survivors, thus using the same language.

Anyway, my example in the above doesn't fit that pattern, different period.
Same here (2003):

BBC - Bradford and West Yorkshire - Local History - Women mill

"FINDING IS KEEPING."; A COMPLETE STORY. CHAPTER I. CHAPTER II ...

If I hadn't to play in that match this afternoon I'd hang about till mother was back." " Do they want you very mach H" This was an infantine remark

Hi guys,

This kind of thing is something I would occasionally say.

Clive

Hi Marius

Having read through the better part of that story, it seems quite clear that it was written by either a speaker of British English or perhaps someone trying to "sound British". The former seems far more likely. Some of the language in the rest of the story has what I would consider to be a decidedly British flavor. For example: "Harry took himself off to don his cricketing

Hi Yankee,

Is this more an occasional personal habit of yours? Or do other people in your neck of the woods pop out with hadn't to on occasion, too?

To tell you the truth, I'm not sure. I think that if you hang around this Forum long enough, you sometimes get a bit unsure about what people normally say and what they don't.