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Chery Posted 21 years ago
Vocabulary
To be to
Howdy,
Is "I'ma ..." actually an expression? I'm guessing it might be an abbreviation of "I am to ...," but so far I have found nothing on the Internet about this expression, and it is very likely that I'm not going to find any in the future. I would like to ask for your kind help. Any of you could explain its usage and etymology?
Thank you in advance.
Is "I'ma ..." actually an expression? I'm guessing it might be an abbreviation of "I am to ...," but so far I have found nothing on the Internet about this expression, and it is very likely that I'm not going to find any in the future. I would like to ask for your kind help. Any of you could explain its usage and etymology?
Thank you in advance.
Top answer
Howdy back, Chery-- welcome to English Forums. Could you please put your I'ma into a sentence? Did you see it written or just hear it and devise the spelling yourself?
- Howdy back, Chery-- welcome to English Forums.
- Could you please put your I'ma into a sentence?
- Did you see it written or just hear it and devise the spelling yourself?
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9 Answers
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Howdy back, Chery-- welcome to English Forums.
Could you please put your I'ma into a sentence? Did you see it written or just hear it and devise the spelling yourself?
Could you please put your I'ma into a sentence? Did you see it written or just hear it and devise the spelling yourself?
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Bette Midler lyrics:
Come on-a my house, my house, I'm-a gonna give you candy.
Come on-a my house, my house, I'm-a gonna give you
apple and a plum and an apricot or two, ah!
Come on-a my house, my house come on.
Come on-a my house, my house-a come on.
Come on-a my house, my house, I'm-a gonna give you
figs and dates and grapes and
Come on-a my house, my house, I'm-a gonna give you candy.
Come on-a my house, my house, I'm-a gonna give you
apple and a plum and an apricot or two, ah!
Come on-a my house, my house come on.
Come on-a my house, my house-a come on.
Come on-a my house, my house, I'm-a gonna give you
figs and dates and grapes and
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The schwa sound, frequently represented by "a" in writing, is ubiquitous in English. It substitutes for a great many words. One such case is "Come on-a my house", where "-a" substitutes for "to", hence, "Come on to my house".
The other usage in the text posted is not a substitute at all. In older English the gerund form not only ended in "ing", but it began with "a". To give t
The other usage in the text posted is not a substitute at all. In older English the gerund form not only ended in "ing", but it began with "a". To give t
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Well, here's one, by Pulp Fiction's Marsellus. 
"I'ma call a coupla hard, pipe-hittin' *******, who'll go to work on t
"I'ma call a coupla hard, pipe-hittin' *******, who'll go to work on t
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Here, I'ma seems to be an even more extreme contraction for I am going to or I am calling-- perhaps in an Italian-American accent, as with Dave's song (which greatly predates Bette Midler!)
PS: Rosemary Clooney, 1951
PS: Rosemary Clooney, 1951
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I agree with Mr. Micawber that "a" means "going to" in that example.
The various degrees of shortening of "I am going to" are:
I'm going to
I'm gonna
I'monna (I'mina)
I'mna
I'ma
I almost never hear the last two.
Hope that helps!
The various degrees of shortening of "I am going to" are:
I'm going to
I'm gonna
I'monna (I'mina)
I'mna
I'ma
I almost never hear the last two.
Hope that helps!
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So you say "I'ma" is an abbreviation of "I am going to?" This seems reasonable.
But I've found this: "I submit that we are to buy and learn Xara 3D 5.0." Does this come from "we are going to," too? Or is this something else?
But I've found this: "I submit that we are to buy and learn Xara 3D 5.0." Does this come from "we are going to," too? Or is this something else?
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(Oops! I forgot to sign in again again-- MM)
No, this is a future form, Chery.
To be to + verb is used for future events which the speaker sees as irrevocable, usually because of some authoritative pronouncement:
We are to catch the 9:03 train and meet my father at Shinjuku Station.
The President is to address the nation on Ja
No, this is a future form, Chery.
To be to + verb is used for future events which the speaker sees as irrevocable, usually because of some authoritative pronouncement:
We are to catch the 9:03 train and meet my father at Shinjuku Station.
The President is to address the nation on Ja
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Thanks for your answers, people. Hereby I pronounce this problem solved.
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