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Milky Posted 19 years ago
Linguistics Studies

used to/did

The old form of "used to" was did (or was). Folks would say such things as "Once, I did love her so ". I wonder what the negative form of that would have been?
  

Top answer

Once I did love her so= Once I loved her so. First sentence just emphasize the verb. ( Of course it sounds weird semantically.

— Doll

  • Once I did love her so= Once I loved her so.
  • First sentence just emphasize the verb.
  • ( Of course it sounds weird semantically.
  • )
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16 Answers
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Once I did love her so= Once I loved her so. First sentence just emphasize the verb.

I would write the negative form like this: Once I didn't love her so.( Of course it sounds weird semantically.
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DollOnce I did love her so= Once I loved her so. First sentence just emphasize the verb.

I would write the negative form like this: Once I didn't love her so.( Of course it sounds weird semantically.
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Is that indeed the "older form", Milky? I was under the impression that "use to" in that sense dated back at least to ME.

MrP
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MrPedanticIs that indeed the "older form", Milky? I was under the impression that "use to" in that sense dated back at least to ME.

MrP

Which period of ME are you thinking of? As I understand it, I'm talking abou pre-1300.
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I never did love her so? or I did never love her so?
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ForbesI never did love her so? or I did never love her so?
That sounds like a comment on the present stae of a relationship, IMO.
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MilkyWhich period of ME are you thinking of? As I understand it, I'm talking abou pre-1300.

Well, that would be Early ME.

Do you have any pre-1300 examples of this usage?

MrP
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MrPedantic
Milky
Which period of ME are you thinking of? As I understand it, I'm talking abou pre-1300.

Well, that would be Early ME.

Do you have any pre-1300 examples of this usage?

MrP

Not to hand. Do you have any pre-1300 examples of "used to"? BTW; what's your take on the thread
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And what would be the negative of this?

He was wont to say that if he had read as much as other men he should have known no more than other men.
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what's your take on the thread question regarding the negative form of "I did (didst) love her so"?

Well, I think we would need some authentic examples, to answer that question. Pre-1300 Middle English is quite different from Modern English; here is a characteristic utterance from Sawles Warde, for instance:

1. Fearlac hire ontswereð: "Ich nat nawt þe t
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