In informal English like dialects, yes. If you read Flannery O'Connor or other southern literature, it'll show up.
Double contractions are considered improper. Then again, look at regional dialects. I think they're perfectly valid for educated people to use in casual situations.
Couldn't've/ wouldn't've/ shouldn't've spring to mind. Of course, in some parts of England at least, they get shortened even further: (as far as pronunciation goes anyway) cun't've/ wun't've/ shun't've.
I've heard won't've before, but I'm not sure how you get that in a sentence that actually makes grammatical sense.
Damn, I knew there was at least one more. Won't've being a contraction of what? Will not have? I won't've finished eating my tea if you come round before six, make it half six and I'll be ready.
I'm sure there's another. What about might'n't've? Did I even punctuate that correctly? I need to ditch my chavvy friends. Ah that seems to work, every time I tried to think of a sentence for it I found wouldn't've to be more gramatically correct, although given what we're discussing I probably shouldn't have concerned myself with something so trivial!
I try to talk proper, innit. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! Wait technically is that a 3 word contraction? Innit derived from isn't it.
Yep that's a good one too. Any thoughts on innit? Apart from the obvious being that I require better company.
Strangely enough, the only times I've heard "innit" (the Chav version) is from people doing it as a piss-take. Phrases such as "That's a big 'un innit?" don't count.
Is it not considered a 3 word contraction though? Albeit an absolutely non-sensical and disgraceful one as far as real grammar is concerned I think it is, to some degree. It's in common usage as well.
Is it a 3 word contraction, or a 2 word merged/ slurred with a 3rd? Just to be picky of course: but the "it" is fully there. Mind you I always got stick in the office for saying "Is it not?" rather than "isn't it?" so who am I to talk? Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
Well it's a good point, the etymology of it is certainly from a 3 word contraction but does it count, hmm. Do contractions have to contain the whole's of all the words they're formed from? Technically you have the I from "is" the N from "N't" and the it on the end. Obviously the spelling has evolved a second N but I could see a case being made either way here. I'd rather it was just banned though. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
