article published Markus Freudinger author 34058 384 department <jats:title>Abstract</jats:title> <jats:p>In this paper, the contractions <jats:italic>shoulda, coulda, woulda</jats:italic> are compared with their respective full forms <jats:italic>should have</jats:italic>, <jats:italic>would have</jats:italic>, and <jats:italic>could have</jats:italic>. Although the full forms are used much more frequently and are, therefore, considered canonical, the non-canonical forms have increased in frequency throughout the better part of the twentieth century. They are predominantly used in American English – in conversation as well as in fictional writing to imitate speech. With respect to their syntactic environment, <jats:italic>shoulda, coulda</jats:italic>, and <jats:italic>woulda</jats:italic> behave differently than their full counterparts since they are often used without subjects and without lexical verbs. Some of these uses can be explained by the fact that <jats:italic>shoulda, coulda</jats:italic>, and <jats:italic>woulda</jats:italic> are not always used as verbal items but also as nouns, adjectives, and interjections. Due to their overall low frequency and their restriction to a particular register, however, it appears they will keep their non-canonical status for the foreseeable future.</jats:p> Walter de Gruyter GmbH2017 eng Literature and Literary TheoryLinguistics and LanguageLanguage and Linguistics 2196-4726 0044-230510.1515/zaa-2017-0031 653319-337 Freudinger, M. (2017). <i>Shoulda, Coulda, Woulda</i> – Non-Canonical Forms on the Move? <i>Zeitschrift Für Anglistik Und Amerikanistik</i>, <i>65</i>(3), 319–337. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1515/zaa-2017-0031">https://doi.org/10.1515/zaa-2017-0031</a> Freudinger, Markus. “<i>Shoulda, Coulda, Woulda</i> – Non-Canonical Forms on the Move?” <i>Zeitschrift Für Anglistik Und Amerikanistik</i>, vol. 65, no. 3, Walter de Gruyter GmbH, 2017, pp. 319–37, doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1515/zaa-2017-0031">10.1515/zaa-2017-0031</a>. M. Freudinger, “<i>Shoulda, Coulda, Woulda</i> – Non-Canonical Forms on the Move?,” <i>Zeitschrift für Anglistik und Amerikanistik</i>, vol. 65, no. 3, pp. 319–337, 2017, doi: <a href="https://doi.org/10.1515/zaa-2017-0031">10.1515/zaa-2017-0031</a>. Freudinger, Markus. “<i>Shoulda, Coulda, Woulda</i> – Non-Canonical Forms on the Move?” <i>Zeitschrift Für Anglistik Und Amerikanistik</i> 65, no. 3 (2017): 319–37. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1515/zaa-2017-0031">https://doi.org/10.1515/zaa-2017-0031</a>. M. Freudinger, Zeitschrift Für Anglistik Und Amerikanistik 65 (2017) 319–337. Freudinger M. <i>Shoulda, Coulda, Woulda</i> – Non-Canonical Forms on the Move? <i>Zeitschrift für Anglistik und Amerikanistik</i>. 2017;65(3):319-337. doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1515/zaa-2017-0031">10.1515/zaa-2017-0031</a> @article{Freudinger_2017, title={<i>Shoulda, Coulda, Woulda</i> – Non-Canonical Forms on the Move?}, volume={65}, DOI={<a href="https://doi.org/10.1515/zaa-2017-0031">10.1515/zaa-2017-0031</a>}, number={3}, journal={Zeitschrift für Anglistik und Amerikanistik}, publisher={Walter de Gruyter GmbH}, author={Freudinger, Markus}, year={2017}, pages={319–337} } 461412023-07-25T11:22:55Z2023-09-20T16:18:39Z