Shouldn

/ˈʃʊdən/ verb

Definition

Nonstandard contraction of 'should not,' sometimes used in very informal speech or dialect instead of the standard 'shouldn't.'

Etymology

Modern dialectal contraction from 'should' (Old English 'sceolde,' expressing obligation) plus 'not,' mirroring the pattern of 'couldn' and other reduced forms.

Kelly Says

Like 'couldn' and 'weren,' this form shows how casual speech keeps trying to simplify contractions—English speakers are naturally lazy with language, and that laziness sometimes creates new words.

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