cain't

See also: caint and Caint

English

Etymology

A variant spelling of can't, representing the pronunciation of this word in the southern United States.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /keɪnt/

Contraction

cain't

1. (chiefly Southern US) Nonstandard form of can't.
   • 1985, James A. Michener, Texas: A Novel. Reprinted 2014, Random House Publishing Group, →ISBN, page 460:

     “Stands to reason, the Mexican government, they cain’t persuade any real Mexican priests to travel all the way to Texas. Those hanker after the fleshpots of the big city. So the oney priests they can get to work in land s’far away are Irishmen who cain’t make no livin’ in Ireland, and who cain’t speak a word of Spanish neither, if’n you ask me.”

References

• 300+ hits on Google Books

Anagrams

• actin, actin', actin-, antic, can it