4

What are the origins of words like gonna, gotta, hafta and wanna. How do you use them in usual conversation? Where and how are these words used? Can we use them in writing?

StoneyB on hiatus
  • 175,127
  • 14
  • 260
  • 461
Pardhasaradhi
  • 41
  • 2
  • 4
    They are used in spoken language as shorter versions of going to, have got to, want to and have to simply because they are easier to pronounce and take less time to say. They should never be used in written language. – Vlammuh Aug 12 '15 at 16:31
  • 3
    You can use them in writing if it is in a dialogue. Otherwise, use the actual phrases given by @Sander. – Gaʀʀʏ Aug 12 '15 at 16:44
  • 2
    @Sander - I'd say that they shouldn't be used in formal writing. We might find the written form in informal contexts, such as a quick text message to a friend, e.g.: Wanna go bowling tonight? – J.R. Aug 12 '15 at 16:52

3 Answers3

4

If you use these forms in speech nobody will object—indeed, nobody will even notice, because they represent the ordinary way of speaking the constructions spelled ‹going to›, ‹got to›, ‹have to›,‹want to›. In fact, to speak these constructions as distinct words, with a full /ɪŋ/ on ‹going›, and aspirated /th/ and the vowel /u:/ in ‹to› will strike any native hearer as odd and affected; and speaking /v/ for /f/ in ‹have to› is flat wrong.

In writing, however, they should be used only to represent spoken English; and even then you must be careful, because these 'eye dialect' spellings are often understood to imply that the speech is not merely colloquial but slovenly and substandard.

StoneyB on hiatus
  • 175,127
  • 14
  • 260
  • 461
  • I'm not actually sure whether enunciating /d/ instead of /t/ in supposed to = sposta** is also "flat wrong", but I'm inclined to think so. But that particular one isn't very often written in eye dialect anyway. – FumbleFingers Aug 12 '15 at 18:16
  • @FumbleFingers That's a tricky one, 'cause I don't think devoiced /s/ has *completely* replaced /z/ in speech yet, as it has in has to. – StoneyB on hiatus Aug 12 '15 at 18:35
0

Gotta, gonna, hafta, and wanna are all used in spoken language as a shorter form of got to, going to, have to, and want to. Keep in mind that these terms are rarely written down unless used specifically in a dialogue.

EDIT: As suggested in one of the comments, there could indeed be rare cases in which these terms could be used in written language.

user2989653
  • 439
  • 3
  • 4
  • 2
    "Never" is such a strong word. We might run across these terms in song lyrics, blog titles, tweets, and picture captions, to name a few other places. – J.R. Aug 12 '15 at 17:05
0

A note to the use of those words. Following them should always be a verb. I can imagine somebody saying "I wanna cookie" (making the contraction "wanna" be for "want a"), but it's paradoxically improper, IMHO.

Victor Bazarov
  • 8,449
  • 1
  • 17
  • 25