The discussion in the comma after the vocative reminded me of how odd the placement of the apostrophe in words like didn't, hadn't, won't, etc. seemed to me when initially learning English. After all these are two words connected - why is the apostrophe in the middle of the second word?
Years later, I got a chance to transcribe original letters from the WWI. The soldier writing abbreviated all of the "not" composites with an apostrophe before it - as "did'nt", "has'nt", "need'nt", etc.
Back then I had assumed that this was what the "not" abbreviation used to look like a century ago. Now, I am wondering: did it? Or did the writer not have the best education and abbreviated such words by sound?
Years later, I got a chance to transcribe original letters from the WWI. The soldier writing abbreviated all of the "not" composites with an apostrophe before it - as "did'nt", "has'nt", "need'nt", etc.
Back then I had assumed that this was what the "not" abbreviation used to look like a century ago. Now, I am wondering: did it? Or did the writer not have the best education and abbreviated such words by sound?