won't
English edit
Alternative forms edit
Etymology edit
From earlier wonnot, from Middle English wynnot, wilnot, wolnot, wilnat, a contraction of Middle English will not, wil not, wyll not, will noght, wil noht, willi noȝt, wyl nat, wol not, woll not, wole not, wolle not, wol nat, woll nat, etc., equivalent to a will + not and/or woll + not.[1] For the pronunciation with /oʊ/, /əʊ/, see poultry.
Pronunciation edit
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /wəʊnt/
- (General American) enPR: wōnt, IPA(key): /woʊnt/, [wõt(ˀ)], [wõʔ]
Audio (US) (file) Audio (AU) (file) - Homophone: wont (one pronunciation)
- Rhymes: -əʊnt
Verb edit
won't
- will not (negative auxiliary[2]); used to indicate a future non-occurring action.
- Sam won't be doing any work this afternoon.
Synonyms edit
Coordinate terms edit
Translations edit
contraction of “will not”
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See also edit
References edit
- ^ http://www.dictionary.com/browse/won-t
- ^ Arnold M. Zwicky and Geoffrey K. Pullum, Cliticization vs. Inflection: English n’t, Language 59 (3), 1983, pp. 502-513