might can - From Ulster to America
Source: From Ulster to America: The Scotch-Irish Heritage of American English
Author: Michael Montgomery
Comments: From Ulster to America recounts the lasting impact eighteenth-century settlers from Ulster have made on the development of the English language of the United States. The book documents over 500 vocabulary items contributed to American English by these ‘Scotch-Irish’ settlers. Each ‘shared’ term with its meaning is authenticated by quotations from both sides of the Atlantic. This searchable online version of his book takes its text from the dictionary part of the second edition published by the Ullans Press in 2017.
might can, might could auxiliary vb phr Used to express tentativeness and indirectness. In the U.S. many more combinations are attested than in Ulster. Cf will can. [cf snd can vb1 III.2; dare (at may B) chiefly South, South Midland]
Ulst.:
1988 Braidwood Notes: might could.
1997 Montgomery Ulster File I might could do something for her, but you maybe should take her home.
2014 Fenton Hamely Tongue 154 micht could = may/might be able to.
U.S.:
1909 Payne Word-list East Alabama 349 Go to see Mr. Smith. He might can tell you.
1970 Foster Walker Valley 62 One of them might could tell a man where her grave is at.
1974-75 McCracken Logging 9:3 If I think about it, I might could tell you.
1995 Montgomery Coll I might can go with you tomorrow.
1999 GSMNPOHP 1:5 If you folks don’t have a cow barn, you might ought to build one.
