Date: Mon, 26 Jan 1998 14:14:43 -0500

From: Denis Anson danson[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]MISERI.EDU

Subject: Re: query re _want + (participle) use



On Saturday, January 24, 1998 9:27 AM, Pat Courts

[SMTP:courts[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]AIT.FREDONIA.EDU] wrote:

Simon, with regard to "want" + participle. I heard it often in

Steubenville, OH. I'm pretty sure I've heard it here in Western NY, but

I'll check that out to be sure. I also associate it with the usage of

"needs" + participle (e.g. the shirt needs ironed).





For an article on constructions with elliptical _want + participle_

(e.g. the car wants washed, the car wants washing, the car doesn't want

washed; the infant wants diapered, the infant doesn't want diapered), my

colleague Tom and Murray and I would like to hear from anyone who uses

such a construction or is in an area where such a construction is in

use.



I think that the formation "the car wants washing" probably stems from another

meaning of want from the active verb. There is also the meaning of "lacks" as

in "For want of a nail, a horse was lost..." In this interpretation, which I

think would be an archaic but grammatically correct version, "the car wants

washing" would translate into "the car needs washing" or "the car lacks

washing."



Denis Anson, MS, OTR/L

Assistant Professor

Occupational Therapy Department

College Misericordia

301 Lake Street

Dallas, PA 18636



phone: 717-674-6413

fax: 717-674-8902



Author of:

Alternative Computer Access: Making Appropriate Selections

from FA Davis