semantics: 'I allow as how...'

Subject: semantics:
From: GUEST,Art Thieme
Date: 30 Sep 04 - 11:52 PM

Folks,

My question is this:   Where did the English language idiomatic phrase "I allow as how" come from??? Just something I've been thinking about tonight.

It could be used in a sentence this way:

I allow as how John Kerry did a pretty fine job in the debate tonight!

Art Thieme

Subject: RE: semantics: 'I allow as how...'
From: Amos
Date: 30 Sep 04 - 11:56 PM

The verb to allow meaning to admit or acknowledge an argument has been around for a long time, I think, Art. The "as how" extension is purely American, but the verb itself goes back further than that, I'm sure.

A