for why - 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.
for why adv phr/conj phr Why, for what reason, the reason why. [oed for why adv/conj A2 ‘for what reason, why’ c1175→1710, obsolete; snd (at why 1); dare for why adv ‘why’ chiefly South Midland]
Ulst.:
1893 O’Neill Glens and Speech 369 It was long enough before I realised why two young men in our neighbourhood were known respectively as the Duck and the Daisy. For why?
c1910 Byers Glossary An’ for why will ye be away two days?
1934 Cavanagh Dunleary Legend 83 I’ll tell you for why, an’ what I’m telling you now is no lie.
1975 Murphy You’re Talking 31 He asked for why she was afeared of him.
2004 Robinson Prugh 127 She sez tha catter’s changeit me, / A cannae think for-why.
2014 Fenton Hamely Tongue 92 A’ll shane tell ye for why.
U.S.:
1800 Osborn Diary (16 May) I cent tell you for why but I have not eat nothing this day.
1913 Kephart Our Sthn High 297 The speech of the southern highlanders is alive with quaint idioms: ‘I swapped horses, and I’ll tell you fer why’.
1944 Laughlin Word-list Buncombe Co 25 He went downtown. I don’t know for why.
