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Why was never contracted to ne'er?
Loss of a sound is called elision. While elision of the sound /v/ didn’t occur systematically in English, it has occurred in various high-frequency words such as “had” and “has” (compare “have”, ...
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Why was never contracted to ne'er?
This poem has a strict meter. Two syllables there would not fit it.
See iambic pentameter
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Chicks - Girls, Cats - Boys?
"Cats" is not common nowadays, but was in US jazz circles mid last century (the time of the song).
Cab Calloway, in his Hepster's Dictionary (1944), has "Cat" as a "musician ...
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What is the etymology or history of "Your" for addressing a noble?
Second person (Your) e.g : Your Highness
This is not the second person - it is the third person. You are addressing "Highness/Majesty" which is a title formed from a nominal attribute (&...
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What is the etymology or history of "Your" for addressing a noble?
I don't plan to go deeply into this question, but I do want to note that instances of "your highness[e]" occur at least as early as 1494 in search results from the Early English Books Online ...
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Chicks - Girls, Cats - Boys?
At the outset, regarding the lyrics cited in the original question above, I note that the original version of the song recorded by Little Willie John doesn't include the reference to "cats" ...
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