Is it true that the contracted form ain’t was once used by both the English upper classes and the English lower classes?
Yes.
MrP
What happened? Why did the Uppers stop using it?
Why did they stop saying “damn your eyes!” and wearing knee-breeches?
MrP
Not sure, why?
You can find examples of “upper class ain’t” in e.g. Byron’s letters.
(Of course, they are worth reading for several other reasons too.)
MrP
I suppose one of the pros of “ain’t” is its flexibility – it’s used to take the place of at least four common contractions… and after a crappy day at work, I’m not gonna tax myself trying to figure out more (hehe):
Isn’t
Aren’t
Hasn’t
Haven’t
I ain’t had a good day at work.
hehe