might could
verbEtymology In many Germanic languages and dialects modals can be stacked to combine their meanings; compare Scots micht cud.
1
Southern US, Used in some dialects might be able to (used to soften "could" or make it even more conditional)
Double modal / stacked modal
- "Grammaw, Mr. Hammer said today you know things you won't talk about. That if he knew more about what's goin' on he might could go to the police, or to a lawyer, and maybe have Dunreith Smith arrested again."1972-1991, Cyrus Colter, The Rivers of Eros →ISBN, page 133 http://books.google.com/books?id=MY6J8etc8jAC&lpg=PA133&dq=%22he%20might%20could%20go%22&pg=PR6#v=onepage&q=%22he%20might%20could%20go%22&f=false
- "He might could go there anyway and stay on academic probation for a year and then start running, but they won't accept him if he don't have a high school diploma."2002-3, Michael Johnston, In the Deep Heart's Core →ISBN, page 172 http://books.google.com/books?id=_rqWu8NTKBsC&lpg=PA172&dq=%22he%20might%20could%20go%22&pg=PA172#v=onepage&q=%22he%20might%20could%20go%22&f=false
- Related terms
- might can, might should, double modal, stacked modal, modal stacking