English Explanatory Dictionary

Imma

English dictionary entry

Meanings

contraction
  1. Contraction of I'm + gonna.
contraction
  1. Alternative letter-case form of Imma.

Pronunciation

/ˈaɪmə/ [ˈaːmə] LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-Imma.wav

Word forms

Imma I'mma I'ma Ima Ima' I'm a I'm a' I'm'a I'm-a

Etymology

Written form of a relaxed pronunciation of I'm gonna. Includes a reduction of /mn/ to /m/ (see reduction of /mb/ and /mn/ on Wikipedia). Common in and possibly originated in African-American Vernacular English, but is used more broadly today. According to m'Cheaux, it originated in Gullah, where "a-" replaces "-ing" and indicates immediate future tense.

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