What does “I’za” mean?

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I saw this uncommon contraction a couple of days ago. The sentence read something like

I’za stupid farmer boy, but know a thing or two about computers.

What does the contraction really mean? Is it short for something like “I iz”, so that it would seem that the speaker is uneducated? I tried searching online resources, but with a query this short, the results I was getting were pretty useless.

Answer

It’s a form of

I’se

var. I’s, Ise…

  • (N. UK reg. or arch.) I shall.
    I’se warrant him nane of your whingeing King George folk. (Walter Scott, Waverley, Vol. II)

  • (N. UK, S. US reg., AAVE) I am, via reg. dial. ‘I is’.
    Ise, I am or I will. (Wm. Carr, Dialect of Craven… York)
    I’se tinking wha’ jolly time we will hab on Saturday arternoon, down under ole elm trees, on bank ob de riber. (W.L.G. Smith, Life at South)

that picked up the indefinite article a because of the rhythm of the sentence. Eye dialect is often used mockingly; the example here seems to be self-mocking in the interest of gaining more authority for the modest claim of ‘some knowledge’ of computers.

Attribution
Source : Link , Question Author : JohnEye , Answer Author : lly

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