I understand that えらい is an adjective which means distinguished/famous etc. Then I came across this conversation
「おいらよりマシかぁ、なぁんだ、じゃあえらいなぁ。」
「別にえらかァないよ...」
"Preferable to me!? What! Well, I'm distinguished."
"You're not particularly distinguished."
(all the extra あ and ア are supposed to be in small font. Any one know how to do that?)
The second sentence led me to think that there must also be a verb えらく -> えらかない. But I can't find it in any dictionary. What's going on in the second sentence?