I was corrected on this and told I should say "All yall" when addressing a group. I was told by my English instructor in college that Yall was a contratcion of "you all" and was not bad grammar. What do "yall" think?
2007-06-29 00:04:11 · 16 answers · asked by ~SheSul~ 6 in Education & Reference ➔ Words & Wordplay
Incidently, I am a native of North GA, and everyone born and raised here uses "yall" It is a shame we have to defend our southern culture and are called "uneducated idiots" by some. I graduated college with a 4.0 and I use Yall every day.
2007-06-29 00:46:19 · update #1
Yall is written "y'all" and is a colloquialism commonly used in the southern states. It is not, therefore, bad grammar, simply an informal regional variant. You are quite right in thinking that it is a contraction of "you all", hence the apostrophe.
2007-06-29 00:11:14 · answer #1 · answered by Bethany 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
It depends on where y'all come from, and who y'all are. If you're a linguist, then you just want to find out what people actually say, and you're not interested in what people with other regional varieties of English think they should say.
Southern dialects are often held in contempt by those with Northern dialects, who think it sounds uneducated.
The grammar is fine, and corresponds to other Latin based languages. In Spanish you have usted and ustedes, with one being a singular you, and the other being a plural you. In English, "Standard" English combines the two forms into one, and "Southern" English retains the older distinction.
Well, okay, sometimes people use y'all when it's just one person, too.
2007-06-29 07:28:00 · answer #2 · answered by Insanity 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Southereners have long had this manner of addressing a serious deficiency in English - lack of a different word for the plural form of 'you'. They have gone one better, and developed a second plural form, called the 'inclusive plural'.
You - addressing one person
Y'all - addressing more than one person.
All y'all - addressing everyone.
The distinction between the second and third is this:
Assume someone encounters a group of four people, two of whom are known to him. He starts a conversation, and his two acquaintances both are involved. If he wanted to address the two of them, he would use the plural 'y'all'. Later, he wants to say something to all four. He would shift to the inclusive plural, and address them as 'all y'all' to avoid any confusion.
Very logical.
2007-06-29 10:38:13 · answer #3 · answered by Rosa L 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Y'all can be used in the singular or plural. The singular use is uniquely southern, and to me seems odd. When used in the plural, it does function as a contraction of 'you all' (recognized in Webster) and is used in areas outside the South. The southern phrase "all y'all" seems to provide emphasis, either to clarify inclusion of the entire population of a referred group or to distinguish the speaker's separation from the referred group.
The traditional salutation "Y'all come back now, hear?" Does not necessarily invite one to return; It is more of a pleasantry equivalent to "Thank you and goodbye."
2007-06-29 08:16:20 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Okay, if y'all is "You'all" then All y'all sounds like "All you all". I live in NE Florida y'all is a word here. Y'all is king word of the South. "All you all" to me sounds repetitive. Doesn't your teacher understand the right way to talk in the South? I lived in Cali for about a year and everytime I said "Y'all" people would laugh or ask if I were from Alabama or somewhere. To me if you live in a southern state, you might as well get used to the word "y'all."
2007-06-29 07:15:16 · answer #5 · answered by Catherine R 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I've lived in Georgia all my life.. and everyone says "ya'll"
and regarding the comment about people calling us "uneducated idiots"... personally, I've never had anyone call me or my friends, etc... that before ... but if that's the way they feel about people in the south then tell them to stop moving down here.
Or do they just like living in Georgia with all us uneducated idiots? lol...
2007-06-29 15:14:05 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is only lazy and stupid sounding when Northerners use it, y'all is a very prominent word in the south and saying it does not make you lazy or stupid. It's called dialect and every section of this country has certain dialects that are not used elsewhere. It only shows ignorance to say that a certain word in a regions dialect shows how stupid and lazy you are.......
2007-06-29 07:16:13 · answer #7 · answered by Petra 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Well, it's not "proper" grammar, but I think it's acceptable as a form of communication. Every (English speaking) person understands what you mean. And on Y!A I'd say it's no different then "LOL", "BTW", or "BRB".
2007-06-29 11:20:17 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Y'all is a bonifide way to address one or a group of people. It's vastly better than the local varient "youins", what the hell it that a contraction for? You in s?
2007-06-29 07:18:33 · answer #9 · answered by ROBERT C 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
From a Brit perspective, it sounds friendlier and more grammatically correct than 'you guys' which seems a little gender specific.
2007-06-29 08:41:24 · answer #10 · answered by Vernix Lanugo 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋