Date:  Sat, 21 Jan 1995 09:36:41 -0600

From:  Natalie Maynor <maynor[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]RA.MSSTATE.EDU>

Subject: Re: 2 pl



> I'm curious about the "y'all" and "you all" pairs. Would someone who

> speaks/lives in a dialect area where "y'all" and "you all" coexist, comment

> on which is marked, if either is marked, and for what purpose.



Interesting questions -- which I can't answer. You've motivated me to do

at least some informal research on the subject, however, if not some formal

research. I'm pretty sure that I say "you all" (run together *almost* to

the point of "y'all" but not quite) more often than "y'all," but both are

in my dialect. I'll start listening to myself as well as to others to see

whether there's a pattern and to make sure this isn't just some idiolectal

oddity.

  --Natalie (maynor[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]ra.msstate.edu)