Date:  Sun, 22 Oct 1995 15:00:18 -1000

From:  Norman Roberts <nroberts[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]HAWAII.EDU>

Subject: Re: y'all are crazy



During my service with the federalized Alabama/Mississippi National Guard

(Dixie Division) from 1951-52, I recall the following paradigm:

you (sg)

y'all (pl)

all y'all

y'all all

all y'all all

The last three items applied to groups of various sizes and membership.I

don't recall that any single speaker ever used all items in the paradigm.

The educated speakers never used the last two forms; in fact they said

the forms "were ignorant." I always wanted to research the paradigm, but

I have never since encountered "southern" speakers who would admit the

existence of these forms.



On Sun, 22 Oct 1995 mlbroom[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]SAUMAG.EDU wrote:



> I recently heard an addition to y'all: just to make sure the group

> understood they were -all- being addressed the woman said, many times

> during her talk: all y'all.  wow!

>