Date: Fri, 27 Sep 1996 03:05:43 -0400

From: Bob Haas rahaas[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]HAMLET.UNCG.EDU

Subject: Re: singular y'all



On Thu, 26 Sep 1996, Johnnie A. Renick wrote:



I know that the singular ya'll is in the south. But usually the very

southern tend to use it more than most. I just use the plural form ..

spelled the same , of course.



Johnnie,

Would you please be good enough to define who or what the "very southern"

are? I'm not trying to be contentious, but I am very curious, and perhaps

very southern.



BTW, I've never heard a native use the singular y'all, but

I do remember one guy from college--UNC, Chapel Hill--who loved

putting the suffix "-uns" on every pronoun he could manage: "Wher're

you'uns goin'? We'uns thought we'd go get sumpin' t'eat." Just the

thought of it still sends shudders through me, and I normally celebrate

the dialect of my native area--northwest NC. I guess we all have our

standards.



Bob Haas

UNCG Department of English

rahaas[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]hamlet.uncg.edu



"No matter where you go, there you are."