Use of "y'all" in Maryland (Baltimore: transplants, 2014)

[Gfab1]

The use of the word "y'all" is usually considered to be a "southern thing." I have noticed that it is very prevalent in MD. I am an educated person, but I don't have a problem with using "y'all" in certain informal situations. I certainly wouldn't use it on a professional or formal level, but in informal contexts I find it to be unsophisticated, yet disarming and somewhat charming in a casual "southern" way. I think of it as a kind of down-home expression that just feels warm and familiar- if used in informal situations only, mind you. Your thoughts?

[Chevalier de Saint-George]

Originally Posted by Gfab1

The use of the word "y'all" is usually considered to be a "southern thing." I have noticed that it is very prevalent in MD. I am an educated person, but I don't have a problem with using "y'all" in certain informal situations. I certainly wouldn't use it in on a professional or formal level, but in informal contexts I find it to be unsophisticated, yet disarming and somewhat charming in a casual "southern" way. I think of it as a kind of down-home expression that just feels warm and familiar- if used in informal situations only, mind you. Your thoughts?

"Y'all" is just a contraction of "you all." No different than using wouldn't. I'm not sure how using a legitimate contraction is seen as unsophisticated.

Now saying "all y'all" is wrong because you're actually saying "All you all" and that's not right...Anyway, "y'all" shouldn't be looked at as "ain't" because it's actually a legitimate contraction.

[Gfab1]

I guess I would say that it isn't, as far as I know anyway, a grammatically legitimate contraction. What brought this subject to mind was that a friend of mine (who is an intelligent, educated woman) moved from MD to CA and told me that whenever she said "y'all" she was looked at like she was a three-eyed mutant redneck by her peers.

ETA: I could be wrong, but to me the use of the word "you" is grammatically correct in both a singular and plural sense, so "y'all" can be considered incorrect and/or redundant. If the plural sense of the word "you" needed to be emphasized, I would consider saying "all of you" to be more proper than saying "y'all." If my assumption is incorrect, however, I am open to hearing about why it is incorrect.

[NJ2MDdude]

Y'all is the equivalent of "youse," which is common plural form of "you" in the northeast.

[Chevalier de Saint-George]

Originally Posted by Gfab1

I guess I would say that it isn't, as far as I know anyway, a grammatically legitimate contraction. What brought this subject to mind was that a friend of mine (who is an intelligent, educated woman) moved from MD to CA and told me that whenever she said "y'all" she was looked at like she was a three-eyed mutant redneck by her peers.

ETA: I could be wrong, but to me the use of the word "you" is grammatically correct in both a singular and plural sense, so "y'all" can be considered incorrect and/or redundant. If the plural sense of the word "you" needed to be emphasized, I would consider saying "all of you" to be more proper than saying "y'all." If my assumption is incorrect, however, I am open to hearing about why it is incorrect.

Can't is can not
I'd is I would or I had
They've is they have
Should've is should have
You'd is you would or you had
Isn't is Is not
Let's is let us
Hadn't is had not

"Y'all" (you all) actually follows the same pattern as all contractions and specifically that of "let's" and "hadn't" ( the whole one word, apostrophe, omit one of the three other letters format).

Plus, it's really great as a 2nd person plural....In English, there's just "you." I'm also sure that most associate it with rednecks and stuff. When used correctly, it's pretty legit.

Is Y'all A Word? Find Out What the Dictionary Says

Y'all Is a Feminist Pronoun (Not really but it's useful in this PC world we live in).

[westsideboy]

Use of you all or y'all to address multiple people

Southern American English - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Western Maryland is all mixed up. We have some folks that use you all, some that say youse (sorta sounds like you'ns which I suspect it once was considering our proximity to PA). I say "you guys" but that isn't cradle tongue, just the least objectionable of the available choices. I can't say y'all is very common.

But overall, you all/y'all is used in Maryland. Just not as much as in the deep south, but far more than any state to our north. It is almost like we are a border state or something.

[GiGi603]

Originally Posted by Gfab1

The use of the word "y'all" is usually considered to be a "southern thing." I have noticed that it is very prevalent in MD. I am an educated person, but I don't have a problem with using "y'all" in certain informal situations. I certainly wouldn't use it on a professional or formal level, but in informal contexts I find it to be unsophisticated, yet disarming and somewhat charming in a casual "southern" way. I think of it as a kind of down-home expression that just feels warm and familiar- if used in informal situations only, mind you. Your thoughts?

I am born, breed and raised in Maryland and lived here my entire life. Have never used y'all nor have any of my friends and family in Maryland. I don't think it is prevalent everywhere in Maryland. Maybe just certain parts.
I have never said y'all.
I prefer to think of us as Mid-Atlantic

[Hamish Forbes]

I am a Baltimoron by birth. Nobody in my family or even my acquaintance said y'all in Baltimore, unless they were transplants from further south. I don't know about the rest of Maryland outside Baltimore.

Among those from further south, "y'all" could be singular on occasion (H.L. Mencken writes about this in The American Language) with "all y'all" being the plural.

"Y'all" is listed in Merriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary as a variant of "you all." IIRC (and I may not), the MWCD is considered definitive by the Federal Government.

I find "y'all" to be quite charming compared to "youze," which I find painfully grating.

[1973PINTO]

well yall have my permission to use yall as much as you all want .. I never considered a hyphen in its spelling ..

[tcave360]

I often say either y'all or you guys. Sometimes "youse", like "youse guys" or "youse a bamma" for example. Prince Georgian, born and raised for the full 22 years of my life.