Has "y'all" become a word in common use outside Southern American English? (suburbia, area)
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Location: The Greatest city on Earth: City of Atlanta Proper
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Why is it even being discussed "how" it sounds in the South. Due to the size and varying degrees of people/classes you'll find in the South, the "Southern Accent" varies quite a bit from state to state, different parts of the state, different cities, etc. It's more of a template rather than a standard. Because of that, it's totally believable that someone hasn't heard a particular variation of "y'all".
I hope so. It's the only logical way to say "you" in a plural form in our language. "You guys" is what people say where I'm from, but "y'all" makes more sense. It's a contraction of "you all," and should be considered acceptable everywhere, in my opinion. Hopefully it will be someday.
Just looked thru my dictionary and I find y'all, and you-all but I could not find youse guys.
Last edited by mccarley; 08-17-2010 at 01:14 PM..
Reason: sp
You mean like, what are ya doing? I hear ya'll, but that's from people with Southern and urban accents. I say ya like that all the time though, I don't know ya, what are ya doing, how long are ya staying, like that. But that's for one person not usually more. When I say it, it sounds like, yuh, don't know if that's what you heard.
No I definitely hear it when directed towards a group. There's definitely a difference between "ya" as you used it and "yall" as it's said in the NE
I wonder how my Atlanta constituents pronounce it. I've read that others from my city say it in a more subdued way (because of their families say things differently). I really want to hear how mixed the speech is from my ATL, Houston, Dallas, and Miami folks. (youtube it with a hand over the camera).
Anyway, I think a lot of people outside of the South still stigmatize "y'all" as uneducated-hick language. I use y'all, you all, and you guys (when speaking to a group of guys) interchangeably (y'all with a lead though).
I wonder how my Atlanta constituents pronounce it. I've read that others from my city say it in a more subdued way (because of their families say things differently). I really want to hear how mixed the speech is from my ATL, Houston, Dallas, and Miami folks. (youtube it with a hand over the camera).
Anyway, I think a lot of people outside of the South still stigmatize "y'all" as uneducated-hick language. I use y'all, you all, and you guys (when speaking to a group of guys) interchangeably (y'all with a lead though).
I live in the Atlanta area and I don't use the word "y'all". I use the words "You guys", "yous guys","yous" and "you all". I have lived in metro Atlanta since 1996.
i've been to georgia and have heard ppl pronounce ya'll yaowl. the same in nc and south carolina.
maybe you should get out a little more? or perhaps you can't hear your own accent and those around you...i know my gf swears that she doesn't have one and that *i* sound "funny."
my gf sounds like a stereotypical southerner with the whole won't/want, yaowll/ya'll, thang/thing stuff.
I've lived in Georgia over thirty years, so I know what I'm talking about. I'm not trolling, kid.
By the way, who would know how the majority of a population pronounces "y'all"? A native southerner, or someone living in NYC?
I wonder how my Atlanta constituents pronounce it. I've read that others from my city say it in a more subdued way (because of their families say things differently). I really want to hear how mixed the speech is from my ATL, Houston, Dallas, and Miami folks. (youtube it with a hand over the camera).
Anyway, I think a lot of people outside of the South still stigmatize "y'all" as uneducated-hick language. I use y'all, you all, and you guys (when speaking to a group of guys) interchangeably (y'all with a lead though).
I'm from the Atlanta area, and it has always been Y + ALL or Y-AWL around here. Have you heard anyone around here say "YOWL", something that rhymes with OWL?
I live in the Atlanta area and I don't use the word "y'all". I use the words "You guys", "yous guys","yous" and "you all". I have lived in metro Atlanta since 1996.
I've never heard of "yous guys" or "yous" that sounds more hillbilly than y'all.
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