From: Christopher Hutson (crhutson@salisbury.net)
Date: Wed Oct 14 1998 - 18:06:30 EDT
Jonathan wrote:
>
>I use this in Little Greek 101. However, it's important to be aware
that
>many Southerners use y'all as a 2nd person singular or plural form,
so I
>carefully state the distinction that I'm drawing.
>
I think that "y'all" as a 2nd person singular is a Yankee
misperception of traditional Southern speech. When Southerners say
"y'all," they usually (always?) intend the plural force. That is, if I
ask, "How are y'all doin' today?" I am addressing a group. If I say
it to you when we are the only two in the room, then I am asking about
your family.
Likewise, if you visit a Southerner, it will be perfectly normal when
you depart to hear, "You come back, now, y'hear?" if you are visiting
by yourself, or "Y'all come back," if you are in a group. OTOH, if
you visit alone, and hear, "Y'all come," then you are invited to bring
your family next time you visit. Similarly, "Do y'all like
cucumbers?" means, "Will you and/or anybody at your house eat these if
I pick 'em for you right now?"
Or maybe that's just the way we talked in Tennessee and Alabama and
Texas. Maybe in North Carolina, y'all talk funny.
XPIC
------------------------------------
Christopher R. Hutson
Hood Theological Seminary
Salisbury, NC 28144
crhutson@salisbury.net
------------------------------------
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