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Related: Culture Forums, Support ForumsDoes the second person plural pronoun "yall"/"y'all" require an apostrophe?
I write it without an apostrophe, but some people include one.
It may be argued that as it's a contraction of you - all, there should be an apostrophe. But I would argue that
it's a word in its own right, so it doesn't need one.
hlthe2b
(102,419 posts)It is, after all a conjunction of "you" and "all"
Smarmie Doofus
(14,498 posts)seabeyond
(110,159 posts)onehandle
(51,122 posts)Orsino
(37,428 posts)...which stands in for the letters you don't include.
you all.
At least in Tennessee.
And, please. Only when addressing more than one person. Saying y'all to a single person, says "I just moved here from up north and I'm trying to fit in." lol! And you will more than likely be ask who you are talking to while the single person looks behind them to see who they missed.
Avalux
(35,015 posts)I actually can't stand the word and even though I've live in the red for a long time, refuse to say it.
PassingFair
(22,434 posts)"youse".
"youse guys".
Avalux
(35,015 posts)I don't say that anymore!
PassingFair
(22,434 posts)Avalux
(35,015 posts)Or use it with guys...
"If yinz guys go to Pittsburgh, you'll hear it a lot."
PassingFair
(22,434 posts)Callmecrazy
(3,065 posts)and I hope it stays there.
Kennah
(14,337 posts)Wife has family there.
Tuesday Afternoon
(56,912 posts)my southern accent when I moved to NORTH Carolina
Avalux
(35,015 posts)Living here in the flatland makes me depressed at this time of year...I miss my mountains.
OriginalGeek
(12,132 posts)when we visited some of my wife's relatives. She had one cousin who was originally from somewhere east of Indiana and she kept saying "yinz" and it kept cracking me up. But it was a fair trade as she laughed every time I said "y'all". All in all it was a fun trip.
Arkansas Granny
(31,535 posts)Art_from_Ark
(27,247 posts)It certainly wasn't too common in my part of the state. The country kids preferred "you'uns". The town kids usually said "you guys".
Kennah
(14,337 posts)Tuesday Afternoon
(56,912 posts)Last edited Thu Oct 3, 2013, 01:21 PM - Edit history (1)
it does not follow the rules for common nouns.
Your welcome,
signed,
A. Southernener
telclaven
(235 posts)I hate when folk confuse y'all with all y'all. damnyankees is the worst ones
Sissyk
(12,665 posts)Here, all y'all is laughed at!
The point of y'all (at least in Tennessee) is because we take short cuts with as many words in our language as possible. All y'all is the same as saying you all to us. Still two words each. Y'all - cut it in half. lol!
lastlib
(23,322 posts)Kennah
(14,337 posts)Y'all is second person plural.
All y'all motherfuckers isn't polite to say in school or church, so it is often abbreviated to all y'all. I believe it's second person plural derogatory.
lastlib
(23,322 posts)...as, "Mayonnaise a lotta people on this here board!"
patricia92243
(12,605 posts)Spell it like it is pronounced.
WolverineDG
(22,298 posts)Rhythm
(5,435 posts)Grew up in NC...
My personal use is that if i'm addressing a group of less than 5 people, i'll use simply "y'all"
("What're y'all up to?"
A bigger group than that becomes "all y'all"...
("When did all y'all get here?"
Just me, though... ymmv
Kennah
(14,337 posts)July
(4,751 posts)"You are" contracts to "you're," with the apostrophe representing the absent "a."
"You all" thus becomes "y'all."
It's a helpful explanation when trying to distinguish between "its" and "it's" or "your" and "you're," for example.