Evolution of "Ya'll"

[gjpratt]

The Origins of 'Y'All' May Not Be in the American South

Now surging in popularity, the iconic pronoun was first used on the other side of the Atlantic in the 17th century.

www.atlasobscura.com

Interesting article; semi-etymological.

Hat tip to @midnitelamp

 

[RobertP]

It definitely is getting more widespread usage. I live in a very multicultural city and always smile when I hear Asian or Hispanic kids say y'all.

We're winning, y'all.

 

[6thMichCav]

Given that English lacks a familiar plural pronoun, the contraction y'all makes sense, even though I don't use it.

For example, in German, "ihr" refers to "you" on a plural basis. When you use "ihr," the listener knows you are referring to a group. So, y'all appears to fill a gap in current vernacular English. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it…y'all.

 

[RedRover]

Given that English lacks a familiar plural pronoun, the contraction y'all makes sense, even though I don't use it.

For example, in German, "ihr" refers to "you" on a plural basis. When you use "ihr," the listener knows you are referring to a group. So, y'all appears to fill a gap in current vernacular English. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it…y'all.

What an interesting comment! Got me thinkin.

English has the plural pronoun, "ye" similar to German "ihr." Ye was common english From way back. From the 1611 English bible, you will find besides the "you all"s some "ye all"s:

versus;

I have noticed in English law books in the 1500s and 1600s, they often just wrote the "Y" of ye or you, or even yet, and just put a small superscript e, o, or t with it to show what the formal meaning was. Here is an example.

From Helen Wood's English grammar reader, London, 1865, Ye is the common English second person plural personal pronoun, in a nominative case:

As I understand my old grammar, the nominative case pronoun is acting the verb, and the objective case is acted upon.


Mr. Gould Brown's grammar, London, 1860, seems to agree with Mrs. Wood, (refering to the 1611 edition King James bible):

Brown complains of the influence of Shakespeare, Milton, etc. in confounding the grammatical senses of ye and you, rendering popular speech SEEM inconsistent. Another commenter noted:

Many Americans understood the distinction of Ye and You, though. From Brandon, Miss., 1853, in the comical "Chronicles of the Fire Eaters of the Tribe of Mississippi:"

Anyways, sorry for the digression, but as regards your comment on German, from Fulborn's 1852 (Philadelphia) German-English Instructor, he directly translates English Ye with the German Ihr you mention:

From an 1863 English-German bible, we see the direct translation of Ihr and Ye:

So, back to "y'all," Montgomery and Heinmiller's "Dictionary of Southern Appalachian English" (2021, U. of NC Press), notes "y'all" is pronounced in either the familiar plural nominative (formally YE ALL), or plural objective case (formally YOU ALL).

I have some kin who yet distinguish YE and YOU a little bit..., more out of habit, pronouncing: "YE went and done it!", but would say "Who did that to YOU?" But if you asked them to spell it, in conformity with their school-marms instructions they would write out both with YOU.

Y'all take care.

 

[turner ashby kidd]

Y'all are making my head hurt...taking me back to Latin, German and English classes.
Seriously,thanks @RedRover for the information on the matter. English is certainly an interesting mongrel language.

 

[Ole Miss]

Not sure of the origin of the word Y'all but it is certainly more pleasing to the ear than "Hey guys!" in my opinion but here I sit drinking sweet tea on the veranda!

I lie! It is 97 degrees outside with a heat index of 109 so I am inside enjoying the air-conditioning.
Regards
David

 

[Pollaco]

Not sure of the origin of the word Y'all but it is certainly more pleasing to the ear than "Hey guys!" in my opinion but here I sit drinking sweet tea on the veranda!

I lie! It is 97 degrees outside with a heat index of 109 so I am inside enjoying the air-conditioning.
Regards
David

Ditto, y'all!

 

[John Hartwell]

Everybody in north Jersey (and thereabouts) knows the second person plural is "Youse" (sometimes "youse all.")

 

[Sheltowee]

Hip-hop culture has negated any regional identity associated with y'all…… It's everywhere. Even the auto fill function on my phone added y'all, as I was typing this.

But youse and you'uns is still pretty distinct to certain areas.

 

[Josh The Lighthouse Guy]

I have no problem with "you all" but "y'all" is an incorrect contraction. It should be "you'll"

 

[Reconstructed Rebel]

I have no problem with "you all" but "y'all" is an incorrect contraction. It should be "you'll"

But wouldn't that be the contraction for "you will" as in You'll be glad you did that?

 

[Cornpone and Molasses]

It definitely is getting more widespread usage. I live in a very multicultural city and always smile when I hear Asian or Hispanic kids say y'all.

We're winning, y'all.

All y'all.

 

[Cornpone and Molasses]

Everybody in north Jersey (and thereabouts) knows the second person plural is "Youse" (sometimes "youse all.")

As a North Jerseyan I have not heard this lol. It must be a Sussex County thing like Goosey Night as opposed to Mischief Night.
Now back to my Taylor Ham.

 

[bamaman]

Everybody in north Jersey (and thereabouts) knows the second person plural is "Youse" (sometimes "youse all.")

Every 0ne knows that this phrase came from the Beverly hillbillies 'y'al come back now, hear!"

 

[Lubliner]

This "Ya'll" thing ought to have been recognized when the lexicographers accepted 'ain't' in the dictionary as a proper contraction. So why don't my AI recognize the word, it ain't recognized but drawn under with a redline?
Lubliner.

 

[Lubliner]

@Polloco I guess I ought to be exactly perfect and describe the so-called 'red-line' in truth an oscilloscopic square wave. Edit: (saw wave)?
Lubliner.

 

[bamaman]

@Polloco I guess I ought to be exactly perfect and describe the so-called 'red-line' in truth an oscilloscopic square wave. Edit: (saw wave)?
Lubliner.

Huh?

 

[R. Porter]

Back in 1989 the 984 page (in paperback) book "Albion's Seed: Four British Folkways in America (America: a cultural history, Volume I)" was published showing how four regional cultures from the British Isles set the tone for distinct cultural groups in America. The speech patterns referred to as Ebonics apparently got its start in the tidewater south when language used by plantation overseers and indentured servents, learned in the 17th century southern England, was the English that was taught to enslaved people brought from Africa. In the 19th century England apparently waged a cultural war against these speech patterns and was successful in eliminating its use in the British Isles. Some of this battle can be found in the novels of Thomas Hardy when characters from lower social levels are being corrected on their speech. The book discussed more than just language use and there are customs associated with other aspects of every-day life as well as those less common.

For y'all who are unhappy about things you feel are gramatically incorrect, remember that English Grammer is really just a bunch of arbitrary rules thought up by bored 18th century Englishment who thought it would be a good idea to shoehorn English into a bunch or Latin practices. Think of how much you can still understand from people speaking English who think grammer is optional.

Finally, I don't have a verandah and my heat pump has been broken for four years, so I sit inside with some fans in the summer and some space heaters in the winter. I'm in Virginia and the globe is warming so for just a little bit of time the climate won't be so bad. But when it teeters over the next milestone there'll be an on-rush of gaters and moccasins and those big snakes that squish things before they eat them.

 

[RobertP]

a

All y'all.

or y'all all. Works just fine either way!

 

[TerryB]

Given that English lacks a familiar plural pronoun, the contraction y'all makes sense, even though I don't use it.

For example, in German, "ihr" refers to "you" on a plural basis. When you use "ihr," the listener knows you are referring to a group. So, y'all appears to fill a gap in current vernacular English. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it…y'all.

True, but only because we stopped saying "ye." See the King James Bible, which is totally consistent on this. However, growing up in rural Arkansas, I heard "ye" a lot when people were actually addressing one person. The plural was "you'uns."