y'all - Wiktionary, the free dictionary (2024)

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Y'all - Wiktionary, the free dictionary? ›

Contraction of you all, and/or from Scots ye aw. Attested since at least 1631. Compare Dutch jullie (originally jij lui (literally “you people”)) for a similar development of a new plural pronoun out of Proto-Germanic *jīz that originally was already plural.

The Oxford English Dictionary pegs the first printed appearance of “you all” as we might understand it to 1824, according to a 2015 Slate article, in reference to an “odd phrase” children learned from slaves. The dictionary places the first “y'all” in print in 1856, appearing in a snippet of dialect.

The English language doesn't have a good second person plural pronoun; “you” can be both singular and plural, but it's sometimes awkward to use as a plural. It's almost like there's a pronoun missing. “Y'all” fills that second person plural slot – as does “you guys,” “youse,” “you-uns” and a few others.

There is one meaning in OED's entry for the pronoun y'all. See 'Meaning & use' for definition, usage, and quotation evidence. This word is used in Caribbean English and midland U.S. English.

This familiar pronoun is even included in the Merriam-Webster dictionary, which is a trusted, go-to source for Southern Living copy editors. The only proper way to spell the contraction of "you" and "all" is "y'all."

While some Southerners hold y'all is only properly used as a plural pronoun, counter evidence suggests usage include singular references, particularly amongst non-Southerners.

In other regions of the US, 'y'all' has historically been far less common. Yet, in the past couple years, 'y'all' seems to have exploded in use, including and especially among people who live far outside the South, in places north of the Mason-Dixon Line in the US, like New York City, and even overseas.

During the Civil War, and even after the war came to an end, Yankee was a term used by Southerners to describe their rivals from the Union, or northern, side of the conflict. After the war, Yankee was once again mostly used to describe New Englanders. Yankees have been important players in politics.

"In some parts of the South, we have 'you'uns,' Pittsburgh has their version of this with 'yinz,' other Northeastern cities have 'youse,' and lots of places have 'you guys. '" For a long time now, "you guys" has been the dominant turn of phrase in most places when addressing two or more people.

Let's start with the obvious: “Howdy, y'all.” It's the quintessential Texas and Southern phrase, usually invoked with a mocking twang by Yankees (a name used down here to jokingly refer to anyone north and east of Oklahoma). The truth is Texans actually say these words often, but usually not together.

What is the British version of Y all? ›

how do we say y'all in British. yous or you guys. right I'll see yous later. right I'll see you guys later.

Y'all is not a word, it is a contraction of you and all. In England they use 'you' singular and plural.

According to linguist Michael Montgomery, "y'all" can be traced back to the Scots-Irish phrase "ye aw," itself a derivative of the pre-Anglicized language of the Scots.

Yes, ain't is a real word that has been used by English speakers for centuries, with its earliest usage attributed to English Restoration playwrights in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Today, ain't is considered informal and is associated with dialectical or colloquial speech.

Y'all is used in the southern states of the US, in casual conversation. You wouldn't hear it in other parts of the US unless from a visitor from the South, or maybe someone's grandma who moved outside the southern region.

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word first appeared in print in 1856, and all of its examples are sources connected to the American South.

Reading University researchers claim "I", "we", "two" and "three" are among the most ancient, dating back tens of thousands of years.

Wiktionary says is was used as early as the 2000s but a viral Vine video popularized it in 2014. As interjection it can mean anything from expressing excitement, satisfaction, nervousness. Additionally it's listed in Urban Dictionary and Wiktionary as both a noun and verb.

Ok, Montana's answer is "You Guys."

I discovered there are many American terms we don't use in Scotland. For example, we don't say "y'all," but we are more likely to refer to a group of people as "youse."