YOH

[Mike Salovesh]

Benjamin Barrett wrote:
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU]On Behalf Of Michael Newman
 <snip>
> > e.g. That Falwell's such a fool, yo.
> >
> > In that usage the 'yo' is downstressed.
>
> That might be the usage I've been hearing. It has that downstress
> which is probably why I think I hear a residual "l" sound from
> y'all. I'll try to listen more carefully.
>
> Benjamin Barrett

While you're listening, think of another possibility: maybe the final
element could be approximated as "y'o" -- with some approximation of a
glottal stop in the middle, or at least two separate vowels rather than a
diphthong. I think that's what I've heard more than once. The tone pattern
of "such a fool y'o" (with "such a" reduced to CVC followed by an echo
vowel of comparatively short length) comes out 2-3-2_falling. That marks
"fool" as a  specially stressed element, which makes sense in this
context.

My suggested reading is that this "yo" is not at all the same as the Philly
yo or the Army way of answering roll call. If  that possible glottal stop
is more than my imagination, I'd suggest that this phrase-final yo
represents a second shortening of "y'know":  "That Falwell's such a fool,
y'know."

My bet about most uses of standalone "yo" as a response (as in, e.g., "Hey,
George, you've got a phone call" "Yo") is that it does come out of the
Army. You could properly translate the short "yo" with this long phrase: "I
acknowledge the fact that you want ME, in particular, to pay attention, and
I signal that I'm doing so."

-- mike salovesh   <m-salovesh-9 at alumni.uchicago.edu>   PEACE !!!

        IN MEMORIAM:     Peggy Salovesh
        25 January 1932 -- 3 March 2001