Singular "yez"?

Bethany K. Dumas dumasb at UTKUX.UTCC.UTK.EDU
Sun Dec 12 02:04:43 UTC 2004


On Fri, 10 Dec 2004, Wilson Gray wrote:

>Can someone supply some examples in which a genuine Southern-speaker or
>a BE speaker uses "y'all"/"you-all" as a singular? I've heard and read
>since the '40's, at least that, y'all/you-all can be used as a
>second-person singular. I have never heard such a use from any white
>Southerners or from any black  person. But I'm willing to grant that
>that could be mere happenstance.

I have heard it and know others who have heard it in the Knoxville, TN
area. One example is from a medical office - receptionist says to
patient, "y'all come back."

Bethany



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