does anyone need another example of positive ANYMORE?

[Dennis R. Preston]

Not to be too picky this morning, but I assume Charlie's question is
"how is" the possessive of "y'all" (or "ya'll") spelled, not "how to"?

dInIs

>---------------------- Information from the mail header
>-----------------------
>Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>Poster:       Charles Doyle <cdoyle at UGA.EDU>
>Subject:      Re: does anyone need another example of positive ANYMORE?
>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>Have we (or has MM) addressed the perennially vexing question of how
>to spell the possessive form of "y'all"?  I often see "y'all's," but
>I would insist on the spelling "y'alls" because [1] two apostrophes
>in the same word look funny and [2] personal pronouns don't
>typically show an apostrophe before the possessive ending "-s."
>
>--Charlie
>_____________________________________________________________
>
>---- Original message ----
>>Date: Wed, 13 Feb 2008 22:06:24 EST
>>From: RonButters at AOL.COM
>>
>>If I'm not mistaken, Michael Montgomery gave a fine paper on the
>>subject of "ya'all" versus "y'all" versus "ya'll" some years ago.
>>Maybe it was published as well.
>>
>>Seems to me also somewhat akin to people named e.g. "Tom and Mary
>>Marshall" (never see this on the porches of same-sex couples) who
>>hang signs on their front porch saying things like "The Marshall's"!
>>
>>In a message dated 2/13/08 9:57:10 PM, jharbeck at SYMPATICO.CA writes:
>>
>>
>>>  As you can see, this came through a bit funny to me, but it
>>>appears that she is spelling "y'all" as "ya'll". I see this with a
>>>certain frequency, and it interests me WRT the mental process it
>>>evidences. I have to assume it's by analogy with I'll and you'll
>>>without analysis of the different contractions, but please feel
>>>free to disabuse me if I'm mistaken.
>>>
>>>  James Harbeck.
>
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--
Dennis R. Preston
University Distinguished Professor
Department of English
15C Morrill Hall
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI 48824
517-353-4736
preston at msu.edu

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