A discussion about ya'll on diveintomark. I think ya'll is a great word. We've been missing a plural you in the language ever since we gave up on "thou". Of course, "thou" was singular and "you" was plural, but when we got rid of "thou" we only had "you" left for both.
I have to quote this short dissertation on the word: ""Y'all" is an abbreviation of "you all" only etymologically. "You all" means the same as "all of you", while "y'all" is simply plural. So "Do you all have books?" addressed to three people, one of whom is bookless, would have to be answered "no." But "Do y'all have books" addressed to the same three, could be answered, "Yes, Hester and I do, but Herkimer here doesn't.""
Finally, I think ya'll should be spelled "ya'll", not "y'all". "Y'all" seems awkward to me. Y'all is like Yuh-all, whereas ya'll is like "ya-all". Seems more natural, and more consistent with using 'll for we'll, etc., even though the 'll is for a different word. I'd have to get used to it, but if people wanted to I think I'd even be fine with yall being a full-fledged word in the language rather than a contraction.
Saturday, March 9, 2002
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Heh. I live in Texas. Here ya'll isn't just a word - it's a way of life. It's often used in conjunction with "howdy", which I'm not all that fond of.