this post was submitted on 21 Mar 2024
22 points (100.0% liked)

Humanities & Cultures

2512 readers
15 users here now

Human society and cultural news, studies, and other things of that nature. From linguistics to philosophy to religion to anthropology, if it's an academic discipline you can most likely put it here.

Subcommunities on Beehaw:


This community's icon was made by Aaron Schneider, under the CC-BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
 

Linguists studying the Southern American Dialect reckon that it ain't what it used to be, y'all. I do declayuh!

Otherwords is a PBS web series on Storied that digs deep into this quintessential human trait of language and finds the fascinating, thought-provoking, and funny stories behind the words and sounds we take for granted. Incorporating the fields of biology, history, cultural studies, literature, and more, linguistics has something for everyone and offers a unique perspective on what it means to be human.

all 11 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] [email protected] 9 points 5 months ago (2 children)

Alright, we can drop the accent, but y'all gotta compromise and accept the word y'all.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 5 months ago (2 children)

The video mentions how "y'all" has become a more nationwide word due to its usefulness.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 months ago (1 children)

I'm honestly really glad it seems to be a shared opinion that's changed over the years. About 10 years ago I got told it was unprofessional language in the workplace.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 months ago

I've been using y'all in corporate America for about five years now and have yet had a manager condemn its use. It's widely accepted now and I've had coworkers mentioned it makes them fondly remember family from the south. It's just a good colloquial for referring to a group. Oddly enough "you guys" has slowly been entering my diction too due to working with more folks from the west and midwest.Midwest.

Ain't is one I still unconsciously avoid in professional settings though.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 months ago

I think Black English has been a major contributor towards towards mainstreaming "y'all" outside of the South. The rise of black stories being told on television and through film, plus the rise of hip hop/rap as a mainstream genre of music, has helped normalize certain phrases that used to only be associated with either the South or with black vernacular.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 months ago

Every other language has a version of you all

[–] [email protected] 8 points 5 months ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 months ago (2 children)

The South could use another good Shermaning to finish it off

[–] [email protected] 4 points 5 months ago
[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 months ago

Lotta great people down here politics is just gerrymandered