Elkins, in Randolph county. You may not have heard of it. I hear y'all most commonly, perhaps you're thinking furter south -- or even somewhere in the Eastern Panhandle (I think I've heard some of my relatives in Grant County say you'ns before).Valinta wrote:You're from West Virginia? What part? I have connections there, but they're mostly in you'uns or standard usage territory, and take as much from Pittsburgh as from what people typically consider Appalachian. I hear some y'all when I'm out there, but not a whole lot. It seems like y'all is much less stigmatized than other nonstandard you plurals, generally speaking, so it migrates easier than the rest.Ollock wrote:Come to West Virginia. Here, some dialects have three distincions: you (singular), y'all (small group), and all y'all (large group/everyone within earshot).
At WVU, most of the West Virginians I know will say y'all, though (sadly for me) it seems many refuse to make the distinctions. Once in a while I even here all y'all from people talking to a large group.