There’s only one correct way to spell it, y’all.
But the best-known word in the Southern vernacular is probably our most-loved pronoun: y’all.
Here’s everything you’re gonna wanna know about this Southern phrase.
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“Ya’ll” is incorrect and a misspelling of the word, so don’t use it.
In contractions, the apostrophe takes place of the missing letters, in this caseoandu.
Think about the term in this sense, and you’ll be less likely to misspell it.
Where Did ‘Y’all’ Originate?
Usage of the colloquial pronoun dates back to 1856 in a writing from A.W.
Arrington.It’s credited with having Southern origins, but there are other theories as well.
One is that it derived from the Scots-Irish termye awand was brought to the U.S. by immigrants.
Using “y’all” also adds a gender-neutral variation to the familiar phrase “you guys.”
So there you have it, y’all.
Think you’re a pro at Southern sayings?
We reckon it’s more than you think.
Oxford English Dictionary.Y’all pronoun.
Hickey, Raymond.Legacies of Colonial English: Studies in Transported Dialects.
Babbel.The Rise of Y’all And The Quest For A Second-Person Plural Pronoun.
