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.

    • GrundlButter@lemmy.dbzer0.com
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      3
      ·
      7 months ago

      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.

      • Lilith@beehaw.org
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        3
        ·
        7 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.

    • FZDC@beehaw.org
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      1
      ·
      7 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.