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
    ·
    9 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
      ·
      9 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.