Columnist John Moore grew up in Little River County, Arkansas. Where they still say, “y’all.” Courtesy John Moore

According to Merriam-Webster, a colloquialism is “a local or regional dialect expression.” Another definition? Language that’s “unacceptably informal.”

I’ve been accused of both—unacceptable and informal—sometimes separately, but usually together.

Yankees love to poke fun at Southerners for how we talk, often by trying (and failing) to imitate us. Few things are funnier than someone with a thick Northern accent saying “You all” instead of “y’all.”

And no, you don’t capitalize “y’all.”

But here’s a surprise: the word most commonly heard south of the Mason-Dixon didn’t originate in Tennessee, Texas, or Arkansas. It came from the Scots-Irish.

Like most Americans, I’m not Native American (at least, not much). I’m descended from immigrants. My DNA test says I’m 69% British, but also part Scottish. So, it tracks that much of the English spoken in the Ozarks and Appalachia was influenced by Scots-Irish settlers, whose language was a mashup of dialects and expressions. Over time, words changed—some misheard, others shortened—and “y’all” emerged.

Still with me?

Many languages use different words for “you,” depending on whether you’re talking to one person or many. English used to do the same. In the King James Bible, “thou” meant singular “you,” and “ye” was plural. Certain Scottish dialects even used “ye all” as the plural.

When Scots-Irish immigrants arrived in America’s mountain regions, “ye all” was already part of their speech. Over time, that likely morphed into “y’all.”

So, “y’all” was born—and it always means more than one person.

When someone says, “Hey, y’all,” or “Are y’all going to the store?” They are talking to multiple people. If a Southerner wants to ask an individual how they’re doing, they say, “How you?” But “How y’all?” means they’re asking two or more folks.

Fun fact: the same Scots-Irish immigrants credited with “y’all” were also known as “hillbillies.” But not for the reasons you might think.

Back in the 1600s, Highland Scots were referred to as “Hill Folks.” During the wars of that era, they supported King William of Britain, earning the nickname “Billy Boys.” Eventually, this evolved into “Hill Billy Boys,” and finally “hillbillies.” The term came with them to America.

Different regions have their own versions of “y’all.” Just north of St. Louis, it becomes “you guys,” even if women are included. In New Jersey, it’s “youse guys.” And in England, they say “you lot.”

But enough history—let’s talk proper usage.

“Y’all” is always plural. But when you’re addressing a large group, you upgrade to “all y’all.”

Examples:

Talking to two people? “Are y’all going to the Lynyrd Skynyrd concert?”

Talking to 317 people? “Are all y’all going to the Lynyrd Skynyrd concert?”

Now for the tricky part: the possessive.

“Y’all” is plural, but what’s the possessive form? “Y’alls” or “y’all’s”?

Examples:

Two people: “Are y’all going to get y’alls Lynyrd Skynyrd tickets?”

A big crowd: “Are all y’all going to get y’all’s tickets?”

(Yes, two more people showed up when they heard Skynyrd was playing.)

With more of our northern brethren moving South, it’s only polite to help them adjust. That includes translating. Teach them the difference between “y’all,” “all y’all,” and whichever possessive you prefer: “y’alls” or “y’all’s.”

And if they’ve never heard of Lynyrd Skynyrd, please do the right thing—put Sweet Home Alabama on.

All y’all have a good week. I’m fixin’ to start my next column.

By John Moore, author, Puns for Groan People and Write of Passage: A Southerner’s View of Then and Now Vol. 1 and 2, are available on his website TheCountryWriter.com, where you can also send him a message.

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