Language is a funny thing. When I first moved here, I was talking with my landlady about the "bar in the woods" when it finally occurred to me, she's talking about the BEAR in the woods. That was my first indication that I was in the same country but in a foreign place.
A couple of years later, my fiance (then boyfriend) and I were talking about the difference between the mountain locals and the non when he started talking about this term "youns". It's the equivalent to "y'all". I hadn't heard anyone say it at that point, but since then, I've heard it several times. I just have to laugh when I hear it said. My first thought is, "You just indicated you're a true local and probably haven't travelled much out of this county." My second thought is how it just doesn't make since. I understand y'all from you all. Youns? What's that from? Younguns? That doesn't make sense because it's used for all types of people, not just kids.
I may never know, but that's quite alright.
Ugh! My mom says "youns" and it drives me crazy!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI've always thought it was "You ones". Not that it makes any more sense.
ReplyDeleteSome of our relatives say "youns", I'm surprised you haven't noticed. It's very much a mountain/coal country thing that you'll hear from where you are northward through West Virginia all the way up to Pittsburgh. It's a contraction of "you ones" which distinguishes a group from "those ones" over there. Although you do hear "theyuns" periodically, and less frequently "weuns." That's $650 for Linguistics 101, please. :o)
ReplyDeleteThey must be distance relatives that I don't see very often, because I've never heard anyone related to me say it.
ReplyDeleteCoco and Herbert and John and that group. Grandmother's family from Haywood County.
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