3 ms·

Wait, wat? I always thought that "y'all" was a contraction of "you all", so meant the "plural you" instead of the "singular you".

amanaplanacanal 3y ago
I think you have to say “all y’all” for the plural.
- majormajor 3y ago
  This Texan's understanding: "Y'all" = plural you "All y'all" = "all of [plural] you" as distinct from "some of you/y'all" Don't think I've ever heard a singular y'all. "How ya doin'" would be the singular version of "How y'all doin"
- verditelabs 3y ago
  For me, "y'all" has multiple forms "y'all" - explicitly addressing >1 person "y'all" - explicitly addressing 1 person while implicitly addressing >1 people. I might say "how y'all doin" to a friend, implying "how are you and your family doing" "all y'all" - >>1 person or addressing >1 person that was not included in the previous "y'all" "y'all" - explicitly and implicitly addressing 1 person whom I have not made acquaintance with. If I were working as a server in a restaurant and had a single person come in, I may address them with "y'all". "What can I get y'all?" is the same as "what can I get you?" but the "y'all" gives it some extra politeness or an "emphatic southern accent"
- JoshTriplett 3y ago
  This often comes up in such discussions, but no, both "y'all" and "all y'all" are plural. They're useful for distinguishing between smaller and larger groups. For instance, if a couple of members of a family are visiting, you could say "you" (the person you're speaking to), "y'all" (the whole group visiting), or "all y'all" (you and the rest of your family who aren't here). Or if multiple groups are visiting, "y'all" might be one group and "all y'all" might be everyone.
deleted 3y ago
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naniwaduni 3y ago
It would hardly be the first time a second-person plural turned into a formal second-person singular...
rightbyte 3y ago
There is always a slide. "You" implicitly means "thou and thine underlings" when used in singular. Which makes in polite. "y'all" will probably share the same fate in English.

amanaplanacanal 3y ago

I think you have to say “all y’all” for the plural.

majormajor 3y ago
This Texan's understanding: "Y'all" = plural you "All y'all" = "all of [plural] you" as distinct from "some of you/y'all" Don't think I've ever heard a singular y'all. "How ya doin'" would be the singular version of "How y'all doin"
verditelabs 3y ago
For me, "y'all" has multiple forms "y'all" - explicitly addressing >1 person "y'all" - explicitly addressing 1 person while implicitly addressing >1 people. I might say "how y'all doin" to a friend, implying "how are you and your family doing" "all y'all" - >>1 person or addressing >1 person that was not included in the previous "y'all" "y'all" - explicitly and implicitly addressing 1 person whom I have not made acquaintance with. If I were working as a server in a restaurant and had a single person come in, I may address them with "y'all". "What can I get y'all?" is the same as "what can I get you?" but the "y'all" gives it some extra politeness or an "emphatic southern accent"
JoshTriplett 3y ago
This often comes up in such discussions, but no, both "y'all" and "all y'all" are plural. They're useful for distinguishing between smaller and larger groups. For instance, if a couple of members of a family are visiting, you could say "you" (the person you're speaking to), "y'all" (the whole group visiting), or "all y'all" (you and the rest of your family who aren't here). Or if multiple groups are visiting, "y'all" might be one group and "all y'all" might be everyone.

deleted 3y ago

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naniwaduni 3y ago

It would hardly be the first time a second-person plural turned into a formal second-person singular...

rightbyte 3y ago

There is always a slide. "You" implicitly means "thou and thine underlings" when used in singular. Which makes in polite. "y'all" will probably share the same fate in English.