Does the second person plural pronoun "yall"/"y'all" require an apostrophe?

[raccoon]

I write it without an apostrophe, but some people include one.

It may be argued that as it's a contraction of you - all, there should be an apostrophe. But I would argue that
it's a word in its own right, so it doesn't need one.

[hlthe2b]

1. I have never seen it written without an apostrophe, so I'd say yes

It is, after all a conjunction of "you" and "all"

[Smarmie Doofus]

2. I hope so. In the interest of clarity, if nothing else. n/t

[seabeyond]

3. i like yawl.... nt

[onehandle]

4. Y'all is correct. Born and raised in Georgia. nt

[Orsino]

5. Yes, proper usage includes an apostrophe...

...which stands in for the letters you don't include.

[Sissyk]

6. y'all

you all.

At least in Tennessee.

And, please. Only when addressing more than one person. Saying y'all to a single person, says "I just moved here from up north and I'm trying to fit in." lol! And you will more than likely be ask who you are talking to while the single person looks behind them to see who they missed.

[Avalux]

7. y'all is correct down here in Texas.

I actually can't stand the word and even though I've live in the red for a long time, refuse to say it.

[PassingFair]

8. I agree, but it's better than...

"youse".

[Sissyk]

9. Or

"youse guys".

[Avalux]

14. And then there's "yinz"

I don't say that anymore!

[PassingFair]

15. Can you use that in a sentence, please?

[Avalux]

16. "Are yinz going to the movies?"

Or use it with guys...

"If yinz guys go to Pittsburgh, you'll hear it a lot."

[PassingFair]

17. I will keep an ear out for that one! nt

[Callmecrazy]

20. Only people from Pittsburgh/ Wheeling area use yinz.

and I hope it stays there.

[Kennah]

26. Eastern Ohio also

Wife has family there.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

19. That is mountain talk, y'all know that doncha? My flatland cousins told me so. Told me I lost

my southern accent when I moved to NORTH Carolina

[Avalux]

21. I know it is and I miss it a lot!

Living here in the flatland makes me depressed at this time of year...I miss my mountains.

[OriginalGeek]

22. lol, I first heard that in Indiana 2 years ago

when we visited some of my wife's relatives. She had one cousin who was originally from somewhere east of Indiana and she kept saying "yinz" and it kept cracking me up. But it was a fair trade as she laughed every time I said "y'all". All in all it was a fun trip.

[Arkansas Granny]

23. Is that like "you'uns"? I don't hear that as much as I used to.

[Art_from_Ark]

25. I think I lived out of the "y'all usage area"

It certainly wasn't too common in my part of the state. The country kids preferred "you'uns". The town kids usually said "you guys".

[Kennah]

27. I thought it was "You ins", which turns into Yinz in Western PA and Eastern Ohio

[Tuesday Afternoon]

10. y'all is singular. plural is: All y'all. It is one of those collective compund nouns and as such

Last edited Thu Oct 3, 2013, 01:21 PM - Edit history (1)

it does not follow the rules for common nouns.

Your welcome,

signed,

A. Southernener

[telclaven]

11. THANK YOU!

I hate when folk confuse y'all with all y'all. damnyankees is the worst ones

[Sissyk]

12. Apparantly, even southerners can't agree! lol!

Here, all y'all is laughed at!

The point of y'all (at least in Tennessee) is because we take short cuts with as many words in our language as possible. All y'all is the same as saying you all to us. Still two words each. Y'all - cut it in half. lol!

[lastlib]

13. For the record: "Y'all" is singular. The plural is "All y'all"!

[Kennah]

28. I don't believe that's correct.

Y'all is second person plural.

All y'all motherfuckers isn't polite to say in school or church, so it is often abbreviated to all y'all. I believe it's second person plural derogatory.

[lastlib]

30. And then there's "Mayonnaise".......

...as, "Mayonnaise a lotta people on this here board!"

[patricia92243]

18. It is pronounced "yawl" If someone says you all - they are not a Southerner.

Spell it like it is pronounced.

[WolverineDG]

32. Or pronounce it like it's spelled

[Rhythm]

24. Y'all for a small group... 'all y'all' for a bigger one...

Grew up in NC...

My personal use is that if i'm addressing a group of less than 5 people, i'll use simply "y'all"
("What're y'all up to?&quot

A bigger group than that becomes "all y'all"...
("When did all y'all get here?&quot

Just me, though... ymmv

[Kennah]

29. Grew up in the MD suburbs of DC. We use y'all. In Baltimore it's Hon. "Heh der, hon."

[July]

31. The apostrophe represents missing letters, just as in "you're" or "isn't."

"You are" contracts to "you're," with the apostrophe representing the absent "a."

"You all" thus becomes "y'all."

It's a helpful explanation when trying to distinguish between "its" and "it's" or "your" and "you're," for example.