Re: CHAT: "Y'all"

Hmm... I pretty much have the same system, but "you guys" is fairly
rare, and sometimes I'll just say "you" in the dual. Of course, here in
Toronto "y'all" is pretty rare, so most people are suprised when they
hear me say it. It hardly fits in with the rest of my idiolect, which
isn't too far from the "standard" in Toronto.

Oh, yeah, I'll use [jau] sometimes too, but most people just hear it as
a mispronounciation of "y'all" and leave it at that.

--
Robert

Nik Taylor wrote:
>
> I've noticed something interesting in my idiolect.  In formal registers,
> of course, I use "you" for all numbers, but in informal registers, I
> have:
> Singular: You
> Dual: You two/(you guys)
> Plural: Y'all/you guys
>
> I *never* use Y'all for two people, tho I've heard that usage a number
> of times.  I suspect it's because I still perceive the "all" in "y'all"
> (which might also explain why I find "ya'll" so irritating).  I don't
> use "you guys" very often with two people, but I do occasionally.  Thus,
> my (informal) speech has a near-obligatory *dual* number in the second
> person, but not for 1st or 3rd!  A rather ironic reversal of the
> situation in Standard English, where 2nd person is *deficient* in
> number!  :-)
>
> Also, I never use "y'all" in tag questions, only you.  I noticed that
> when I heard a co-worker say (jokingly) "Y'all don't have any confidence
> in us, do y'all?", it struck me as very bizarre to say that.
>
>