Why more people are saying 'y'all' (2024)

Why more people are saying 'y'all' (1)Why more people are saying 'y'all' (2)Getty Images

The distinctive Americanism is making its way across the world and becoming an unlikely favourite catch-all term.

What do y’all think of when you hear the term ‘y’all’?

Perhaps the twangy accent of the Southern United States? You wouldn’t be wrong – the term, a contraction of ‘you all’, is a ubiquitous part of Southern speech that extends across demographic lines. For many people, it has a certain down-home, hospitable friendliness that sounds specific to the South

In other regions of the US, ‘y’all’ has historically been far less common. Yet, in the past couple years, ‘y’all’ seems to have exploded in use, including and especially among people who live far outside the South, in places north of the Mason-Dixon Line in the US, like New York City, and even overseas.

Australian Twitter users, many of whom have started saying ‘y’all’, are being playfully chided for trying to masquerade as Americans. Forty-something CEOs in the US have traded ‘you guys’ for ‘y’all’ under the influence of their more progressive Gen Z colleagues. And LGBTQ+ advocacy groups encourage the ‘y’all means all’ mantra, arguing that the term is preferred because it includes people of all gender identities.

‘Y’all’ is fun and useful – but the way the term has gradually slipped into conversation in other English-speaking regions and countries tells us a lot about how and why certain bits of language catch on. The more widespread use of y’all also signals a shift towards more careful use of language to be more inclusive, including within the workplace.

Where y’all came from

The exact origins of the term ‘y’all’ are unclear, but linguists say it started appearing predominantly in the South-eastern United States centuries ago. People in the South still use the term on a constant basis to informally address a group; sometimes it’s tweaked to ‘all y’all’ (“I’m talking to all y’all”) or ‘y’all’s’ (“y’all’s wedding was so much fun”).

My mother’s family is from the South, and I lived in the region for several years while growing up, where I heard ‘y’all’ daily. The term is used across race, class, gender and location throughout the South, says Renée Blake, an associate professor of linguistics and social and cultural analysis at New York University.

But far beyond the South, the contraction is used by African Americans all over the US. Some linguists attribute the term’s spread to the way other communities have appropriated certain words and phrases in African American Vernacular English (AAVE), which is part of African American Language (AAL) – historically closely linked to the US South.

Blake, who studies AAL, says AAL carries cultural capital, and is “appropriated and used across communities – not only within the United States, but across the world”. AAL has always been appropriated into modern slang and pop culture, a process that’s especially evident on social media: from ‘lit’ to ‘woke’ to ‘spill the tea’, words or phrases (what linguists call ‘lexical items’) have been co-opted from spaces like black Twitter, and gone mainstream into other communities.

‘Y’all’ could be yet another example.

Heather Bonikowski, a linguist and lexicographer for Dictionary.com, who’s worked on the entry for ‘y’all’ in the site’s database, concurs. “The uptake of AAVE in the general population can’t be ignored here,” she says, emphasising that its role in the use and rise of ‘y’all’ is “absolutely important”.

Embracing inclusivity

Bonikowski says that the spread of ‘y’all’ outside the South has been in the works for decades. But there’s another reason why we could soon be hearing the phrase more in places far removed from Texas or Alabama: the idea that the language we use should be more inclusive. Social media has fuelled that discussion – as well as greater use of ‘y’all’ that transcends geographical borders.

‘Y’all’ is rapidly emerging as a non-gendered alternative to other types of addresses, such as ‘you guys’

English doesn’t have a formalised second-person plural pronoun: a word used to describe a group of people you’re talking to. Speakers use phrases like ‘you lot’, ‘you all’, ‘folks’, but the one that’s most embedded in daily life is ‘you guys’.

‘You guys’ is what linguists call ‘highly productive’, meaning it’s used by an extremely large group of people, all the time, everywhere. “I’ll hear my students say ‘you guys’ all the time,” says Blake, including “young women saying it to young women”. ‘You guys’ is so deeply ingrained in English that Blake describes it as “below the level of consciousness”; we use it so freely and often that we don’t even think about the fact that we’re using it.

Yet the problematic nature of ‘you guys’ has been examined around the Anglosphere, particularly its use in the workplace. The issue is that ‘you guys’ positions men as the default, and can exclude everyone else. A more formal option is ‘ladies and gentlemen’, but this excludes the non-binary and transgender community. In fact, British Airlines, Japan Airlines and Lufthansa have all dropped the term in favour of ‘everyone’ or ‘attention all passengers’.

‘Y’all’ is rapidly emerging as a non-gendered alternative; Blake says its spread is “going hand-in-hand with thinking about gender in really deep and complicated ways”.

Shige Sakurai, acting director of the LGBTQ+ Equity Center at the University of Maryland, US, says words matter “because they imply who can have power, who is allowed at the table and who is erased by our language”. They say there are many things we can do to make our language more inclusive and empowering. “Avoiding gender assumptions is just one way that we do that, and the use of ‘y'all’ is a perfectly valid approach.”

Why more people are saying 'y'all' (5)Why more people are saying 'y'all' (6)Getty Images

Bonikowski finds it interesting this evolution appears to be from the ground up. A top-down change in linguistics might be when a respected style guide announces a change: for example, recommending news organisations use ‘police officer’ instead of ‘policeman’. But ‘y’all’s’ ascent seems to be the reverse, starting from the speakers themselves and gaining traction on social media. “This grassroots acceptance of this is filtered into general public awareness,” says Bonikowski.

Regan Gross, HR knowledge advisor at the Society of Human Resources Management (SHRM), says discussion around ‘y’all’ shows positive momentum towards greater inclusion. “The fact that this is a topic shows that we are taking a pause and considering our words, how they affect people that may or may not think the way we do.”

The future of y’all

Gross says in terms of formality, it’s important to keep your audience is mind – you might not want to say ‘y’all’ to your board members in a quarterly meeting, just as ‘you guys’ implies a strong sense of casualness, too. But she believes there are ways to be both respectful and inclusive. “Adapting to the situation and knowing what words to choose, and when, has become a greater responsibility.”

Bonikowski says we choose our words as a way of showing parts of our identity. Using ‘y’all’ can signal to others your identity as an American Southerner, or it can signal your desire to be informal and warm to the person you’re addressing. But she says a third possibility has now emerged: “to show that you have a progressive identity – that you are making this mindful choice for inclusive language”.

“There’s this job that ‘you guys’ and ‘y’all’ are both competing to do,” says Bonikowski, “and I think ‘y’all’ is coming out on top.”

How We Live

Why more people are saying 'y'all' (2024)

FAQs

Why more people are saying 'y'all'? ›

Y'all Moves Into the Mainstream

Why do people in the North say "y all"? ›

Functionally, the emergence of y'all can be traced to the merging of singular ("thou") and plural ("ye") second-person pronouns in Early Modern English. Y'all thus fills in the gap created by the absence of a separate second-person plural pronoun in standard modern English.

Do New Yorkers say "y all"? ›

In other regions of the US, 'y'all' has historically been far less common. Yet, in the past couple years, 'y'all' seems to have exploded in use, including and especially among people who live far outside the South, in places north of the Mason-Dixon Line in the US, like New York City, and even overseas.

What to say instead of "y all"? ›

What is another word for y'all?
all of youall y'all
yousyo
jathee
thouye
you-uns
7 more rows

Is the word yall spreading? ›

Y'all has been spreading outside the South since the mid-1990s but until recently its spread hasn't gained widespread attention. A big part of our growing awareness of y'all has to do with conversations we're having around gender-inclusive and gender-affirming language.

Why are more people using Y all? ›

Y'all Moves Into the Mainstream

since 'you guys' literally started out to mean only a group of men. Even though many folks don't use it in a gendered way, many people want to use a term that is non-gendered in any way," says Reed. "Y'all already had fairly wide usage and was there to spread," he says.

Is y all a Texas thing? ›

Let's start with the obvious: “Howdy, y'all.” It's the quintessential Texas and Southern phrase, usually invoked with a mocking twang by Yankees (a name used down here to jokingly refer to anyone north and east of Oklahoma). The truth is Texans actually say these words often, but usually not together.

Is y all a Southern thing? ›

How To Spell Y'all. The Merriam-Webster dictionary describes this phrase as a variant of "you all" and the origin as chiefly Southern U.S. It also states there is a correct—and incorrect—way to spell this fond colloquialism.

Do they say yall in Florida? ›

The North Florida accent

It becomes more prominent as you move into more rural areas. You're likely to hear words like “y'all” and other sounds characteristics of the Southern accent, like the pronunciation of the /e/ sound in “ten” as /ɪ/, like in “tin.” Hear the accent in this video.

Is Y all used in California? ›

Y'all is now widely used and less strictly perceived as Southern, except in the Northeast, Upper Midwest, and in California, where its adoption has been limited.

Who started the word y all? ›

Some linguists trace it back to the Scots-Irish phrase “ye aw”; others suggest an African American origin, perhaps from the Igbo word for “you” brought over by Nigerian-born slaves.

What does Y all mean in slang? ›

In the Southern United States, people use y'all when addressing a two or more people. Y'all is an informal way of saying `you all. ' [US, informal]

How do you say yes but fancy? ›

  1. accede.
  2. accept.
  3. acquiesce.
  4. allow.
  5. approve.
  6. assent.
  7. bless.
  8. comply.

Is y all grammatically correct? ›

Although "y'all" is not generally considered appropriate for formal writing, it's not an improper or incorrect term, nor does it indicate a failure to grasp grammar or the English language. It is just another way that language has evolved over time to provide us with a much-needed second-person plural pronoun.

Is it y all or ya ll yahoo answers? ›

The only right way to spell the contraction of “you” and “all” is “y'all.” “Ya'll” is incorrect and a misspelling of the word, so don't use it. When you think about it, though, “y'all” makes the most sense for how this contraction should be correctly spelled.

Is it OK to use Y all in a sentence? ›

Y-all Sentence Examples. Y'all get ready to go and meet us here at the med center. The last time y'all fought, you nearly destroyed the universe.

Is Y all a Midwest thing? ›

But the best-known word in the Southern vernacular is probably our most-loved pronoun: y'all. A contraction of "you" and "all" is what forms "y'all" when addressing or referencing two or more people. Here's everything you need to know about this Southern phrase.

How do Northerners greet each other? ›

In the north, people greet each other in various ways. At a party you would probably say, “Nice to meet you” or “It's a pleasure to meet you.” If you already knew the person you could say, “Nice to see you again” or “Hello, how are you?” Casually, to a friend, you would probably just say, “Hi, how are you?”

Do they say "y all" in North Carolina? ›

“Y'all” fills that second person plural slot – as does “you guys,” “youse,” “you-uns” and a few others. I'm interested in “y'all” because I was born in North Carolina and grew up saying it. I still do, probably a couple dozen times a day, usually without intention or even awareness.

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Roderick King

Last Updated:

Views: 5647

Rating: 4 / 5 (51 voted)

Reviews: 82% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Roderick King

Birthday: 1997-10-09

Address: 3782 Madge Knoll, East Dudley, MA 63913

Phone: +2521695290067

Job: Customer Sales Coordinator

Hobby: Gunsmithing, Embroidery, Parkour, Kitesurfing, Rock climbing, Sand art, Beekeeping

Introduction: My name is Roderick King, I am a cute, splendid, excited, perfect, gentle, funny, vivacious person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.