y'all

determiner possessive y'all's · possessive pronoun without noun y'all's · reflexive y'allselves · alternative ya’ll · alternative yall · alternative yo'll · alternative yoll · alternative you-all · alternative you all

1. AppalachiaCaribbeanSingaporeSouthern USinformalnominativeobjectivepluralsecond personAfrican-American Vernacular; New York Latino English; Indian South African English; Newfoundland and Labrador; African-American Vernacular; New York Latino English; Indian South African English; Newfoundland and LabradorYou (plural).

   [...] and this y'all know is true, [...]

   1631, William Lisle, The Faire Æthiopian

   2 more examples

   Much later, after dozens of the men had come up to me to shake my hand (with both of theirs) and say "Y'all come back soon, hear? ...

   1987, Judson D. Hale, The education of a Yankee: an American memoir, page 3

   People in the South do indeed seem to be addressing a single person as "y'all." For instance, a restaurant patron might ask a waiter, "What y'all got for dessert tonight?" In that case, "y'all" refers collectively to the people who run the restaurant.

   2007, Roy Blount, Long time leaving: dispatches from up South, page 117

2. Southern USnominativeobjectivepluralsecond personAfrican-American VernacularEveryone; everybody.

   Hey y'all!

3. Southern USnominativeobjectivepluralraresecond personYou (singular).

   I made this for both y'all and your wife to enjoy.

   1 more example

   You alla sudden gettin’ human with yo’ N-word and now a US Grant. Y’all becomin’ a rare white boy, ain’t ya?

   2023, Argent Amos, “Job One”, in California Roll: A Paranormal Journey, Bublish, →ISBN

present singular third person y'alls · participle present y'alling · participle past y'alled · past y'alled · alternative ya’ll · alternative yall · alternative yo'll · alternative yoll · alternative you-all · alternative you all

1. ambitransitiveinformalTo use the pronoun "y'all" (to).

   She blithely maintained that she could have smiled magnolias and "y'alled" her way out of any tight spots.

   1971, Frank Deford, There she is: the life and times of Miss America

   2 more examples

   With his swarthy complexion and jet black, straight hair, Louis was actually quite dashing. He wore his expensively cut clothes and heavy rings well, too. Besides his short stature, his most noticeable peculiarity was that he had a voice like Lytton Strachey's, which moved alarmingly, in the middle of a sentence, or sometimes halfway through a word, from a booming bass to the high-pitched, almost whistling soprano of a boy whose voice has not yet broken. As he y'alled and drawled ...

   1990, Paul Levy, Finger lickin' good: a Kentucky childhood

   Indeed, non-Southerners may feel themselves "y'alled" to death down here, yet even the most stony- faced New Englander will be charmed by the warmth of the Cloister's staff. The tradition of service is simply better and more deeply entrenched in the South than in any other region of the United States.

   1997, Terence Sieg, Golf travel's guide to the world's greatest golf destinations: the ultimate resource for the discriminating golfer

alternative ya’ll · alternative yall · alternative yo'll · alternative yoll · alternative you-all · alternative you all

1. The group spoken or written to.

   Have y'all ladies finished eating?

2. especially African-American VernacularYour pl; y'all's

   I need y'all help for a minute.