Date: Sat, 22 Jan 1994 00:00:49 CST

From: "Donald M. Lance" ENGDL[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]MIZZOU1.BITNET

Subject: Re: y'all singular, not!



Thanks, Mike Picone, for your description of "singular" y'all. As a native

speaker of Y'all, I've always felt that the so-called "singular y'all" is

always addressed to a representative of a real or hypothetical group. But

I haven't wanted to diss others' data. It may indeed be the case that some

people do have only one person in mind when saying "y'all," but not me.

Even if a single, solitary person has visited a y'all-speaking home, the

friendly "Y'all come back" seems to me to be an invitation for the single,

solitary visitor to bring a friend next time if it's convenient-- or it's a

cue that friends of friends are always welcome too. Maybe I've just been

talking to the bellybutton of my hypothetical Sprachgefuehl, but it's an

honest response. DMLance