The Duct Tape Avenger ([info]ducttapeavenger) wrote,
@ 2009-01-06 08:05:00
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Current mood: curious

No, I couldn't let it go.
Hey folks, help [info]techempage and me resolve a friendly debate we've been having. We're trying to determine which is the proper spelling of the contraction of "you all."

It is not necessarily the grammatically correct spelling that we are seeking (which is quite obviously "y'all"). What we want is the generally accepted common usage, that which you use and/or see others use most often.

Poll #1326240
This poll is closed.
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 32

Which is the proper spelling?

View Answers

Y'all
28 (87.5%)

Ya'll
4 (12.5%)



EDIT: Thanks everybody! I win!

(11 comments) - (Post a new comment)


[info]allah_sulu
2009-01-06 03:45 pm UTC (link)
"Ya'll" is the equivalent of "you will".

"Y'all" is "you all".

(Reply to this)


[info]thetaet
2009-01-06 03:45 pm UTC (link)
A google search of "Y'all vs ya'll" shows that you two aren't the first ones to debate this.

Personally, I've rarely seen "ya'll". It might be a regional thing. My tendency has always been to use "y'all" because of the grammatically-correct factor more than anything else.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

[info]ducttapeavenger
2009-01-06 04:36 pm UTC (link)
Google also reveals 16,400,000 million hits for y'all and 9,090,000 hits for ya'll. But Wayland was unsatisfied by this and somehow figured a smaller data set would be more accurate.

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

[info]allah_sulu
2009-01-06 05:53 pm UTC (link)
No matter how many people use "it's" when they mean "its", that still doesn't make it right.

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

[info]regalpewter
2009-01-07 01:56 am UTC (link)
And please let us not open up the 'there, their, they're' conundrum.
YIS,
WRI

(Reply to this) (Parent)

[info]metricula
2009-01-06 04:11 pm UTC (link)
It's "y'all" for a contraction of "you all"

(Reply to this)


[info]ahavah_ehyeh
2009-01-06 07:25 pm UTC (link)
It's regional, actually. Y'all would be the proper contraction of "you all", but here in NC, I've only ever seen it spelled "Ya'll".

(Reply to this)


[info]ghibbitude
2009-01-06 07:35 pm UTC (link)
well - to make a phonetic destinction you will have to look at it this way.. where do you pause in the word - and what is the intonation based on the intended sentiment.

Since IPA has removed the demarcation of voiceless implosives, we will have a harder time noting the different on paper.

First notice, when saids the difference between the vowel sound in Y'all and Ya'll (you all/you will).

Y'all is written as yal phonetically, as the vowel sound is uttered when the tongue is positioned low and back,sound shaped with the tongue is pressed to the rear of the mouth.

Ya'll is pronounced yɵl or sometimes yɛl, depending on dialect.

The difference lies in where the primary word breaks, of course - you-all/yoall/y'all, whereas you-will/yu'ill/yu'll or archaically you pronounced yɛ (ye) would be ye-will/ye'ill/yɛ'll

(Reply to this) (Thread)

[info]ghibbitude
2009-01-06 07:38 pm UTC (link)
which is to say - grammarians world around agree with phoneticians and we all say y'all is you all

(Reply to this) (Parent)

[info]dakotawitch
2009-01-06 08:32 pm UTC (link)
And don't forget the plural, "all y'all". (As in, "Fuck all y'all who say the spelling is ya'll.") :P

(Reply to this)


[info]mikeyracing
2009-01-08 04:00 am UTC (link)
i know i'm late on this, but i've seen more ya'll than y'all. i use ya'll myself. or all ya'll.

(Reply to this)

(11 comments) - (Post a new comment)

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