My observations of the English language (I think that's what it is) in the mountains of western North Carolina have me longing for a long talk with someone from Boston. Let me give you a few of the area's favorite words and a quick grammar lesson.
First, new words for your vocabulary.
Thaar. Used in the place of the English word there. No one says there, here. It's a sure giveaway that you ain't from 'round hayar.
Hayar. Used in place of the English word here. Nothing is here, here.
Youens. Used as a plural you. I think someone in the south got wind of the fact that we Yankees make fun of their combination of the words you and all into y'all, so many of the mountain folk have taken to youens. I'm not kidding, at a breakfast diner a few days ago Shari and I were asked, "Youens need anything else?"
Now where grammar is concerned, I've gathered by observation that pronouns like this and that are not used by themselves, but require adverb qualifiers to really be southern. Where the majority of the English speaking language have learned to associate pronouns by context, the folks in the south seem to need to associate by, well... association.
"Youens want any coffee in that thaar cup?" You see that it would have been sufficient to ask "Would you like coffee in that cup?" But, perchance someone were confused about just which cup was being referred to, as the youens gives away the fact that there is more than one person at the table, the waitress can cast her eyes the direction of a particular cup and motion with the coffee pot in the direction of that thaar cup, and then there is no uncertainty about her inquiry.
"Take this hayar road about a quarter mile and youens'll see it on the riiight." Once again, it would have been clear enough to me to have heard, "Take this road", assuming we were on or near a road that the direction could have been associated to. However, our friends in the south want to be very clear - this hayar road... that one riight thaar in front of you... youens know? Shari and I thought we saw a church called "The First Baptist Church of This Hayar Road" when we were riding through the mountains.
(You notice that I included a typical southern contraction youens'll in that thaar example. I don't suppose I need to explain it.)
One last thing, this one not about vocabulary or grammar, but rather culture. In the mountains of North Carolina, if you're a believer in Christ, you're also a Baptist. No kidding, in one 17 mile stretch of Route 9 (the winding mountain road between Black Mountain and Chimney Rock) Shari and I counted 11 Baptist Churches. You know that thaar makes this hayar Presbyterian a little anxious.
Youens better be comin' back hayar reeeeeaal soon. You're missed when youens are all over thar.
Come back soon, ya hear?
yeeehaaaww!
Is there country line dancing there? Can I bring my cowgirl boots? I think I was secretly made for the south. Let me know if you find my cowboy while you are there.
Posted by: amanda | July 30, 2008 at 09:32 PM
Haha! Just catchin' up on all this! YeeHaw! You let me know if that thaar cowboy for Amanda has a Paw!
Posted by: Jackie | August 05, 2008 at 01:41 PM
hahaha, jackie, i love you!
Posted by: Amanda | August 06, 2008 at 12:02 PM