Appalachian Speech: By Craig Hadley

[Michael Comer]

Re: Appalachian Speech: By Craig Hadley

I still use a lot of these myself. Always heard 'em growing up and use them without even thinking. Reckon a lot of folks do.

It is true, as mentioned above, that there are many differences in usage and accent depending on where you hail from. We often hear about the different dialects in other languages - high German vs. low German for example - but the English language as used throughout the South will reveal many different dialects albeit some differences are very subtle.

IMO, if you can't do all the nuances and subtleties in these accents it is best to dispense with them while doing a first person and just be yourself. That would apply to the vast majority of us I belive.

[markj]

Re: Appalachian Speech: By Craig Hadley

Greetings,

Yep, I still encounter this occasionally here in Indiana. Of course, that's not so surprising given that southern Indiana was initially populated by folks from Virginia, the Carolinas, and Tennessee.

Regards,

Mark Jaeger

[Richmond Depot]

Re: Appalachian Speech: By Craig Hadley

Actually, having gone to college in Wise, va. for awhile I can honestly say that almost all of these pronunciations are still in use there today. I did alot of Geneaology there and actually got back into some of the more rural settings during my interviews and was pretty surprised at the continued use of these pronunciations as late as 1986.

[markj]

Re: Appalachian Speech: By Craig Hadley

Greetings,

I'm surprised the list left out the ever popular "haint" (have not). Use of this term seems to have been ubiquitous throughout both North and South. "Youns" or "you-uns" appears to have been used far more than the stereotypically Southern "y'all." I've only seen this term used once in all my readings of Southern diaries and letters.

We have access here at Purdue to "JSTOR"--I did a quick survey of its on-line journal article holdings using the key words "Applachian AND dialect" and got over 200 hits alone. One article, in particular, discusses the historic use of Appalachian dialect terms in the West (i.e., Illinois).

Regards,

Mark Jaeger

[flattop32355]

Re: Appalachian Speech: By Craig Hadley

As a long-time Appalachian resident (35 yrs in NE Kentucky), I encourage all to keep in mind that there's a big difference between a Southern accent and an Appalachian one. There's Southern "cayan't" and Appalachian "caint". So make sure which is appropriate for the unit y'all (Southern) or yu'uns (Appalachian) are reenacting...

[paulcalloway]

Appalachian Speech

Edited by Craig Hadley of the Cracker Company

The speech of ordinary, down-home or uneducated folk of Appalachia, particularly that of the southern regions, as it evolved throughout the 1800s, with many terms or peculiar pronunciations still in use today.

a body: person, man or woman.

acrost: across.

afeared: afraid.

afore: before.

agin: against.

aim: intend.

argie: argue.

backards: backwards.

bile: boil.

brung: brought.

call: reason.

chur: chair.

didje: did you.

drank: drink.

druther: I'd rather.

exter: extra.

ezactly: exactly.

fitten: appropriate.

fixen: intending.

guvment: government.

heerd: heard.

hern: hers.

hesh up: hush up.

hisn: his.

holler: valley.

idee: idea.

jist: just.

keer: care.

lasses: molasses.

Law, Laws: euphemism for Lord. nary: never.

nary: never.

nigh: near.

ourn: ours.

pizen: poison.

poke: bag.

pone: corn bread.

puny feelin': sick.

richeer: right here. shortsweetenin': sugar.

sich: such.

spell: for a time.

study on it: think about it.

stump liquor: corn liquor. tolable: tolerable/mediocre. tother: the other.

uppity: snobbish.

vittles: food.

whup: whip.

widder: widow.

yaller: yellow.

yourn: yours.

Edit: This listing was compiled by Craig Hadley prior to the 2000 Outpost event and was posted on the Authentic Campaigner with his permission. -PC