Appalachian Speech: By Craig Hadley

[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

[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...

[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

[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,

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

[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.

[LWhite64]

Re: Appalachian Speech: By Craig Hadley

Like Michael said, I still use a lot of those too, I grew up and still live in a rural Southern Appalachian community(as anyone that went to the Outposts know), and it has been a concious thing for me to use correct grammer. My Grandpa and Grandma used all of those and then some on a daily basis. A few that were left out were mayter-Tomato, tater-potato, jeat-did you eat, squarell-squirrel, sprang-spring, whupper Will-whipper will, Whup-whip(heard that one way too many times), and then there is of course a whole lot of sayings like my personal favorite, Shot to Doll Rags.

Lee

[Possum Skinner]

Re: Appalachian Speech: By Craig Hadley

Mashed em plum to squarsh.

Come out fum over thar.

Deader than a doodle bug.

That ain't no sich a way to be a doin.

Those are some of my grandmother's great ones. I sure miss her.

Grew up in the Piedmont region of Alabama. Our folks weren't able to get all the way outta the hills.

[Spinster]

Re: Appalachian Speech: By Craig Hadley

Cain=can

hope=help
Cain I hope you git yourah car outta the dytch wid mya truck?

year=years
I've lived on this property nearabout 50 year.

mommick=all messed up (but also a term of false modesty)
I don't know what's wrong with me today, I made such a mommick of this cake, its not presentable for company.

Well, I'll let you get back to your rat killin'====I've visited with you awhile, finished my business, and you've finished yours, we've both got other things that need doing and its time for me to go on to the house


And, for a later time period than CW:

dope=Coca Cola
Honey, its so hot, come set up on the porch fer a spell-cain I git you a dope?
(If you had manners, you opened up the little bottle and poured it in a glass on ice, if you didn't, you just handed them the bottle and the "church key" (bottle opener).

And, even later,

Coke=any carbonated soft drink-used in the same way that other say soda" or "pop"
Y'all want a Coke? What kind of Coke do you want-I got some RC's, some Pomac, and one Delaware Punch.

[Miche_Todd]

Re: Appalachian Speech: By Craig Hadley

Here is another, don't know how PC it is but it is used a lot in my area and I live in south central KY. The farther east you go the more I see it used.

Law - police, as in I will call the law on you.

[vbetts]

Re: Appalachian Speech: By Craig Hadley

And here I thought it was "sic the law on you"... ;-)

Vicki Betts
East Texas--a mix of Georgia and Tennessee

[Miche_Todd]

Re: Appalachian Speech: By Craig Hadley

And here I thought it was "sic the law on you"... ;-)

Vicki Betts
East Texas--a mix of Georgia and Tennessee

Actually you are right!! Sorry, usually it is "Feller I'm gonna sic the law on you" Wonder if law enforcement officers were referred to in the same manner in the period????

[Michael Comer]

Re: Appalachian Speech: By Craig Hadley

How about:

zinc = sink

tolerable = something that's ok. "I'm doin' tolerable today."

spell = a period of time

obliged = thanks

"flatter than a flitter": "That thing was smashed flatter than a flitter". I've used that one a lot,especially when I was a kid before I got "edumacated".

And, as I mentioned in an earlier post a few weeks back - dropping the "l" when accompanied by a "d" sound: "It is really code outside today" Lots of folks around here use that one.

And the one that drives me crazy is the use of "ideal" for idea. "I've got a great ideal". This one may be unique to the southeast Missouri area because I do not think I have heard it elsewhere. How about some of you?

[LWhite64]

Appalachian Speech

While driving around yesterday, mostly through rural areas near one of my family cemeteries, I thought of a few "fun" ones my Grandma used.

Granny Scrooch....the female version of the boogey man I guess, had her visits threatened a lot as a young child.

Ole Raw Head and Bloody Bones....the main reason I still have trouble going in the attic...and I wont go up there at night alone.

One Legd Yahoo....I dont know what the heck it was supposed to be, but it lived in the woods.

Panther(pronounced Pain-thar)...Panther, Mountain Lion

Haint- Ghost

Booger- Ghost

Willer Wisp- Ghost



Lee

[flattop32355]

Re: Appalachian Speech: By Craig Hadley

Many people think of Appalachia as a rather small area, but it extends over a great deal of territory; from Georgia up through southern Pennsylvania and Ohio, and at least west to the Mississippi River, if not beyond. And its influence extends even further, due to people leaving the area for jobs elsewhere. It's mostly associated with hilly terrain, family clans and suspicion of outsiders. It's less so today, but still quite unique.

Now, if we could get a thread going on how to ACT Appalachian.....!