[Date Prev][Date Next] [Thread Prev][Thread Next] [Date Index] [Thread Index]

Re: New Front Desk members



On Mon, Jan 31, 2005 at 03:41:51PM -0600, Manoj Srivastava wrote:
> On Mon, 31 Jan 2005 11:04:36 -0700, Joel Aelwyn <fenton@debian.org> said: 
> 
> > *) English common usage (rather than formal usage) is rapidly and
> > widely adopting "singular they" (much like a lot of the country uses
> > "y'all", or "you all" for those who don't want to sound Southern,
> > for a second person plural). This may be offensive to purists, but
> > frankly, purists shouldn't be speaking English in the first
> > place. It's a terrible language for purity. :)
> 
> 	A nit: y'all is singular. "all y'all" is plural. Notherners
>  often get this wrong.

Hmm.  In my experience in Houston, the singular was y'all and the
plural was y'alls.  Could this be region-specific?  Or perhaps
a city / country distinction?

Richard Braakman



Reply to: