Talk:Texan English

Latest comment: 1 year ago by 47.223.74.198 in topic [Untitled]

[Untitled]

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I've lived in Texas my whole life an' I ain't never heard of half these terms. Ya'll really better get some better sources for this here article. Ustacould do it all myself, but not right naugh.--Dudeman5685 (talk) 15:44, 17 March 2012 (UTC)Reply

This would seem to be more of a parody than an encyclopedic article. Some of these terms aren't specific to Texans, and others are of dubious reality. Thing is, there is certainly an actual Texas dialect of English, possibly with several sub-dialects. But I don't know nearly enough about linguistics to write a high falutin' article like that. Unless we can get an expert on this, the article as it stands is worthy of deletion. -OldManNeptune 06:04, 25 June 2012 (UTC)Reply

I agree that this article is below stub class. There is no mention of the numerous Spanish words that have crept into Texan English, or the levelling which has occurred in East Texas (now rhotic). Who sounds like Lady Bird Johnson in East Texas these days? --Janko (talk) 23:54, 7 July 2012 (UTC)Reply

Naw, its them lingwisticks perfessers. Gotta make allowinces cause they lack ritin this kinda thang. Dont pay em no mind. Them there ackademic jernles fulla this sheeit. Jes lack readin the manyewel that comes with yore TV. --Dave — Preceding unsigned comment added by 111.240.189.72 (talk) 23:50, 11 February 2013 (UTC)Reply


As a native of Texan, and 20 year resident, I found this to be a most enlightening article- mostly due to the fact that I've never heard half of these linguistic idiosyncrasies used in real life. "Caricatures of Texan English" might be a more appropriate title. Contrary to popular belief, we're actually quite modernized. Some Texans have even started trading in their horse-drawn wagons for motorized carriages. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 173.71.24.27 (talk) 08:04, 31 December 2015 (UTC)Reply

Same. I knew about the basic stuff like y'all, fixin' to, and jalapenos but never any of this! Truly a wild ride. 47.223.74.198 (talk) 00:36, 24 February 2023 (UTC)Reply


[Y'all]

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In my neck of the woods (West Texas) "you'll" is a contraction of "you will" and not a logical contraction of "you all" or even the more likely origin of "y'all" - "ya all." Whats-his-face shoulda took a closer look at how Texans use the word "you" as it frequently switches from the standard(ish) 'yoo' to 'ya.' 'You' is used as a very person specific indicator, whereas 'ya' is often a generalization that could be considered interchangeable with the formal use of 'one'.

"One does not do such things."

"Ya don't do such things."

Making a logical leap from the generalized 'ya' to 'y'all' not such a stretch.

As a side note--- I have had to correct myself almost every time I have typed 'y'all' in this post, since I grew up reading and writing it 'ya'll', with 'ya' being the whole word and the 'll' of 'all' being the added part of the contraction. 'ya/all'- 'you/will' - 'ya'll'/'you'll'. Housiemousie (talk) 02:45, 3 April 2016 (UTC)Reply

Whoa I have never heard that before. :)
My experience with contracting "you will" is pronounced as "you'll" for the singular and something like "y'all'l" in the plural (I've served time in Dallas, East Texas, and Austin).
As far as a reference for all things "y'all," I think the gold-standard should be Bryan Garner's Dictionary of Modern American English. Garner is both a native Texan and the foremost lexicographer of the American English Language. According to Garner, y'all (so spelled) is a contraction for "you all" and is a gender-neutral second-person plural. Lukacris (talk) 17:55, 15 January 2018 (UTC)Reply

Y'all originated in Northern England and is still used here. Geordie language. Bowies-Revenge (talk) 13:56, 20 April 2020 (UTC)Reply

Texas Language History

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Migration from Northern England overlooked as the source for several common used words. Y'all. Settee. Looker. Yonder. Used by Geordies of northern England before Texas was settled, by them. Bowies-Revenge (talk) 13:50, 20 April 2020 (UTC)Reply

Settee is just a working class word for sofa. My mother used this word and she was from Essex. It's not Geordie.82.45.77.155 (talk) 02:35, 3 December 2020 (UTC)Reply

Clook

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clook, cluck: (from German Glucke) a setting hen[9]

My guess would have been Spanish clueca but it is referenced in the article. Anyway both are onomatopoeias. --Error (talk) 02:54, 15 July 2021 (UTC)Reply