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A-huntin' The Sources of Appalachian English
Backcountry Notes ^ | March 26, 2010 | Jay Henderson

Posted on 03/26/2010 7:00:19 AM PDT by jay1949

An order of the Virginia Colonial Council dated May 4, 1725, concerned an allegation that "divers Indians plundered the Quarters of Mr. John Taliaferro near the great mountains [i.e., the Blue Ridge] . . .[and carried off] some of the Guns belonging to and marked with the name of Spottsylvania County . . . ." The Council concluded: "It is ordered that it be referred to Colo. Harrison to make inquiry which of the Nottoway Indians or other Tributaries have been out ahunting about that time . . . ."

Now, the Colonial Council was an august body and its proceedings were formal, so we can be sure that "ahunting" was not common slang. It was, on the contrary, an accepted usage which is now obsolete except in Appalachia and the Ozarks, where folks still go "out a-huntin'."

(Excerpt) Read more at backcountrynotes.com ...


TOPICS: History; Society
KEYWORDS: appalachia; appalachian; dialects; english; englishlanguage; language; linguistics; rural; seedofalbion; virginia; virginiahistory
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To: kalee

I remember K-Mark! We had K-Mark in southern Illinois too.


121 posted on 03/26/2010 9:58:03 AM PDT by Southside_Chicago_Republican ("During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act." --Orwell)
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To: Boonie

have a Manchester England accent and go to the East TN and there are still many words and slangs which are the same unlike the yankee accents.

one of the sexiest accents in this world is a southern accent on a woman, especially east TN, TX,Southern GA and north east FL


122 posted on 03/26/2010 9:58:27 AM PDT by manc (WILL OBAMA EVER GO TO CHURCH ON A SUNDAY OR WILL HE LET THE MEDIA/THE LEFT BE FOOLED FOR EVER)
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To: 2 Kool 2 Be 4-Gotten

Hereabouts pronounced like it reads, Kroger. Except it’s always “Krogers.”


123 posted on 03/26/2010 9:58:46 AM PDT by jay1949 (Work is the curse of the blogging class)
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To: VOA

just said this to someone else and that is I have a manchester English accent and having been to the mountains I can honestly say that many words and how they are said are very much alike.

When I went up north it was just so differently but I suppose it was because the English, scots irish etc moved south when the mass immigrations happened into the north east


124 posted on 03/26/2010 10:01:11 AM PDT by manc (WILL OBAMA EVER GO TO CHURCH ON A SUNDAY OR WILL HE LET THE MEDIA/THE LEFT BE FOOLED FOR EVER)
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To: Boonie
"creek"

Around my parts, western Wisconsin, you'll hear both pronunciations. Saying crick for creek is very, very common.

125 posted on 03/26/2010 10:03:26 AM PDT by driftless2 (for long term happiness, learn how to play the accordion)
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To: DManA

When I was younger, we couldn’t afford bourbon...We got ours from corn, yeast, sugar, mountain water and a lot of sneakin’....*L*


126 posted on 03/26/2010 10:04:49 AM PDT by Boonie
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To: Boonie

My mamaw (grandmother) would tell me when I was young, “Go out back and fetch me a banty (chicken) fer supper...”

“Now, don’t git no chicken rooster !!”...


127 posted on 03/26/2010 10:11:05 AM PDT by Boonie
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To: Boonie

Ye ever et banty aiggs fer brakefest?


128 posted on 03/26/2010 10:15:28 AM PDT by Semper Mark (Both oligarch and tyrant mistrust the people, and therefore deprive them of their arms. - Aristotle)
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To: Boonie

I’m from central Illinois, and it was always “crick.” I still say it that way. Lick Creek ran just outside of town, so it was Lick Crick. The one that I’ve managed to lose to avoid sounding like a hick was “worsh.” My grandma would always talk about her new worsher and dryer.


129 posted on 03/26/2010 10:17:42 AM PDT by Bubba Ho-Tep ("More weight!"--Giles Corey)
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To: Markos33

Yep, I’m gonna eat me some ham ‘n aigs in thu mornin’...


130 posted on 03/26/2010 10:26:37 AM PDT by Boonie
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To: Bubba Ho-Tep

They’s a good fishin’ lake in upper East Tennessee called Dale Holler (Hollow)...


131 posted on 03/26/2010 10:28:42 AM PDT by Boonie
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To: Boonie; DManA
We got ours from corn, yeast, sugar, mountain water and a lot of sneakin’

Many still do.

132 posted on 03/26/2010 10:35:19 AM PDT by jay1949 (Work is the curse of the blogging class)
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To: jay1949

Yeah...I quit drinkin’ any alcohol when my kids began driving...

Got a little story for you...


133 posted on 03/26/2010 10:37:06 AM PDT by Boonie
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To: jay1949

I had partied pretty good with some huntin’ buddies back up in the mountains one night...I got home about 10 the next morning and saw a quart jar of ‘shine sitting next to the couch...My stomach rolled and I went to bed...

That evening I told my wife when I saw that jar I could see the devil coming out of it....We laughed about it and didn’t even think about to our 5 year old son who was standing there...

Most of been 6 months later, we were at Red Lobster witha group from church...preacher and eveything.....things got a little quiet and my son...my dear sweet little son, stood up and said very loudly, “Guess what !!! My dady saw the devil coming out of his jug of moonshine !!!”

I jus sat there...speechless.....*ROFL*


134 posted on 03/26/2010 10:42:22 AM PDT by Boonie
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To: RegulatorCountry
A general Taliaferro (pronounced, I believe, TAL-A-FER) Served under Stonewall Jackson in the Valley Campaign of 1862 and I Would Not Be at All Surprised to Find That the Reference of This Article Is to an Ancestor of That Man.


135 posted on 03/26/2010 10:42:41 AM PDT by nathanbedford ("Attack, repeat, attack!" Bull Halsey)
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To: Boonie

LOL . . . from the mouths of babes . . . .


136 posted on 03/26/2010 10:44:50 AM PDT by jay1949 (Work is the curse of the blogging class)
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To: varina davis
You betcha! Tomato 'mater gravy and cathead biscuits
137 posted on 03/26/2010 11:10:08 AM PDT by piroque
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To: jay1949

Thanks for beginning this thread Jay. You may find the work of Shelby Lee Adams of interest:

http://shelby-lee-adams.blogspot.com/

Note to people not familiar with the natives of the Appalachian hill country. Mr Adams’ subjects are proud folks. They live differently than city people or those who live in the suburbs. Mr Adams was raised among these folks, and he treats them with utmost respect and dignity.


138 posted on 03/26/2010 11:19:43 AM PDT by Darnright (There can never be a complete confidence in a power which is excessive. - Tacitus)
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To: jay1949
Pleased to know that a Taliaffero was at Guilford CH; four of my ancestors were there as well (one cavalry officer, two gunners, and one militiaman). Good company!

I fly my Guilford Courthouse flag occasionally in honor of my gr-gr-gr-gr Scotch-Irish grandfather who was there. He was in a Guilford County militia for much of the war and he mentions picking up bodies on the Guilford CH battlefield in his pension application. He served in Green's army at that time for 4 to 6 months as well.

Unfortunately but not unexpectedly, none of my neighbors know what the Guilford CH flag I'm flying is though I tell the ones that ask.

I just purchased the Babits and Howard new book, "Long, Obstinate, and Bloody, The Battle of Guilford Courthouse," and can't wait to have the time to get into it. I already have "The Road to Guilford Courthouse" book by Buchanan.

139 posted on 03/26/2010 11:51:24 AM PDT by rustbucket
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To: 2 Kool 2 Be 4-Gotten
One that always caught my ear: Northerner: I paid $500 for that car. Southerner: I gave $500 for that car.

Again, my Michiganian father-in-law uses "give" as in, "How much did you give for that car?"

140 posted on 03/26/2010 12:04:55 PM PDT by LatinaGOP
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