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 ...
I'm not sure, don-o.
A little back ground: I believe WBIR started running the program around the time of the Knoxville Worlds Fair. It's only a 5 minute program, but it's a great source for local and regional history. The "Heartland Series" is available on DVD, but gosh after 30 years that's a lot of DVD's. I can guarantee you one thing though, you would thurly enjoy it.
Once, while playing golf with some “northerners” I excused myself to go pee...When I returned, one looked at me and asked, “What did you mean when you said you had to water some flares??? What flares????
I laughed and said very distinctly for him, “FloWers...”
Somebody call me?
Now if’n y’all ever gits the chaince, check out the Foxfire series of books about life in Appalachia when it was REALLY tough.
And thanks much fer postin’ this, Jay. It wuz greatly appreciated.
Like you said snuffy - life was so tough in them hills, a little humor here and there was a good outlet, released the pressure so to speak.
Every once in awhile magazine like “The Smithsonian” has an article about
the “English Langauge” of hundreds of years ago only now exists in
isolated places in Appalachia.
Myself, I smile a bit when I hear Senator Shelby say “beels”
for what most Americans call “bills”.
Interestingly, the pronunciation of “beels” is common to both whites
and “African-Americans” (trying to be sensitive here) in southern states.
Jed was from Arkansas
Chattanooga and environs are some of my favorite places to visit.
It’s a very beautiful area and well worth the visit.
I had a Great Aunt and Uncle who lived near Chatanooga. I loved to go visit them. The only problem was he drove the same speed everywhere. Scared the Hell out of me coming down Lookout Mountain. (I could never figure out how we lost that battle!)
One that always caught my ear:
Northerner: I paid $500 for that car.
Southerner: I gave $500 for that car.
I grew up in southern Illinois and most of my ancestors came to Illinois during the Scots-Irish migration from the Carolinas. You can still hear traces of this speech pattern there.
Thanks for posting.
Yep. And it was Granny (Daisey) who was from Tennessee.
I'm having a good gut laugh over that because I know exactly what you're talking about.
Just be glad it wasn't snowing.
I’m gonna *so* regret saying this but we don’t have “streams” here, we have “runs”.
Go on...have at it...LOL
In descending order:
River
Crick
Run
Spring
If it’s a standing body of water, it’s a pond, regardless of size.
The only “name” exception is Deep Creek Lake which is man-made so maybe that’s why it got an anomalous name.
[and is the only time “creek” is actually pronounced “creek”]
Blairs Valley Lake is technically name that but every local just says they’re going fishing at Blairs Valley.
“Lake” just gets omitted completely.
Dunno why.
[is anybody else having a hard time getting FR to load? I keep getting ‘server timed out’ errors]
For example, some pronouncing the past tense of “eat” as “et.”
Julius Ceasar to Brutus: “Et tu Brutus?”
Brutus to Ceasar: “Naw man. I ain’t et nothin’”.....Brother Dave Gardner
The Appalachians of W.MD.
Linguistically, we’re sort of an anachronistic “pocket” that encompasses the ridges of south-central PA and northwestern WV/VA which are ~all~ within short driving distance from where I am.
[heavy coal mining area so maybe that’s part of it]
Ah, dude, I've lived in the Western US (specifically CA) for the totality of my life. So, like, I really can't add much to the conversation here, man.
“Just be glad it wasn’t snowing.”
Ain’t that the truth?
My wife, born and raised in deep Southwest Virginia, says “creek,” as do her kinfolk. Occasionally one does hear “crick” but not as much as “creek” hereabouts.
Hence Bourbon and “branch” water.
Several customers in the area. Paper mills, carpet mills, etc.
Plenty of runs here (SW VA), and we have a lot of "forks" also. "He lives up Lacy's Branch off Lester's Fork."
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