That spelling (and probably pronunciation was prevalent in 16th and 17th century English. Maybe they still speak like that in rural Alabama - many 16th and 17th century words and phrases are preserved in some of those dialects.
Yeah, the article’s author explained it in the comments section. I just felt like being juvenile about it. LOL
LOL... One of my favorite comedians, Jerry Clower (RIP), was very popular in the 70’s and early 80’s.
He told a story called “The Coon Hunt”, (I bet you’ve heard it) where he describes a Mississippi man climbing a tree to knock out a racoon, but finding a lynx! “...a super-charged wild cat...with great big tushes...”
I thought he was just being funny. Never new it was legit.
“Knock ‘im out, Johnnn!”
“HAAAWW!!! Shoot this thang!”
“We can’t shoot up there, John, we might hit YOU!”
“Well, just shoot up in here amongst us! One of us got to have some relief!”