being of appalachian decent i found this facinating

from wikipedia.org

The dialect is rhotic and characterized by distinct phonology, morphology, syntax, and lexicon. It is mostly oral but can also be found in writing. Detractors of the dialect both within and outside of the speaking area cite laziness or indifference in learning standard forms as the reasons for its existence. However, the areas where Appalachian English is spoken were settled in the 18th century, and many of the characteristics of the dialect predate the standardization of American English and continue to be passed on orally.

English speakers who settled the area came mostly from West Anglia, the Scottish Lowlands, Wales, Ireland, and Scotland via Northern Ireland in the middle 18th and early 19th centuries, and their speech forms the basis of the dialect. Along with German immigrants, these groups populated an area which is still largely homogeneous culturally.

Many speakers assert that those who came to Appalachia from the Scottish Borders by way of Northern Ireland, the Scots-Irish or Ulster Scots, had the greatest role in shaping modern Appalachian English, and this is supported by a large number of extant vocabulary used in the least urbanized, and therefore more linguistically conservative, areas of the Appalachians.^[1]

Speakers of Appalachian English have no trouble understanding standard English, but even native speakers of other dialects can find it somewhat impenetrable (compare the similar situation of Glaswegian and London English), and foreigners may have some trouble understanding it, while others may find it easier to comprehend. Standard forms are taught in schools, unfortunately with the erroneously implicit assumption that the Appalachian dialect is somehow inferior to Standard American English.

Vowels are pronounced for a slightly longer period of time than those in standard forms of English, and diphthongs can clearly be heard to have two distinct vowels, creating the characteristic "drawl" of Appalachian English.

The vowel sound represented by the letter "i" is pronounced as [ɑː] rather than the standard [ɑj].

Wash is pronounced [wɔɹʃ]. The standard American English pronunciation is [wɔʃ] or [wɑʃ]).

Creek is pronounced [kɹɪk] (cf. standard English [kɹik]).

Hollow is pronounced [hɑlɹ̩] (cf. standard English [hɑloʊ]).

Hills is pronounced [hilz] (cf. standard English [hɪlz]). This trait is shared by many other words ending in -ill.

In is pronounced [iən] (standard English: [ɪn]).

The pin/pen merger is complete in Appalachia, and a pen used for writing is distinguished via the term "ink pen." Neither word is pronounced as in standard English; instead, they both rhyme with "in" with the modified pronunciation indicated above.

Participles and gerunds such as "doing" and "mining" end in [n] instead of [iŋ].

Word final "a" is frequently pronounced [ij], as in "Santa Claus."

Intervocalic "s" as in "greasy" is pronounced [z].

Research suggests that this dialect is one of the most maintained and well-concentrated dialects within the whole United States.

Pronouns and demonstratives

Accusative case personal pronouns are used as reflexives in situations that, in American English, do not typically demand them (e.g., "I'm gonna get me a haircut"). The -self/-selves forms are used almost exclusively as emphatics, and then often in non-standard forms (e.g., "the preacher hisself").

Second person pronouns are often retained as subjects in imperative sentences (e.g., "You go an' get you a cookie").

• Directly: later, after a while, when it becomes convenient, soon, immediately (largely depending on context). Meetin'll [church service] be lettin' out directly (Sometimes dreckly)^[2]

• Buggy: shopping cart. Get me that buggy, and make sure it don't have no broken wheel.

• Poke: Brown paper bag ^[3]

• Chaw: chewing tobacco. Chaw comes three ways: in a poke, a twist, or a plug.

• Chair: pronounced "cheer"

• Plug: a quid of tobacco. That boy done slobbered all on my plug.

• Blinds: window shades. Open them blinds and let some sunshine in!

• Skillet: a frying pan. They's patty sausage in the skillet.

• Coke (Coh-cola): Applied to all flavored, carbonated sodas, regardless of brand or type. I'm goin' to get a coke.
  • Pop: Used in some places instead of the term Coke.

• Slap
  • (adj.) full, complete. I swan, it's been rainin' a slap week."
  • (adv.) directly (often with dab). He put a fence smack dab down the middle of the pasture.

• Soda: bicarbonate of soda. I mixed me some soda for my indigestion.

• Swan: swear, declare to be true. I swan that I'll wean that dog from suckin' eggs.^[4]

• Reckon: think, guess, suppose. I reckon you don't like soup beans.

• Polecat: a skunk. Don't bother that there polecat or he'll spray you.

• Touched: (pronounced [tɛtʃt]) crazy. That boy's touched. Don't pay him no mind.

• Plum or plumb: an intensifier for verbs. Son, you're plum crazy.; a directional adverb meaning "all the way." That dog run plum under the house.

• Hussy: (pronounced with a [z]) a mean or spiteful woman; a promiscuous woman.

• Pokestock: a single shot shotgun. I'll sell you an old pokestock for forty bucks.

• Kyarn: Roadkill "That smells like kyarn."

• Cornpone: A batch of cornbread

• Fit: Used in place of the word "Fought"

• Yonder: a directional adverb further away than "here" or "there," preceded by the preposition "over." He's over yonder. It can also be used as an adjective after a noun phrase containing a demonstrative. Get me that rake yonder.

• Mess: The amount of a particular food that is needed to be cooked in order to serve everyone present. Mary, go fetch me a mess of them green beans.

• Fixin: A serving or helping of food or preparing to do something. Can I get a fixin of dumplings?, I'm fixin to do somethin'.

• Clean: Similar to 'plum' [above], verb modifier that is used to mean entirely completing an action. Can be used in place of 'all the way.' He knocked it clean off'n the table - He knocked it all the way off'n the table.

• Trade: To shop. I'm fixin' to go down to the Piggly Wiggly to trade.