How y'all conquered the world

The Broadside

You might have noticed that the word “y’all” is popping up everywhere. For decades, linguists have noted that regional American accents are disappearing. But at the same time, use of this traditionally Southern pronoun is rapidly spreading — and the reasons may surprise you.

Featuring:

• Brody McCurdy, linguist and researcher at NC State

• Antonia Randolph, assistant professor of American Studies at the UNC-Chapel Hill

Links:

• You can find a transcript of the episode here.