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The Appalachian dialect is a distinctive variety of American English spoken throughout the Appalachian Mountain region, spanning parts of states including West Virginia, eastern Kentucky, eastern Tennessee, northern Alabama, western North Carolina, southwestern Virginia, and parts of Ohio and Pennsylvania. Here are the key features of Appalachian dialect:

Pronunciation Features
– A-prefixing: Adding “a-” before verbs ending in “-ing” (e.g., “a-hunting,” “a-fishing”)
– Broad “a”: Pronouncing words like “there” as “thar”
– Vowel shifts: “Pin/pen” merger where both words sound alike
– Dropping final consonants: “Find” becomes “fine,” “ground” becomes “groun’”
– Flattened diphthongs: “Oil” sounds like “awl,” “boil” like “bawl”
– Glottalization: “Mountain” becomes “mou’n” with a glottal stop
– Pronouncing “wh” words with a distinct “hw” sound**: “Hwat” for “what”

Grammar Features
– Double negatives: “I don’t have no money”
– Irregular past tense: “Knowed” for “knew,” “seed” for “saw”
– Plural subject with singular verb: “They was going to town”
– “Them” as demonstrative: “Them apples are good”
– Use of “done” as completed action**: “I done finished my work”
– “Liketa” meaning “almost”: “I liketa died laughing”
– “Might could” and other multiple modals**: “I might could help you”

Vocabulary
– Airish: Chilly or cool
– Britches: Pants
– Crick: Creek
– Fixin’ to: Getting ready to do something
– Holler: Hollow or small valley
– Poke: Paper bag
– Right smart: A good amount
– Sigogglin: Crooked or askew
– Tote: To carry
– Yonder: Over there

Phrases
– “Bless your heart” (can be sincere or sarcastic)
– “If the good Lord’s willing and the creek don’t rise”
– “Over yonder a ways”
– “Plumb tuckered out” (completely exhausted)
– “Right nice” (very nice)

This dialect reflects the region’s unique history, influenced by Scots-Irish settlers, geographical isolation, and the preservation of older English forms that have disappeared elsewhere.