The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-05-04
BY S. H.
THOMP SON.

Scotch elements prevail. They are found
in the mountains of Virginia, Kentucky,
Tennessee and in western North Carolina
OF course, only the uncultured classes
use them anywhere. How can we ac-
count for their use among these people?
u am sure that they arose from the Ger
man effort to utilize his own pronouns
in their declined forms. This may have
occurred by way of emphasis, else hav-
ing given the English form, the German
form was repeated after it to make the
meaning plain. The dative and accusa-
tive forms of the first personal pronoun,
plural, are .'uns' for both cases. Take
as an example the accusative form; in
English it is u.s. a German learning to
speak English would have his native form
in mind and would be likely to repeat
1t after he used the form. us. Should
he do so he would have exactly the
form under discussion, namely, Gun uns.''
l am confirmed in this opinion by the eX-
perience of my friend DR.. Kline. OF
tho State Normal School, with a Swede
at Clark University. He said this Swede
was a most intelligent gentleman. fresh
from his native land, but he almost in
variably said "You'uns come over and
see me-" when inviting his friends to
his rooms In their use they are never
made to refer to the singular number by
| the natives. Only in stories Of people
| who do not know what they are talking
| about is such the case. I am personnel
! ly acquainted with people whose daily
! conversation contains these words, but
| in no case did l ever hear them referring
| to a single Individual "Sauer kraut.
| which means cabbage cut fine and pick
| led in brine. is also n German contrlbu-
| ton While this is not a distinctive
| Southern use of the word, yet it is quite
| common in the South.
|
| e.ev lsed to be called by the Scotch
lash neighbors OF these German people.
! Clutch mess $" 1 have seen it upon
| th.:r tables made Of a promiscuou'
| mixing of cabbage. beans, tuInips and
| vl!ious other vegetables, cooked with
meats in the Same vessel. In Virginia
I tn, Brunswick stew is made with muCn
| 1nore care and the mixing is more that
| of meats than of vegetables.
There are no communities in the South
| riL:,ci in the folK-iore than these old
| German settlements. TO this day Inc
moon governs planting sowing, reaping,
| killing and curing bacon, building fences,
| and >clInS timbcr. 'io'rg on Journeys,
| cutting and making garments beginning
| CERTAIN work, trimuuins, The rails and nai'
| are governed by signs and omens. All
| thase add matera2:i' - the Guaintncss
| Of the tongue of the people using them.
| There are certain sayings, growing out
| of odd games and customs which while
! they belong more to folklore than to
| language study. add force and are really
| additions to the dialect AS an illustra-
| ton of this, the saying "Everything is
/ lovely and the goose hangs high" comes
| from the old though cruel sport of the
| goose pulling. Tese are some of the adj
| dit:ons which have come into the dialect
| from our German element, showing how
we have added from all sources to our
| quaint tongue.
| IN my next paper shall endeavor to
| show how our use of the letter diff
ferentiates US from all other people.