Alexander McEwan

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since Apr 27, 2011
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Recent posts by Alexander McEwan

Ok, I was lost for words the other day when I read my youngest daughter's resignation letter (moving on to better grazing).
Near the end of it she wrote "I would like to thank use all for your guidance and friendship"

I took her to task (although I already knew what was coming).
What do you mean by this word use in this sentence.
Her reply was that this was use as in "more than one of you".
I pointed out that in the English language we do not have a plural version of the word you. Also, the word use means to make something do something like "I use a knife to cut my food."
I further explained that the word yous is a slang term and not in the English dictionary - so should not be used in a formal letter (as she did).
She laughed about it and said that this is how they always spelt the word and that I knew fine what it meant.
Total confusion all over my face.

We sat and had a bit of ribaldry concerning the fact that in Aberdeen, having a plural term fo the word you has been going on for some years. I pointed out that it must be in the last ten years because myself and my younger siblings do not use that word.
Then I pointed out that the spelling would have to be a derivative of the word you so it would most likely be spelt yous

In my region of Scotland, it could have come about in a round-about way because when I was a nipper in Aberdeen, an adult addressing a group of children was you eens (you ones). Kids hearing this would maybe shorten that down to yous (what I am dealing with here).

Looking up yous in Google it can be seen that it's use is dotted around the world and it is used in the manner I have explained, but is more than often used as a manner of addressing a group. My daughters also use it when relaying information or commands. It is definately part of every day speech in the younger generation here (as my daughters clearly demonstrated).

Be aware that we used to have a plural version of the word you in old English (ye), but that was slowly removed over three hundred years ago. The latin based languages (such as Spanish and Italian) have plural terms for you.

So three hundred years later my daughters have gone full circle. :-)
and if you saw what they text on their mobiles phones you could easily believe that Ye Olde English has made a comeback.

12 years ago