Those who hold their little finger up in the air whilst holding their tea cup say ont. Those who grab their mug and slurp down their coffee don’t say anything until their 3rd cup.
I love words and finding out where they came from. An odd expression I heard growing up but not since was 'mun you' which was a short form of 'amongst you' - roughly equivalent to 'you all', I don't think it was from any country of origin but was a local thing in Dorchester County, Maryland. The watermen and their families on the Eastern Shore often lived in isolated communities and so developed their own dialects. (later) Thinking of the era before radio and television (which homogenized everything) I imagine there were differences in pronunciations and terms across different parts of the country. I can see traveling to distant parts and understanding almost all of the speech but hearing a few things that would puzzle.
Speaking of Dorchester County, I love some of the place names around here. Marshy Hope River. Moot Point. Suicide Bridge. Big Liz Bridge. There's a story behind them all. Then there are some Algonquin Indian leftovers like Chicamicomico, Chincoteague, Wicomico (county) and the like.There's far more of those on the eastern shore of Virginia where I was born. Big Liz was a slave woman who helped her master bury his gold as the Yankees were closing in. He then killed her to keep his secret. She haunts those woods and a nearby short wooden bridge.
It's "ant." "Ont" is for people who drink Coors with their pinky extended. eta: I see that @Bobby Cole and I think alike.
Being from Indiana, I wondered why we were called "Hoosiers." As best I recall, prevailing opinion is that it's from hollerin' 'cross the holler "Who's there?" But it's just a guess.
Back in the day when I was on a car forum, there was a guy whose nickname was "Hoosier Daddy." That's one of my all-time favorites, y'all.
Oh, and that reminds me that not only have I wondered about hoosiers, but what the hell is a "sooner?" Is it because Okies would "sooner" live elsewhere, y'all??
They were settlers who arrived before the official start of the Land Rush of 1889...if you believe the web.
Good morning to all- Interesting discussion, especially the pronunciation of the word "aunt". Growing up as I did in Arkansas, the word was pronounced "AINT" as in, "you ain't right in the head, feller." If I had called "ant", no one would respond. And if I had said 'ont" I would have been sent home for getting upitty. And in the Arkansas Ozarks, I learned that "ya'll" was instead "you'uns" generally pronounced ""yuns" good discussion- thanks for starting it. you all or ya'll or you'uns- be safe and keep well- Ed.
When I'm talking regular, I say, "Ain't Lizzy." When I'm talking hoity toity, "I say, "Ant Lizzie." When I'm trying to impress my Seattle relatives, I say, "Onty Elizabeth."