smc
All American
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These grammatical features are characteristic of both older Southern American English and newer Southern American English.
Use of done as an auxiliary verb between the subject and verb in sentences conveying the past tense.
I done told you before.
Use of done (instead of did) as the past simple form of do, and similar uses of the past participle in place of the past simple, such as seen replacing saw as past simple form of see.
I only done what you done told me.
I seen her first.
Use of other non-standard preterites, Such as drownded as the past tense of drown, knowed as past tense of know, choosed as the past tense of choose, degradated as the past tense of degrade.
I knowed you for a fool soon as I seen you.
Use of was in place of were, or other words regularizing the past tense of be to was.[citation needed]
You was sittin' on that chair.
Use of been instead of have been in perfect constructions.
I been livin' here darn near my whole life.
Use of double modals (might could, might should, might would, used to could, etc.--also called "modal stacking") and sometimes even triple modals that involve oughta (like might should oughta)
I might could climb to the top.
I used to could do that.
Preservation of older English me, him, etc. as reflexive datives.
I'm fixin' to paint me a picture.
He's gonna catch him a big one.
Saying this here in place of this or this one, and that there in place of that or that one.
This here's mine and that there is yours.
Use of (a-)fixin' to, or just "fixing to" in more modern SAE, to indicate immediate future action in place of intending to, preparing to, or about to.
He's fixin' to eat.
They're fixing to go for a hike.
Existential It, a feature dating from Middle English which can be explained as substituting it for there when there refers to no physical location, but only to the existence of something.
It's one lady that lives in town.
Use of ever in place of every.
Ever'where's the same these days.
Vocabulary
Use of "over yonder" in place of "over there" or "in or at that indicated place," especially to refer to a particularly different spot, such as in "the house over yonder." Additionally, "yonder" tends to refer to a third, larger degree of distance beyond both "here" and "there," indicating that something is a longer way away, and to a lesser extent, in an open expanse, as in the church hymn "When the Roll Is Called Up Yonder."[15]  12/3/2012 6:53:56 PM
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