a body

In Appalachian and Southern speech, "a body" means "a person" or "one." It’s an old Scots-Irish English construction that survives in rural dialect as a folksy stand-in for "someone."

#SouthernWords #Appalachia #PeopleandRelationships #OldTimers #Southern

synonyms: a feller, one, a body, a person, people, I

Hillbilly Dude Says...

I hear 'a man' way more often than 'a body' - I think this one is more old timers.

Pronunciation

[UH bod-ee]

Meaning & Usage

- A person; one (pronoun-like noun phrase)

Mae:

A body can’t be too careful on these roads.

Earl:

True - a body has to watch for deer.

★ "A body" is a living piece of older Scots-Irish English. Using it instantly gives a line a down-home, mountain-speech flavor. ★

Origin

From older British and Scots-Irish English where "a body" meant "a person" or "one." Settlers carried it into Appalachia and the South, where it persisted in speech long after fading from mainstream English.

Notes

Still heard among older Southern and Appalachian speakers and in dialect writing. Outside the South it’s rare and often used to signal a rustic or historical voice.

Say It Like a Southerner

Said plain: "uh body" - soft "a," like "uh." Commonly used where mainstream English would say "someone" or "one."

Kin Topics

Kin Words, Stories and More

Common Questions

Does "a body" always mean a corpse?

No - in this dialect it means "a person" or "one," not "a dead body."

Is "a body" still used today?

Yes - mostly among older rural speakers or in storytelling to give a mountain flavor.

Where did it come from?

Scots-Irish settlers brought it from the British Isles; it’s an old construction dating back centuries.