brung

In Appalachian and Southern speech, "brung" is the nonstandard past tense of "bring." It’s a hallmark of regional dialect that shows up in everyday talk and in classic sayings like "Dance with the One That Brung You."

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Hillbilly Dude Says...

You'll hear 'brung' all day long out in the country.

Pronunciation

[BRUNG]

Meaning & Usage

- Past tense of "bring" (dialect verb form)

Mae:

Who brung the casserole?

Earl:

Betsy brung it - same as always.

other spellings: brought (standard form)

★ "Brung" is one of those words Southerners and Appalachians use naturally in speech but switch to "brought" when writing formally. It’s a living link to older English verb forms, not "bad grammar." ★

Origin

"Brung" descends from Middle English analogies (like "sing/sang/sung," "ring/rang/rung") and survived in Southern/Appalachian dialect thanks to Scots-Irish influence and rural isolation. Recorded in dialect studies since the early 1900s and listed in the Dictionary of American Regional English.

Notes

Still common in rural Southern speech and in African American Vernacular English. Recognized nationwide but strongly associated with nonstandard, folksy talk.

Say It Like a Southerner

Said plain: "brung" - rhymes with "hung."

Kin Topics

Kin Words, Stories and More

Common Questions

Is "brung" wrong?

It’s nonstandard in formal English but perfectly normal in Southern/Appalachian speech.

Where do you hear it most?

Rural areas, older speakers, and in set phrases like "Dance with the One That Brung You."

Does it show up in writing?

Rarely - mostly in dialogue to show dialect, or in folksy marketing.