In Southern and Appalachian speech, "done" is used as a helping word to show that something has already happened or is fully completed.
In phrases like "he’s done gone," "she’s done told," or "they done left," the word "done" adds certainty, emphasis, or finality.
synonyms: already gone, has gone, left, gone and done
Hillbilly Dude Says...
Out in the country 'done gone' is a common standard.
Pronunciation
[DUHN gawn] /dʌn gɔːn/
Meaning & Usage
- Perfective auxiliary (done + verb)
Out on the porch
Lou:
Where’s Ray?
Earl:
He’s done gone to town.
At the church supper
Mama:
They done et before we even got here.
- Used for emphasis or finality
Talking about a breakup
Sarah:
You reckon they’ll patch things up?
June:
No, honey-he’s done gone.
variations: he done gone, she’s done gone, they done gone, done left, done told, done did
Origin and Etymology
From older English and Scots-Irish speech patterns brought to the American South in the 1700s.
In these dialects, "done" was used as a perfective auxiliary-marking that an action was complete.
Appalachian and Southern English preserved and expanded the use, often adding emotional weight or finality.
Phrases like "done gone" and "done told" remain hallmarks of the regional grammar.
Usage Notes
Still widely recognized across the South and Appalachia.
Used in storytelling, conversation, and music to mark completion or certainty.
"They done gone home." → They’ve already left.
"She done told you once." → She’s already told you.
"I done seen it with my own eyes." → I’ve already seen it.
Tone varies from neutral to emphatic depending on context-sometimes used for emphasis, sometimes for rhythm or humor.
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Out in the country 'done gone' is a common standard.