In Appalachian and Southern speech, "your’n" means "yours" - a possessive form that comes from blending "your one." It belongs to the same family as "his’n" and "her’n."
I asked if that patch of beans was mine, and Earl said, "Nope - it’s your’n."
Pronunciation
[YUR-uhn]
Meaning & Usage
- Yours / Belonging to You (pronoun)
Sorting ownership
Mae:
Is that basket of apples mine?
Earl:
No, that’s your’n sittin’ there.
Dividing possessions
Ruby:
I got my quilt, and you got your’n.
variations: your’n, yourn, your one
★ "Your’n" often shows up when folks are dividing, pointing out, or handing over something. It pairs naturally with "his’n" and "her’n." ★
Origin
Formed by blending "your" with "one" - as in "that one is yours." This -n ending pattern shows up across Appalachian and Southern English, giving us "his’n," "her’n," "our’n," and "your’n." It reflects older speech habits passed down from Scots-Irish settlers.
Notes
"You’rn" is rarely written in formal English, but it’s alive in storytelling, family conversation, and dialect-rich writing. Writers use it to capture Appalachian authenticity.
Say It Like a Southerner
Say "your" as usual, then add a quick "’n" (like in "one" without the "o"). It rolls together as "yur’n." In casual mountain talk, it’s nearly one syllable.
Created by The Hillbilly Dude, this site is a growing field guide to culture, speech, memory, and meaning - rooted in Appalachia but reaching across the world. Every slang word, saying, accent and story is gathered from first-hand experience and trusted sources. The goal: preserve authentic voices and share them with writers, learners, and culture lovers everywhere - with a little humor thrown in here and there. Read more...
I asked if that patch of beans was mine, and Earl said, "Nope - it’s your’n."