The Word Yinz

For those of you who read this blog and are not from Pittsburgh, PA or know nothing about the region you may wonder where a word like Yinzertainment comes from. Here is a little background on it. The word is a combination of Yinz and Entertainment, hence Yinzertainment. That is the easy part.

The real question is what is the word Yinz? Yinz is most commonly used in southwestern Pennsylvania and the Appalachian Region. In Pittsburgh it is part of a local dialect known as Pittsburghese. The word is derived from "you ones" and is an alternative to words like you all or "y'all" as many people from the south say. A Typical use would be something like; What are yinz up to today? How are Yinz doing? Where are Yinz going?

For more background on this word and other Pittsburghese check out Wikipedia or the Pittsburgh Speech & Society website