Call the Granny Woman: Appalachian Dialect Spotlight

Connecting the Docs: True Stories from the Old North State

The dialect traditionally spoken in the western parts of North Carolina goes by many names—Smoky Mountain English, Southern Mountain Talk, and Appalachian Dialect, to name a few. In this episode, oral history interns Fiona Allen and Bree Dumont lead host John Horan and guests Brooke Csuka and Josh Hager on a lexicological journey through this most colorful patois. Learn about how this dialect combines influences from surrounding states as well as multiple cultures, including members of the Cherokee Nation, the African diaspora, and immigrants from all over western Europe. Following the lesson, Fiona and Bree quiz John, Brooke, and Josh on the meaning of several words found in collections in the State Archives and State Library of North Carolina holdings. Do you know the Appalachian dialect meaning of “granny woman,” “airish,” or “booger”? You’ll find out those surprising definitions and many more in this installment of Connecting the Docs.

Sources Mentioned:

Suggested Archival Collections:

North Carolina Arts Council Record Group. Folklife Section: Resource File, 1796-2011. Finding aid available in DOC: https://axaem.archives.ncdcr.gov/solrDetailPages/series/NCA/Series_detail.html?fq=seriesRid:703805.

Western Regional Archives collections. Explore their finding aids on our website: https://archives.ncdcr.gov/researchers/finding-aids/western-regional-archives-finding-aids

Other Works Cited:

“Dialect Words in North Carolina.” Tar Heel Junior Historian, 2006 Spring, Volume 45, No. 2. North Carolina State Documents Collection, State Library of North Carolina.

George Hovis, “The Art of Healing: An Interview with Lee Smith.” North Carolina Literary Review, 2021, No. 30, Pages 7-21. North Carolina State Documents Collection, State Library of North Carolina.

Margaret Bauer, “Genre Conventions with a Half-Twist: An Interview with Charles Frazier.” North Carolina Literary Review, 2013, No. 22, Pages 21-42. North Carolina State Documents Collection, State Library of North Carolina.

North Carolina Department of Conservation and Development, “Conservation and Industry.” 1932, Volume 8, No. 1. North Carolina State Documents Collection, State Library of North Carolina.

North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State, “North Carolina Manual,” 1945-1946. North Carolina State Documents Collection, State Library of North Carolina.

Tar Heel Junior Historian, 1979 Fall, Volume 19, No. 1. North Carolina State Documents Collection, State Library of North Carolina.

Tar Heel Junior Historian, 2005 Fall, Volume 45, No. 1, Page 22. North Carolina State Documents Collection, State Library of North Carolina.