Etymology Journal ยท W
What all?
Meaning
- A Southern pluralization of what. It is used to ask for a list of items or an enumeration of things in a specific context.
Colloquial, inquisitive
Used in a sentence
- What all did you buy at the store?
- Tell me what all is in that casserole.
- What all are we supposed to bring to the potluck?
The backstory
This is a classic feature of Southern American English syntax. It comes from the desire to clarify that one is asking for the entire set of items, not just a single thing.
Heard in
The South
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