yat
1
9.9
A way of speaking in New Orleans used in working-class neighborhoods
- noun
- /jæt/
- Informal
:
dialecto yat
- On Sun Yat-sen Street, the parties involved are sorting out a fender bender, only the first one I've seen.
Examples
-
In New Orleans, many locals greet each other with unique phrases that reflect their yat culture.
-
DJ was black and Fournet was white, but both spoke in the downtown New Orleans accent called Yat.
Fiction book (2001) -
The yat dialect is characterized by its distinct pronunciation and expressions that you won't find elsewhere.
-
When visiting the city, it's interesting to hear how the yats communicate in their own lively and informal way.
Surface Forms
Etymology
Yat as a name for the New Orleans dialect also comes from the greeting Where y'at (short for 'Where are you at?'), because the phrase shows the distinctive local way of speaking. So yat now refers to the working-class accent and speech of parts of the city.