big’un

In Appalachian and Southern talk, "big’un" means "big one." It’s a casual contraction that rolls together in mountain speech and is often used for people, animals, or objects.

#SouthernWords #Appalachia #Measurements #BlendedWords #Southern

Hillbilly Dude Says...

This is one of those common, everday words - I use 'big’un' all the time.

Pronunciation

[BIG-uhn]

Meaning & Usage

- A large person, animal, or object (noun)

Elmer:

Look at 'at mushmelon - that’s a big’un!

Estel:

Biggest I’ve seen in a month of Sundays.

- A grown child (noun)

Meemaw:

The littleun’s asleep, but the big’un can help set the table.

other spellings: big one, bigguns, big’un, and big’uns

★ "Big’un" is often paired with "little’un," giving a simple way to distinguish between siblings, kids, or sizes of things. ★

Origin

From the phrase "big one." In Appalachian and Southern speech, "one" often softens to "’un," creating forms like "little’un" and "big’un."

Notes

Still common in Appalachian families and rural Southern communities. You’ll hear it often when folks are comparing sizes - of kids, fish, dogs, or anything else.

Say It Like a Southerner

Play audio Said quick and easy, like one word: "bigg-uhn." The "one" part is shortened to just "’un."

Kin Topics

Kin Words, Stories and More

Common Questions

Is bigun or biggun?

As long as people can read it, it's fine. But we spell it "big'un."

Is "big’un" only used for people?

No - it can describe animals, kids, or just about anything that’s large.

What’s the opposite of "big’un"?

"Little’un," meaning little one.

Is it considered proper English?

Not in formal writing - but it’s deeply natural in spoken Appalachian and Southern English.