foller
In Appalachian and Southern speech, "foller" is the common pronunciation of "follow." It reflects the vowel shift where the "ow" sound flattens to "er."
Hillbilly Dude Says...
'Foller' is still alive and well out in the country, I hear it all the time around here. Pronunciation
[FAW-ler] or [FOL-ler]
Meaning & Usage
- To go behind or accompany (verb)
Mae:
Y’all foller me and mind your step.
Y’all foller me and mind your step.- To obey or heed (verb)
Earl:
He never did foller the doctor’s orders.
He never did foller the doctor’s orders.other spellings: follow, go with, come after, trail, shadow, tag along, and stick with
★ Reckon a feller'd foller a man down the holler to get some minners for supper? ★
Origin
From Old English *fōlgan* (to accompany). Over time it became "follow" in standard English. The Appalachian/Southern "foller" form reflects regional vowel changes, much like *holler* (hollow) and *yeller* (yellow).
Notes
Very common in Appalachia and across the South. Rare outside these regions, where people stick to "follow."
Say It Like a Southerner
Said plain: "faw-ler" or "fol-ler." The "ow" in "follow" gets softened or dropped.