keer
Care, said the mountain way.
Also called care.
Updated September 24, 2026
keer pronunciation
/KEER/
Meaning
Keer is care with a stretched vowel you hear all over Appalachia and the rural South. Take keer means look after yourself. I don't keer can mean I don't care, or, in older mountain talk, I don't mind. Same word as care. The spelling just catches how it sounds on the porch.
How folks use it
- “Y'all take keer now.”
- “I don't keer what he thinks about that fence line.”
Origin and etymology
Regional pronunciation of care, documented across the South and Appalachia. DARE notes spellings like keer, kear, and kyare. Writers use keer when they want the sound on the page. The related mountain sense of don't care to for don't mind goes back centuries.
Frequently asked questions
Is keer a different word from care?
No. It is care pronounced with a long ee sound.