swaller

swaller pronunciation

/SWAH-ler/

Meaning

Same as swallow, just said with the -ow flattened to -er, like holler for hollow and yaller for yellow. You can swaller your supper too fast, take a swaller of sweet tea, or watch barn swallers cut over the field. Context tells you if it's the gulp or the bird.

How folks use it

• “Don't swaller that biscuit whole, chew it.”
• “Give me a swaller of that coffee before it gets cold.”

Origin and etymology

Dialect pronunciation of swallow. In Appalachian and rural Southern speech, final -ow often turns toward -er (holler, winder, swaller). Scots forms like swallie / swally show a similar path. Blind Pig and the Acorn and everyday mountain talk both treat "a swaller" as a gulp of something cold on a hot day.

Frequently asked questions