wasper
A wasp, said the Appalachian way.
Also called wasp, warsper, wast.
Updated September 24, 2026
wasper pronunciation
/WAHS-per/
Meaning
Same stinging flyer everybody else calls a wasp. Mountain talk adds that -er ending, same habit that turns musician into musicianer. You will hear waspers for the plural too. Common around eastern Kentucky, East Tennessee, and western North Carolina. Related forms include warsper and wast.
How folks use it
- “Watch that wasper nest under the eaves before you start painting.”
- “Them red devil waspers will run you clean off the porch.”
Origin and etymology
Dialect variant of wasp, recorded in Smoky Mountain phonetics by Joseph Hall in the 1940s and in LAGS field interviews across East Tennessee. Wayword Radio notes the form clusters where Kentucky, Tennessee, and North Carolina meet. Likely eased the awkward s-p cluster by adding a vowel and -er.
Frequently asked questions
Is a wasper a different insect?
No. It is a wasp. Just the mountain pronunciation.