yeller
Yellow. How the color often comes out in mountain talk.
Also called yella, yaller.
Updated September 24, 2026
yeller pronunciation
/YEL-ur/
Meaning
Same color as yellow, just said with that -er ending you also hear on holler for hollow and tater for potato. Yeller corn, a yeller dog, the yeller of an egg. Famous from the book and movie Old Yeller. Not a person who yells, though that joke writes itself.
How folks use it
- “That yeller squash is ready to pick.”
- “He named the pup Old Yeller on account of his coat.”
Origin and etymology
Appalachian and Southern English often turn word-final unstressed -ow into -er. Yellow becomes yeller the same way hollow becomes holler. DARE records yeller and yella as common South and South Midland forms. Yaller shows up as another spelling of the same sound.
Frequently asked questions
Does yeller mean someone who yells?
Not in this sense. Here it means yellow. A loud person is a yeller with a different job for the word.