D. Jay Newman wrote:

>>> (This notwithstanding the Southern US idiom "y'all" -- which seems to
>>> be rarely used here and I'm not sure would be generally called
>>> "English" anyway :)
>> 
>> Technically "y'all" is not plural either.  "all y'all" is the plural.
>> "y'all" sits in a very odd position, and is somewhat like "we" in that
>> way.
> 
> "Y'all" is very much like the German word "sie" (2nd person plural) and
> "Sie" (2nd person singular polite).

I'm not really that good in grammar (especially German grammar -- who
learns grammar in his native language? :) but I think the "sie" you are
referring to is 3rd person plural. The "Sie" is in fact a functional 2nd
person singular polite that gets treated, grammar-wise, as a 3rd person
plural. 

Very odd indeed, once you start listening to it with a "grammar ear". I
never liked it. Whenever reasonably possible, I use the more informal "du"
(2nd person singular for normal people :)

Gerhard

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