Is Appalachian English Really A Preserved Form Of 17th-Century English? (No.)

It’s a nice myth, and one of long standing, but myth it is, writes linguist Chi Luu. For one thing, language has no more remained static in Appalachia than it has anywhere else, and there has been migration in and out of the region, especially in the last century. Luu looks at the myths around Appalachian dialects and draws a connection with African-American Vernacular English.