A dialectal or nonstandard pronunciation spelling of Iowa, the US Midwestern state. Ioway captures how some rural or older speakers in the region actually say the state's name — with an extra syllable at the end. It shows up in historical texts, folk songs, and affectionate regional usage. It's the kind of spelling that makes an outsider smile and a local nod in recognition.
His grandpa always called it Ioway, said that's just what everyone said when he was growing up on the farm.
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(US, dialect, nonstandard) The state of Iowa.
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Regional slang from around the English-speaking world — British, Australian, Irish, Caribbean, Nigerian, Filipino, AAVE, and the hyphenated-English dialects that make the internet sound local.
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