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Tek a deek ut oor dialect in action.

Its thut tyam ovt 'eer whur we gar traipsing roond lonnings und upt'fyells. So ah'thowt thut th' wud like t' hev a deek ut Billy Watson's Lonning.

Wid al t'flooers oot, ah's gut Wild Rwoses fur thu as wheel. Mind you, be noo when ahs oot fur a wander many oft rwoses hev choops und nut flooers on thum.

Tarking ovt choops; If inny of thu hev a recipe for Rose Hip Syrup, ahd be thankful if thu cud send it ower und ah'll put it ont'recipe pyage. Fowk hev telt uz thut thu got threpunce u pund ut skeul fur gitten choops fur Rose Hip Syrup.

Billy Watson' Lonnin'

Alexander Craig-Gibson

O fer Billy Watson’ lonnin’ of alownd summer neet!

When t’ stars come few an’ flately, efter weerin’ oot day-leet –

When blackite blossom shews itsel’ i’ hawf seen gliffs o’ gray,

An’t’ hunnysuckle’s scentit mair nor iver it is i’ t’ day.

An’ nut a shadow, shap’, or soond, or seet, or sign ‘at tells

‘At owte at’s wick comes saunterin’ theer but thoo, oor awn two sels.

Ther’ cannot be anudder spot sea private an’ sae sweet,

As Billy Watson’ lonnin’ of a lownd summer neet!

T’ Hempgarth Broo’s a cheersome spot when t’ whins bloom full o’flooer –

Green Hecklebank turns greener when it’s watter’t wid a shooer –

There’s bonnie neuks aboot Beckside, Stocks-hill, and Greystone Green –

High Woker Broo gi’es sec a view as isn’t offen seen –

It’s glorious doon on t’ Sandy-beds when sun’s just gaan te set –

Ant’ Clay Dubs isn’t far aslew when t’ wedder isn’t wet;

But nin was mead o’ purpose theer a bonnie lass to meet,

Like Billy Watson’ lonnin of a lowned summer neet.

Yan likes to trail ower t’ Sealand-fields an’ watch for t’ comin tide,

Or slare whoar t’ Green hes t’ Ropery an’ t’ Shore of ayder side–

T’ Wedrriggs road’s a laal-used road, an’ reet for coortin’ toke –

An Lowca’ lonnin reet fer them at like a longsome woke –

Yan’s reet aneuf up t’ Lime-road, or t’ Waggon-way, or t’ Ghyll,

An’ reet for ramlin’s Cuunning-wood or Scattermascot hill.

Ther’s many spots ‘ats reet aneaf, but nin o’ ways so reet

As Billy Watson’ lonnin’ of a lownd summer neet.

Sec thowtes as thur com’ thick lang sen to yan, a lonterin’ lad,

Wid varra lal to brag on but sperrit niver sad,

When he went strowlin’ far an’ free aboot his sea-side heam,

An’ stamp’t a mark upon his heart of ivery frind-like neam; –

A mark ‘at seems as time drees on to deepen mair an’ mair –

A mark ‘at oalas breetens meast i’ t’ gloom o’ comin’ care;

But nowte upon his heart has left a mark ‘at hods so breet,

As Billy Watson’ lonnin’ of a lownd summer neet.

Oor young days may’d be wastet days, but dar their mem’ry’s dear!

And what wad yan nut part wid noo agean to hev then here?

Whativer troubles fash’t us than, though nayder leet nor few,

They nivver fash’t us hafe so lang as less an’s fash us noo.

If want o’ thowte brong bodderment, it pass’t for want o’ luck,

An’what cared we for Fortun’s bats, hooiver feurce she struck?

It mud be t’ time o’ life ‘at mead oor happiness complete

I’ Billy Watson’ lonnin’ of a lownd summer neet!

Wild Rwoses

Elizabeth Denwood

Hesta seen t'wild rwoses et dawnin'

When t' sky's but a fent pearly gray?

The'r bloomin' doon Hodson's la'al lonnin'

If'appen thoo's passin' that way

An't' blush of a bud just unfoldin'

Is catcht be t' sun's furst gowlden ray

An a burst o' scented splendur

Greets the cummin' day.

Hesta seen t'wild rwoses at twileet

In t' hush o' t' deein' day?

Each flooer stan's oot in t' dimness

Like stars frae t' milky way

An'mans sowl stirs widdin' him

At a seet sa passin' fair

As if aw natur's sweetness

Wur gangin' up in prayer.

Cumberland Wordhord

Lakeland Words 1898 - Bryham Kirkby

Barfin - A horse collar. A grand thing is a barfin ta gurn throo. (see Braffam - Braugham below)

Brim - Top

Brossen-full - Hed mair to eat than’s easy er good.

Dowin - Lunch, ten o’clock.

Aye! aye! thoo allus manishes ta land up aboot dowin time.

Gallases - Braces ta hod yan’s britches up.

Gurn - Gurn, an’ bide ’t. It’s good philosophy when ye ca’t run away frae ’t. Ah yance saw a fella gurnen throo a barfun fer a pun o’ bacca, an’ he gat it.

Haver - Oats.

That field o’ haver liuks weel.

Howk - To scoop out;

howk a whol; howk t’ inside oot.

Kisened - To dry out (and I've heard kissend being used for burnt too).

As kisened as a kill stick. Noo Ah nivver saw a kill stick, but it’s summat varra dry wi’ neea natur left in’t, acos owt ’at’s kisened’s mortal near withoot any sap er owt worth niamen.

Lick-pot, Lang-Man - The first and second fingers.

Roke - Scratch.

That barn’ll roke ivvry mortal thing i’ t’hoose wi’ that nail if tho’ll let it, ’at will ’t.

Shive - Slice

A slice of bread. To cut a neat swathe.

From the Dialect of Cumberland 1873 - Robert Ferguson

Braffam, Braugham - A collar for a horse.

Clev. bargam. Referred by Wedgwood with much probability to the same origin as the word hamberwe, or hanahorough, a coarse horse-collar, made of reed or straw, from beiwe or borough, protection from the hames, the two words of the compound being in this case reversed. (See Barfin above).

Hag - To chop

Dutch:hakken, Old Norse: hiacka, Swedish: hagga, German hacken, to chop, hack.

Kizzent - adj. Parched or shrivelled.

Crav. kizzened. I think the author of the Crav. Gloss, is right in taking the word to be the same as guizened, which Ray gives as applied to tubs or barrels that leak through drought. The origin, then, is evidently to be found in Old Norse gisinn, leaky (of tubs and vessels.) (see Kisened above).

Lick - To beat.

Welsh llachio, to beat, cudgel, Suio-Goth, laegga, to strike.

Lonnin' - A country lane

Frisian Lona, Laan a lane or narrow passage. Perhaps from Old Norse leyna, to hide.

Mislikken - To neglect or forget.
Dut. misselick, ambiguus, dubius, in quo errare, aut de quo dubitare potest.

Poddish - Porridge of oatmeal.

In common use throughout the agricultural districts, especially for breakfast, and though irreverently compared by Dickens to "diluted pin-cushions without the covers," a very wholesome article of diet. Welsh potes, Manx poddash.

Smeeth - Smooth

Ang.-Sax. smzthe, smooth.

Teanel - A Basket (West and Cumberland Dialect)

Ang.-Sax. teanel, a basket, from tan, a twig.
Similarly swill, (contraction of swigel,) from Old Norse svigi, a twig.

Waits - Nightly musicians who used to play in the streets at Christmastide.

"Wayte, waker, vigil" Old Norse vakta; Old High German wahten; German wachten - to watch or keep awake.

From a Glossary of Words and phrases pertaining to the Dialect of Cumberland 1878 - William Dickinson

Brek - Fun; a practical joke. A good story, generally of the sporting type; an amusing incident.

Curly kue - G. a flourish in writing, &c.

Fash - G. trouble ; inconvenience.

Fasten eve - Shrove Tuesday evening or the eve of the feast before Lent.

'At Fasten eve neet
Ceuks find cannel leet.'

After this night the cooking is to be done by daylight for the season, or the cooks must provide candles.

Frosk - The Frog (back in 1878 the author noted that the word was nearly obsolete!)

Gowpin - A handful; or the two hands full

Lang-end - The final end.

Pissibeds - The flowers of the dandelion plant.

From the Bank of the River Derwent near the Yearl in Wukkinton' und t'other spots roond aboot.

Beckie - (Workington) A water bailiff who makes sure that the fisherfolk have permission to tickle the trout and salmon!

Brossenful - (sometime Brussenful) To be pleasantly full after after your meal.

Blackite - A bramble, A blackberry.

(Efter picking this yer' crop, ah telt the t'Cumberland Blackite Broonie Recipe)

Button Sticks - (Whitehaven) At the start of the Industrial Revolution poor country folk coming to work in the mines may have used sticks rather than buttons to hold their clothes together.

Chittering - Cold. Linked to shivering or trembling.

Kaylieghed - Supped ower much. Inebriated

Kersmas - Christmas