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Tek a deek ut oor dialect in action,

or Tethra proposals und a pache egg.

Fashionable Bonnets

Robinson, Roper (ps. Roger Piketah) - 1870

AN old lady belonging to Coniston recently undertook a journey to Ambleside with her daughter, for the purpose of providing the latter with an outfit. They accordingly entered a weil-known shop with the intention of making some necessary purchases. The old lady asked to see some bonnets, when some of the peculiar diminutive contrivances of
“the period” (temp. Vic. I.) A.D. 1870, were shown her. She stood perfectly amazed at the extraordinary littleness—one had almost said nothingness—of the head gear, so totally opposed to her notions of what a bonnet should be.

When her astonishment had subsided into contemptuous indifference, she ventured to enquire the price of the infinitessirnal millinery productions, and she was inforrned of their value in the market. Indignation now took the place of all other emotions, and she exclaimed, “What! sic a price as thatten for thor things. They’re ter’ble dear, ye. What, ther’s nowte o’ them for o’ that brass!” The attendant replied that the quantity was not considered in these articles, but that style was of much more importance, and it was the latter she was getting in an investment of that sort. “Wy, wy,” said the customer, “ye ma’ toke, me lad, as mickle as ivver ye like to toke, an’ I see ye’ve gitten t’ gift o’ t’ gob gay middlin’, but ye’ll nivver meakk me believe ‘at ther’s ayder style or owte else i’ sic maapment!”

If thu divvent ken Forness Fowk an extract ovt'dictionary fur ther mek ov tark is nixt. Ah'll add mer pyages in nixt munths updyate.

Dialect fra t'Hundred of Lonsdale

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 a Glossary of the Dialect of the Hundred of Lonsdale - Robert Peacock 1869

Rossel,

(1) v.t. to heat, to roast. "To rossel one's shins."

(2) vi. To bask over a fire.

Thible,Tibel

n - a stick to stir porridge

(this is an interesting variation to me. In Billy Brannan, a tyale fra t'Abbey Holme Billy used Thivel).

Yalla Pumps

n - very young calve; so called from their hoofs being yellow when calved.

Yallow-yowring

n. the yellow-hammer

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