An Alphabetical Compilation of Northumbrian Words, Phrases, Slang and Northumbrian Dialect

Posted On 27/03/2023

1. Barie (lovely)
2. Bonny (handsome)
3. Bumlors (bees)
4. Byre (cow shed)
5. Chep (man)
6. Divint (don’t)
7. Gan (go)
8. Kenspeckled (of distinctive appearance)
9. Lassie (girl)
10. Laddie (lad)
11. Limmer (stupid or useless person)
12. Mebbies (perhaps)
13. Mooth (mouth)
14. Mizzle (drizzle like rain)
15. Muckle (big)
16. Oxters (armpits)
17. Pan Haggerty (traditional Northumbrian dish with potatoes)
18. Pet (a term of affection)
19. Wam (warm)
20. Whisht! (be quiet)
21. Willie-waught (a full draught of ale)
22. Yous (plural of you)

Northumberland is one of two English counties that border onto Scotland (the other is Cumbria).

There are several dialects spoken in Northumberland that spread out across the North East of England and takes in Geordie (Newcastle), Mackem (Wearside, Sunderland) and Smoggie (Teeside) to name the main few.

The traditional dialect is a moribund language, an older dialect from the one currently spoken in the area and heavily influenced by Scots and Cumbrian. They all have their common ancestor language as Northumbrian Old English.

Sources for this post include Wikipedia, Northumbrian Words, Northumbrian Dictionary and the staff at Go Ape at Rivington.

The previous blog was Cumberland…next up Durham…