22 Keywords And Phrases From The Northumbrian Dialect
Vexillology image: Wikipedia
- Mebbies (perhaps)
- Gan (go)
- Lassie (girl)
- Laddie (lad)
- Byre (cow shed)
- Barie (lovely)
- Bonny (handsome)
- Kenspeckled (of distinctive appearance)
- Muckle (big)
- Oxters (armpits)
- Divint (don’t)
- Pan Haggerty (traditional Northumbrian dish with potatoes)
- Pet (a term of affection)
- Bumlors (bees)
- Chep (man)
- Limmer (stupid or useless person)
- Mooth (mouth)
- Mizzle (drizzle like rain)
- Whisht! (be quiet)
- Willie-waught (a full draught of ale)
- Yous (plural of you)
- Wam (warm)
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.
Please note this list is neither extensive, scientifically factual or an accurate countdown or cut-off point. It is based on the much more gradley no-nonsense reet good method of using yer loaf, as we like to say in Lanky.
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…
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Nikki
I live in Lancashire, in the North of England. I write for pleasure and to amplify people's stories who might not have such an equal footing in the mainstream media. Follow my blog, subscribe to my newsletter, join me to help build word-bridges between people, across the English Channel, over the Irish Sea and beyond the Atlantic Ocean. Oh you can hire me as well if you need words, because I really like helping people too :-)