.....
|
|
|
|
(delwedd B8825) (tudalen 200)
|
200
Rammil-cheese Shall
*Rammil-cheese. Cheese made of raw unskimmed milk. S. W.
Ramp. Add : (2) v. To rage, as ' My bad tooth just about
ramped aal laas' night.' N.W.
Ramping. Add : (2) Of pain, violent, raging. * I wur in that
rampin' pain, I didn't know whur to get to.' N.W.
*Rook-worm. A cockchafer grub. Obsolete.
'I have heard knowing countreymen affirme that rooke-wormes,
which the crows and rookes doe devour at sowing time, doe turn to
chafers.' AUBREY'S Nat. Hist. Wilts, p. 67, ed. Brit.
*Round market. See quotation.
' Warminster is exceeding much frequented for a round corn-market
on Saturday.' AUBREY'S Nat. Hist. Wilts, p. 114, ed. Brit.
Ruck. (i) n. A crease in a stocking, &c. N.W.
(2) v. To crease or wrinkle up. * My shirt wur aal rucked
up under my arms, an' I cudden' kip un down nohow.'
N.W. (3) Hence, to rub and gall. ' Thuck ther new boot
hev a-rucked she's heel ter'ble bad.' N.W.
*Ruddock. Sylvia rubecula, Eobin Kedbreast. In common use
at Warminster, though unknown a few miles away. S.W.
*Rumpled-skein. Add : Used of a tradesman's books, when
badly kept and hard to balance. N.W. (Glouc. bord.)
Bankers, Shankers, or Sinkers. Stockings without feet.
N.W. See The Scouring of the White Horse, ch. vi. p. 128.
Sar. Add : *(s) To earn. See note on Akerman, in Ellis's
English Dialects, p. 29.
Scrinchet. A scrap of food, a shred of stuff, &c. N.W. (Huish.)
Scroop. (i) n. A saving or miserly person. N.W.
(2) v. To save up, to screw and scrape. N.W.
Seed-furrow. See Ploughing terms.
Serve. See Sar.
Shacketty. Eicketty, shaky. N.W.
* Shackle. The straw covering of a hive. A sibilated form of
Hackle, q.v. S.W. (Deverill.)
Shall. To walk crookedly or awkwardly, to shamble along.
N.W. (Clyffe Pypard.)
|
|
|
|
|
(delwedd B8826) (tudalen 201)
|
Shame-faced
Maiden Snug 201
* Shame-faced Maiden. Add : *(2) Ornithogalum umbellatum,
L., Spiked Star of Bethlehem. S.W. (Little Langford.)
Shankers. See Bankers.
Shatter. To scatter, to sprinkle. ' Shatter th' pepper well
auver'n, do 'ee !' N.W.
Shattering. A sprinkling. ' Put just a shatter-in' on't.' N.W.
*Shirpings. The rough grass and weeds by the river banks,
which cannot be mown with the scythe, and have to be cut
afterwards with a sickle. S.W. (Salisbury.)
Short. Tender. Koast mutton ought to 'eat short.' N.W.
*Shreeving. Picking up windfalls, &c., in an orchard. S.W.
Shrimpy. Shrivelled, poor. N. & S.W.
*Shrovy. Puny, as 'What a shrovy child!' Cp. Shrievy,
applied in Hants to stuff with some of the threads pulled
out. S.W. (Deverill.)
Shucky. Eough, jolty : used of roads when the surface is
frozen and rutty. N.W.
Shuffle. To hurry along. 1 1 wur shufflin' to get whoam avore
dree.' Cf. Shuffet. N.W.
Sinkers. See Bankers.
Slink. Bad diseased meat.
*Sloot. To defraud. N.W. (Berks bord.)
Slox, Slocks. (2) To wear out clothes by careless use of
them. Compare Hock about. N.W.
*Slut's-farthings. Small hard lumps in badly kneaded bread.
Snake-stones. Fossil Ammonites. N.W., occasionally still
used.
'About two or three miles from the Devises are found in a pitt
snake-stones (Cornua ammonis) no bigger than a sixpence, of a black
colour.' AUBREY'S Nat. Hist. Wilts, p. 45, ed. Brit.
* In this parish [Wootton Bassett] are found delicate snakestones of
a reddish gray.' JACKSON'S Aubrey, p. 204.
Snug. Well, in health, comfortable. * I be main glad to hire
as your missus be so snug [is doing so well] a'ter her
confinement. ' N.W.
|
|
|
|
|
(delwedd B8827) (tudalen
202)
|
202 Sob Terrify
Sob. To sodden with wet. Cf. gobbled. N.W.
* Split-house. A joint tenancy ?
' Whereas we ... being inhabitants of the town of Marlborough . . .
have . . . for many years past, fed and depastured our mares and
geldings, two to each inhabitant not being certificate men nor split
houses, in the said earl's Forest of Savernak, &c.' 1790, Agistment
Deed as to Savernake Forest, quoted in Waylen's History of Marlborough,
p. 421.
Spray. To splay a sow, when set aside for fattening. N.W.
*Squailings, Squailens. Ungathered apples. S.W.
Staid. Add : Sometimes applied to an old horse or other
animal.
*Stars-and-garters. Ornitliogalum umbellatum, L., Star of
Bethlehem. N.W. (Heddington.)
Starvation cold. Extremely cold. See Starve. S.W.
Steart. (i) Add : Used at Salisbury by a gas-fitter of the
small projection turned by the gas-key.
"Stipe, Steip. Add: Steep. S.W., still in use about
Salisbury.
*Strikes. Segments of iron for wheel-binding. S.W.
Stubs. (4) Add : S. W.
Studdly. Add : also Stoodly.
*Sucker (Zucker). A spout from the roof. S.W.
Summer-folds. Freckles which come in summer time. N.W.
Tear. Add : Mr. Powell writes us that at Deverill this is
still used of breaking crockery, &c. S.W.
Teart. (3) Add : Acrimonious. Tort in Aubrey.
' The North Wilts horses, and other stranger horses, when they
come to drinke of the water of Chalke-river, they will sniff and snort,
it is so cold and tort.' AUBREY'S Nat. Hist. Wilts, pp. 23 24, ed. Brit.
'This riverwater [Chalke stream] is so acrimonious, that strange
horses when they are watered here will snuff and snort, and cannot
well drinke of it till they have been for some time used to it.' Ibid,
p. 28.
Terrify. * (3) Add : This is a Gloucestershire use of the word.
|
|
|
|
|
(delwedd B8828) (tudalen
203)
|
Thee and
Thou Unhealed 203
*Thee and Thou. (i) 'He thee'd and thou'd us,' said of
a clergyman who was very familiar with his flock. S.W.
(2) v. To abuse violently, to insult a person by addressing
him in the second person singular. A man complained of
the way in which his neighbours had been abusing him, the
climax of it all being reached when they began to t thee and
thou'him. N. & S.W.
Thetches. Add : Thatch. Vicia sativa, L. S.W. (Charlton.)
All vetches are known as l Thetches ' or l Thatches ' in Wilts,
being 'Blue,' 'Yellow,' or <Ked' Thetches according to the
colour of the flower.
Thread-the-needle. A very complicated form of this children's
game is played at Deverill, under the name of Dred-th'-wold-
'ooman's-needle. - S.W.
* Thunder-stones. Nodules of iron pyrites. *Hunderstones,
q.v., may be merely a misreading of the MS.
' Thunder-stones, as the vulgar call them, are a pyrites ; their fibres
do all tend to the centre. They are found at Broad Chalke frequently.'
AUBREY'S Nat. Hint. Wilts, p 40, ed. Brit.
Tine. Add : (6) To collect and burn couch and weeds in the
fields. N.W.
' What 'ould thy husband do ... if thee was too vine to turn hay,
or go tinin' or leazin' ? ' Dark, ch. xv.
*Tippertant. A young upstart. S.W.
*Trip. A brood or flock, as 'A vine trip o' vowels (fowls).'
In a MS. in the Bodleian a herd of tame swine is defined as
a trip, while one of wild swine is a sounder. S.W. (Deverill.)
*Tucky. Sticky. S.W.
*Turning-the-barrel. A game in which two children stand
back to back, locking their arms behind them, and lifting
each other by turns from the ground. S.W. (Deverill.)
Under-creep. v. To get the upper hand of by deceit, to over-
reach any one. S.W. (Britford and Harnham.)
* Underground Shepherd. Orchis mascula, L., Early Purple
Orchis. S.W. (Charlton.)
Unhealed. See Heal.
|
|
|
|
|
(delwedd B8829) (tudalen
204)
|
204 Vitty
Zwail
Vitty. Close, closely. Cp. fitly, Eph. iv. 16. N.W.
* Warning-stone. Add :
' The bakers take a certain pebble, which they put in the vaulture
of their oven, which they call the warning-stone : for when that is
white the oven is hot.' AUBREY'S Nat. Hist, Wilts, p. 43, ed. Brit.
* Water-sparrow. Salicaria phragmitis, the Sedge Warbler.
Cp. Brook-sparrow. S.W. (Deverill.)
Whinnock. To whimper. N.W.
Whinnocky. A whinnocky child is one that is always ailing
and whimpering. N.W. (Clyffe Pypard.)
White-livered. Add : S.W. (Deverill.)
Winter-stuff. Winter-greens. N.W.
*Witch-hazel. Ulmus montana, Sm.
' In Yorkshire is plenty of trees, which they call elmes ; but they
are wich-hazells, as we call them in Wilts.' AUBREY'S Nat. Hist. Wilts,
p. 54, ed. Brit.
Wrastle. Add : Measles, for instance, i wrastles ' all over the
face very quickly.
* Zwail. To shake about : to swing the arms. S.W.
(Deverill, &c.)
|
|
|
|
|
(delwedd B8830) (tudalen
205)
|
SPECIMENS OF
DIALECT
WE have thought it advisable to supplement the brief
examples of folk-talk which will be found in the body of this
work by a few somewhat longer specimens, which may be
taken as accurately representing the speech current at the pre-
sent time among the villages in North Wilts. Mr. Slow has
kindly added a similar specimen for South Wilts. The extracts
from Akerman exemplify the North Wilts speech of some fifty
or sixty years ago.
EXTKACTS FKOM THE GENUINE KEMAINS OF
WILLIAM LITTLE 1 .
BY J. Y. AKERMAN.
(From Wiltshire Tales, pp. 165-179.)
[North "Wilts.]
L
There be two zarts o' piple in this here world ov ourn : they as
works ael day lang and ael the year round, and they as dwon't work
at ael. The difference is jist a graat a-year, and they as dwon't work
at ael gets the graat that's zartin !
1 William Little was a shepherd in North Wilts, and was an old man
when Akerman was a boy.
|
|
|
|
|
(delwedd B8831) (tudalen
206)
|
206
SPECIMENS OF DIALECT
II.
It's oondervul to me how thengs do move about whenever a body's
got a drap o' zummut in's yead. Last harrest, a'ter zupper, at th'
house yander, I walked whoam by myzelf, and zeed the moon and
the zeven stars dancin' away like vengeance. Then they girt elmen
trees in the close was a dancin' away like Bill lies and his mates
at a morris. ' My zarvice to 'e,' zays I ; ' I haups you won't tread
on my twoes ; ' zo I went drough a sheard in th' hedge, instead o'
goin' drough th' geat. Well, when I got whoam, I managed to vind
the kay-hole o' th' doower but 'twas a lang time afore I could get
un to bide still enough, and got up stayers. Massy upon us ! the
leetle table (I zeed un very plain by the light o' th' moon) was
runnin' round th' room like mad, and there was th' two owld chayers
runnin' a'ter he, and by and by, round comes the bed a'ter they two.
' Ha ! ha ! ' zays I, ' that's very vine ; but how be I to lay down
while you cuts zich capers ? ' Well, the bed coined round dree
times, and the vowerth time I drowd myzelf flump atop ov un ; but
in th' marnin' I vound myzelf laying on the vloor, wi' ael me duds
on ! I never could make out this.
III.
I've allus bin as vlush o' money as a twoad is o' veathers ; but,
if ever I gets rich, I'll put it ael in Ziszeter bank, and not do as owld
Smith, the miller, did, comin' whoam vrom market one nite. Martal
avraid o' thieves a was, zo a puts his pound-bills and ael th' money
a'd a got about un, in a hole in the wall, and the next marnin' a'
couldn't remember whereabouts 'twas, and had to pull purty nigh
a mile o' wall down before a' could vind it. Stoopid owld wosbird !
IV.
Owld Jan Wilkins used to zay he allus cut's stakes when a went
a hedgin', too lang ; bekaze a' cou'd easily cut 'em sharter if a wanted,
but a' cou'dn't make um langer if 'em was cut too shart. Zo zays I ;
zo I allus axes vor more than I wants. Iv I gets that, well and good ;
but if I axes vor little, and gets less, it's martal akkerd to ax a zecond
time, d'ye kneow !
V.
Maester Tharne used to zay as how more vlies was cot wi' zugar
or honey than wi' vinegar, and that even a body's enemies med be
|
|
|
|
|
(delwedd B8832) (tudalen
207)
|
SPECIMENS OF
DIALECT 207
gammoned wi' vine words. Jim Pinniger zeemed to thenk zo too,
when a run agin the jackass one dark night. Jem tuk th' beawst
vor th' devil, and cot un by th' ear. ' Zaafs yer harn, zur* (Soft's
your horn, sir), zays Jem.
VI.
Old lies was drunk vor dree days together last Lammas, and a laid
down by the doower, and wanted zomebody to hauld un. When they
axed if a'd ha' a leetle drap mwore, a'd zeng out, ' Noa, noa, I won't
ha' a drap.' ' Do'e,' zaid they, ' do' e ha' a drap mwore.' ' Noa,
I won't, not a drap,' a grunted. At last another tried un, and then
th' owld bwoy cried out, ' Noa, I can't get a drap mwore down m' ;
drow't auver m'veace ! '
VII.
Measter Goddin used to zay as how childern costed a sight o' money
to breng um up, but 'twas all very well whilst um was leetle, and
zucked th' mother, but when um begun to zuck the vather, 'twas
nation akkerd.
VIII.
Measter Cuss, and his zun Etherd, went to Lonnun a leetle time
zence ; and when um got to their journey's ind, Measter Cuss missed
a girt passel a carr'd wi' un to th' cwoach. ' Lor', vather ! ' zays
Etherd, ' I zeed un drap out at 'Vize !' (Devizes.)
IX.
When I was a young man I had a dog, a precious 'cute un a was
too ! A'd catch a hare like a grayhound. I've cot a scare o' rabbuts
wi' hin in one night. By and by zomebody zays to the kippur, thuck
William's got a dog as plays th' devil wi' ael th' game. Zo th' kippur
comes up to m' one day, and zays, zays he, ' Maester Little, thuck
dog o' yourn's a bad un ; a gwos huntin', I'm towld.' ' Lar bless'e ! '
zays I, ' a wou'dn't harm a mouse, that a wou'dn't.' ' Dwon't
b'lieve it ! ' zays he. ' Come along wi' I by thuck copse yonder.'
Zo as us walked alang, up jumps a hare and away a scampers.
' Hollo ! hollo ! ' zays I to the dog, but a slunk behind m' directly
wi's tail betweeii's legs. ' Ha ! ' zays th' kippur, ' I blieves 'e now,
Little. Them as zays your dog hunts be liars, that's zartin. I'll
be cussed if I dwon't thenk a's vrightened o' th' game, that I do ! '
and zo a walked away, and wished m' good marnin'. 'Zo, ho!'
|
|
|
|
|
(delwedd B8833) (tudalen
208)
|
208
SPECIMENS OP DIALECT
thought I ; ' you be 'nation 'cute, you be, Maester Kippur. If
instead o' " hollo \ " I'd a cried " coom hedder ! " a'd
a run a'ter thuck
hare like mad ! '
[Note. The point of this story is that the poacher's dog had been
trained to understand the usual orders in exactly the opposite sense,
as the Devonshire smugglers' horses were in old days. Thus, the
more a smuggler called on his horse to stop, when he was challenged
by an Excise officer, the faster it would gallop off, the owner all the
while apparently endeavouring to check it but really urging it on.
See Mrs. Bray's Description of Devon.]
X.
' How far d'e cal't to Zirencester, my friend ? ' zays a Cockney
genelman one day to owld Pople, as a wor breakin' stwones on th'
road. ' Dwont kneow zich a please,' zays he, scrattin's yead, ' never
yeard on't avore ! ' ' What ! ' zays the genelman, ' never heard
o' Zirencester ? ' * Noa,' zays he, ' I aint.' ' Why, it's the next
town.' 'Haw! haw!' zays Pople; 'you means Ziszeter; why
didn't'e zay so ? it's about vower mile off.' He was a rum owld
customer, thuck owld Pople. One day zomebody axed un how var't
was to Ziszeter. ' Ho ! dree miles this weather.' (It was nation
dirty and slippy.) ' Why so ? ' zaid the man to'n ; ' Ho, it's about
two miles in vine weather ; but when it's hocksey, like this, we
allows a mile vor zlippin' back ! '
THE HAKNET AND THE BITTLE.
BY J. Y. AKERMAN.
[North Wilts.]
A Harnet zet in a hollow tree,
A proper spiteful twoad was he,
And a merrily zung while a did zet
His stinge as zharp as a baganet,
' Oh, who's zo bowld and vierce as I ?
I vears not bee, nor wapse, nor vly ! '
Chorus Oh, who's zo bowld, etc.
|
|
|
|
|
(delwedd B8834) (tudalen
209)
|
SPECIMENS OF
DIALECT 209
A Bittle up thuck tree did clim',
And scarnvully did luk at him.
Zays he, ' Zur Harnet, who giv' thee
A right to zet in thuck there tree ?
Although you zengs so nation vine,
I tell'e it's a house o' mine.'
Chorus Although you zengs, etc.
The Harnet's conscience velt a twinge,
But growin' bould wi' his long stinge,
Zays he, 'Possession's the best law,
Zo here th' shasn't put a claw.
Be off, and leave the tree to me :
The Mixen's good enough vor thee ! '
Chorus Be off, and leave, etc.
Just then a Yuccle passin' by
Was axed by them their cause to try.
' Ha ! ha ! it's very plain,' zays he,
' They'll make a vamous nunch for me ! '
His bill was zharp, his stomack lear,
Zo up a snapped the caddlin pair.
Chorus His bill was zharp, etc.
MORAL.
All you as be to law inclined,
This leetle story bear in mind ;
For if to law you ever gwo,
You'll vind they'll allus zarve'e zo ;
You'll meet the vate o' these 'ere two:
They'll take your cwoat and carcass too !
Chorus You'll meet the vate, etc.
From Wiltshire Tales, pp. 96-97.
[A phonetic version of this song, representing the Chippenham
dialect, will be found at pp. 28, 29 of Ellis's English Dialects their
Sounds and Homes, where it is pointed out that stinge (with g soft)
appears to have been invented by Akerman for the sake of the rhyme
here.]
|
|
|
|
|
(delwedd B8835) (tudalen
210)
|
210
SPECIMENS OF DIALECT
From THE VARGESES.
BY J. Y. AKERMAN.
[North Wilts.]
' Now, do'e plaze to walk in a bit, zur, and rest'e, and dwont'e
mind niy measter up agin th' chimley earner. Poor zowl an bin,
he've a bin despert ill ever zence t'other night, when a wur tuk
ter'ble bad wi' th' rheumatiz in's legs and stummick. He've a bin
and tuk dree bottles o' doctor's stuff; but I'll be whipped if a do
siinbly a bit th' better var't. Lawk, zur, but I be main scrow to be
ael in zich a caddie, ael alang o' they childern. They've a bin
a leasin, and when um coomed whoame, they ael tuk and drowed
the earn ael among th' vire stuff, and zo here we be, ael in a muggle
like. And you be lookin' middlinish, zur, and ael as if e was
shrammed. I'll take and bleow up th' vire a mossel; but what
be them bellises at ? here they be slat a-two ! and here's my yeppurn
they've a'bin and searched, and I've a-got narra 'nother 'gin Zunday
besepts thisum !' Wiltshire Tales, pp. 137-8.
THOMAS'S WIVES.
[North Wilts : Clyffe Pypard.]
' Lawk aw ! if 'tean't Thomas ! and how be you ? I han't seen'ee
fur a lenth o' time. An' they tells I as you've a got a new missis
agean ! That's the vowerth, yun it ? '
* Ees, I 'spose te-uz. Thur, didden sim right 'snaw wi'out a 'ooman
down thur, 'tes sich a girt gabborn place thuck wold house. Do zim
zart o' unkid to bide thur by yerself. 'Tes so lonesome, perticler
night-times. Thur yun't narra naighber aniest 'ee, an' if a body wur
ill ur any thin' o' that, 'tud be just about a job 'snaw.'
' An ' do the new missis shoot'ee main well ? '
'Aw thur, I han't got nothen to zaay agen th' 'ooman. Th'
'ooman's wull enough as fur as I knaaws on. Her's a decent staid
body 'snaw. 'Tean't likely as I wur a gwain to hae no hans wi' none
o' they giglettin' wenchen they got so many 'oonderments to 'em
when they be so young.'
'An' 'cordin' as I da hire tell on't her've a got a bit o' money
saved, haven' her ? '
' 0' course her got summat 'snaw, but Lor' bless 'ee ! tean't nothen
near as much as vawk says for.'
|
|
|
|
|
(delwedd B8836) (tudalen
211)
|
SPECIMENS OF
DIALECT 211
' Wull, 'tean't no odds to I, but they was a zaayin' up at public
as aal your wives had zummut when they come to you ; an' they did
zaay as you must ha' made a main good thing out on't wi' one an'
tother on em ! '
* What good is it to hearken to they ? I tell'ee what 'tea What
wi' bringin' on 'em in an' carr'n on 'em out, 'tean't but vurry leetle
profit to't ! '
E. H. G.
MANSLAUGHTER AT 'VIZE 'SIZES.
[North Wilts : Devizes.]
Counsel. What do you know about this case ?.
Witness. What do'ee zaay ? I be zo hard o' hirin', I caan't hire
nothen, wi'out I comes handier to 'ee.
Counsel. What did you see the prisoner do ?
Witness. Aw ! I tell'd 'ee avore as I zeed it aal. I wurden no
furder awaay vrom un then I be vrom thuck owld gent thur [the
Judge]. Bill Stevens he come out an' a zaays, zaays he, ' I'll break
thee mazzard vor the' ! ' an' a offer'd to hit un wi' a graft as he wur
a carr'n. An' Jim he up wi' he's showl an' hut un auver th' yead
wi't. An' if Tie hadden a hut he, he'd a hut he, an' if he'd a hut he
as he hut he, he'd a killed he, 'sted o' he killin' he ! That's aal as I
knaws on't !
E. H. G.
HOW OUR ETHERD GOT THE PEWRESY.
[North Wilts : Hilmarton.]
Etherd he bin sart o' rough fur this long time, wuver he never bin
not to say well since he wur bad wi' the influenzy las' year. A
ketched a cowld the day as thuck rain wur. A wur up at hill wi' the
ship out in the bleat, an' a cudden get into the succour nowur, and
vor aal as he wur droo wet he wur foc'd to bide in't aal day. An'
when a cum whoam at night a says to I, 'Mary,' a says, 'I feels
ter'ble middlin'. I got a mind to ha' a bit o' zupper an gwo to bed.'
Wull, I got un out the berd an' cheese out o' the panterny, but da
you thenk as he cud yeat or a mossel on't ? not if anybody had
a gied he the wurld, a cudden't, a said. An' a simmed zart o'
shrammed wi' the cowld, an' a did kip on a coughin a'ter he got into
bed, and simmin to I a never stopped till the clock hut dree, and then
that rampin pain cum on at such a rate in hes zide, as he didden
p 2
|
|
|
|
|
(delwedd B8837) (tudalen
212)
|
212
SPECIMENS OF DIALECT
knaw wur to get to, nur what to do. An' that follered on aal day,
and I cudden get un to take next akin to nothin', and allus a wantin
summut to drenk. That wur aal he's cry. Thur I made shower as
he'd a died avore the doctor come. Bill he went in to fetch un, but
a never come till Vriday aaternoon, and a said as he'd a got the
pewresy and he'd send un along a bottle o' medecine, but Etherd
he wudden take it 'snaw, fur a said twern't nuthen in this wurV but
a drop o' water wi' some peppermint in't or summat o' that. An'
Sally Moore her come in wi' some hoss-fat as come out o' thuck owld
hoss o' Mas' John's as vull in the pit, an' her 'suaded I to rub some o'
that into un, an' that sim to do he more good bless'ee thun aal the
doctor's medecine. Wuver the doctor he come agean isterday marnin',
and a axed un how a wur. An' a spawk up bless'ee and telled un
straight as twern't nor a mozzel o' good fur he to zend no more o'
thuck stuff as he zent avore, fur a zaid as twern't wuth a louse's liver !
The doctor he didden like ut vurry well, but a telled I as he'd channge
it, an' zo a did. A let the bwoy ride back along wi' un, an' a brought
back this yer bottle wi' summat wrote on't. But thur I bean't no
scholard, and the bwoy he cudden rade it, but a zaid as the doctor
tell'd he as a wurden to take but one spoonvull on't once in vower
hours. Zo I gied un a dawse, but he 'suaded I to gie un two spoon-
vulls, and I'll warn as a hadden a took ut vive minutes avore twer aal
aiwer'nback, bully, an' zides! Now that's what I caals zome o' the
right zart that, and I got faith as that'll do he good !
E. H. G.
GWOIN' KAYTHEK TOO FUK WI' A VEYTHEK.
[North 'Wilts: Clyffe Pypard.]
My veyther now, he never 'oudden yeat none o' this here Hostilian
meat nor nuthen o' that. I axed un one day why a 'oudden, and
a zes, 'Do meak I shrill, the vurry sight on't do they tells I as't do
come vrom wur the War is, an' 'tes made o' souldiers a pretty deal
on't. Wuver nobody shan't 'suade I to hae none on't.' And he 'oudden,
bless'ee ! not if you was to gie un ever so !
Wull, my brother Jim, he kneowed this o' course, an' he do most
in general ax veyther an' mother an' aal on us to come to zupper wi'
he about Christmas time he wur allus vurry good for anything o'
that an' laas' year aal on us had a zot down to zupper, an' ther wur
a girt pie at Jim's end, an' Sarah her had a piece o' biled bif ur wur
'twer mutton I caan't rightly mind wuver dwon't meak no odds as
I kneows on which twer an' Jim he zes to veyther, ' Veyther, which
|
|
|
|
|
(delwedd B8838) (tudalen
213)
|
SPECIMENS OP
DIALECT 213
be a gwain to hae, some o' this here pie ur some o' thick biled bif as
Sally got down tother end?' An' veyther zes, 'What's the pie
made on then ?' An' Jim he zes, ' 'Tes mutton, yunnit, Sally ?' 'Aw,'
zes veyther, ' I wur allus ter'Ue vond o' mutton pie, an' our Mary her
never 'oon't gie I none on't at whoam.'
Zo veyther he had a plate vull on't, an' a begun a gettin' this yer
pie into un at a terrible rate, an' when a done, Jim zes, 'What be
gwain at now, veyther ? Wull'ee channge yer mind an' hae some o'
tother ? ' ' No,' zes veyther, ' I'll hae some more o' thuck pie. I caals
it oncommon good. I dwont knaw when I've a teasted anythen as
I likes better'n thuck pie.' An' a did jist about enjoy hesself, bless'ee,
awver's zupper.
An' when a done, Jim zes, ' Veyther,' a zes, ' Do'ee kneow what
thuck pie wur made on ? ' ' Noa,' zes veyther, ' I dwont, any more'n
you zed as 'twer mead o' mutton, didden'ee ? Let it be whatever
'twill, 'twer uncommon good.'
An' Jim he looks at un zart o' comical, an' a zes, ' Veyther, 'twer
mead o' some o' thuck Hostilian meat as you zed as nobody shudden
'suade'ee to yeat none on ! '
An' zimmin to I veyther's feace turned zart o' aal colours, and a zes,
' Lawk a massey ! dwon'ee tell I that, ur I shall drow't aal up agean ! '
An' none on us dursen zaay no more to un, a look'd so guly, we was
aveard as he 'ood.
But aater 'bout a haaf an hour Jim he zes, ' Veyther, an' how d'ee
feel now ? ' An' veyther zes, 'Aw, 'tes better now,' but a zes, * I thenk,'
a zes, ' as this here is a gwoin' rayther too fur wi' a veyther ! '
E. H. G.
NOTHEN AS I LIKES WUSSEK.
[North "Wilts: Clyffe Pypard.]
'Tes allus a caddlin' zart of a job takin' they fat beasties to Swinnun
Market, but dalPd if ever I had such a doin' wi'em afore as 'twer
isterday. 'Twer thuck thur white-veaced un as Measter bought off
a ole Collins laas' yer as done it. I'd a nauticed as he wur a pankin'
tur'ble as we was a gwain up the hill, an' as zoon as iver he got
vorright the Red Lion he 'oudden go no furder, an' thur a wur led
down in the middle o' the strit. Thur yun't nothen as I likes wusser'n
that, bless'ee ! Thur be such a sight o' 'oondermentin' chaps a gaapsin'
about thur allus, a body caan't bide quiet nohow fur their maggots.
And then if 'ee ses arra word to 'em they puts 'ee in the Noos, an'
that's wussern' aal on't ! Thuck girt gaapus Bill Wilkins come up,
|
|
|
|
|
(delwedd B8839) (tudalen
214)
|
214
SPECIMENS OF DIALECT
an' a begun a laafin' at I, an' a axed wur I'd a slep on the rwoad laas'
night. Dall'd if I hadden a mine to ha' gien he what-for thur-right,
if 't hadden a bin fur the narration as they'd a made on't. A wur
allus a terrible voolhardy zart of a chap, an' I niver coudden away wi'
a lot o' that 'oondermentin'. Simmin to I I'd zooner walk ten mile
roun' than hae to stan up in 'Ootton strit like a vool wi' they chaps
a terrifyin' on'ee.
E. H. G.
PUTTEN' UP TH' BANNS.
[South Wilts: Wilton.]
Wen Zal Slatter coorteed Jim Bleak he wur under carter, an' she
wur maid a ael wuk up at Hill Varm. Zoo thay 'greed ta putt up tha
banns unbeknown to their measter an' missus. Wen Varmer corned
out a chirch thic Zundy a gooes straight inta kitchen wur Zal wur
cookin' a girt laig a mutten var dinner, an a zaays, 'Zal,' a zaays,
' Wur that thee an' Jim I yeard caal'd whoam bit now ? ' 'I 'specs
'twur, measter,' zaays Zal. ' Why, wat in tha wordle diss thee want
ta get married var ? Hassen a got a good whoam, a good bade ta
sleep on ? an' a good laig a mutten ta zet down to wen bist 'ungry ? '
* eece, measter,' zaays Zal, ' I knaas ael that, bit did 'ee ever know
a wench as hooden gie up a laig o' mutten var a whole man ? '
E. SLOW.
THE CANNINGS VAWK.
[North Wilts : Clyffe Pypard.]
I niver wur at Cannin's but once as I knaws on, an' that wur when
Mr. Jones wur alive. I went awver wi' he to Cannin's Veast. I mind
thur wur a lot on 'em thur from Ca'an [Calne] as wur a tellin' up zuch
tales as was never about the Cannin's vawk. The' tell'd I as zome on
'em got up the Church tower, and dunged that thur what is it ?
a-top o' the tower, to make un grow as big as the spire. I never
he-ard tell o' zuch a thing ! Should 'ee iver thenk as 'twer true ? An'
the' tell'd I as 'twern't but a vurry veow years ago as zome on 'em
hired as ther wur a comut ur what 'ee caals ut, to be zeed in 'Vize
market-place, an' pretty nigh aal Cannin's went in thur to zee un,
an' niver thought o' lookin' to zee wur they cudden zee un at whoam.
What some girt stups they must a bin ! An' thur wur a cooper ur
zummat o' that, as cudden putt th' yead into a barr'l ; an' a tell'd he's
bwoy to get inside and howld un up till he'd a vastened un. An'
|
|
|
|
|
(delwedd B8840) (tudalen
215)
|
SPECIMENS OF
DIALECT 215
when a done the bwoy hollered out droo the bung hawl, How be I
to get out, veyther?'-That bit tickled 1, bless'ee ! moor'n aal on't !
Arterwards one on 'em axed I if thur wurden a Cannin's girl in sarvice
at our place ; an' I zes ' I b'lieve as 'tes.' An' a zes, ' Do'ee iver zaa
Baa! to she ? ' An' I zes ' Noa, vur why should I zaay Baa ! to she ? '
An' a zes 'You should allus zaay Baa! to a body as comes vroni
Cannin's.' ' Wull,' I zes, ' I shudden like to zaay Baa ! to any body
wi'out I know'd the rason on't.' An' then a tell'd I as the' had a
tiddlin' lamb as wur ter'ble dickey, an' the' putt un into th' o-ven, to
kip un warm' an' shut un in an' forgot aal about un, an lef un in
thur. An' when the' awpened the o-ven agean a wur rawsted droo !
Wull, I come whoam, an' niver thought nothen more on't fur a
lenth o' time, till one daay as I wur a workin' in the garden, measter
an' missus wur out, an' the girls come out an' begun a 'oondermentin'
an' terrifyin' I. An' aal at once this yer shot into my mind, an'
I looks up at the cook an' I zes, ' Baa!' But her didden take no
nautice, an' a went on chatteriri'. An' I zes ' Baa ! ' agean. An' that
put her pot on, bless'ee ! at a terrible rate, an' she zes to I, * Who be
you ' she zes, ' to zaay Baa ! to I ? ' An' wi' that they boath on 'em
went auf in-a-doors, an' they niver come a meddlin' wi' I agean fur
a long whiles.
E. H. G.
LUNNON AVORE ANY WIFE.
[North Wilts: Clyffe Pypard.]
Thur's our Bill, 'snaw I had a main job to get he to gwoa. He bin
a walkin' wi' thuck ginger-headed wench o' Smith's a wur terrible
took up wi' she a bit back, an' her bin a 'suading he to putt up the banns.
A never zed nothen to I about ut, nit I never zed nothen to he not afore
laas' Vriday wick, an' then there wur a word or two, and I zes to un,
' What's thee want wi' a wife ? Thee's got no more 'casion wi' a wife
than a twoad has wi' a zide-pawket ' I zes ' an' ef thee'se be
a-gwain to hae she thee can plase theeself, but thee shasn't never
hannel narra penny piece o' mine ef thee does ! An' ther's Shusan's
brother-law up a Lunnon, as hev a axed the' times to gwo up, an' he'd
vine the' a pleace wur the' meds't do well. Why dwon't 'ee teak an'
gwo, 'stid o' loppettin' about at whoam wi' a wench as yun't narra
mossel o' good fur cheese-makin' nur nothen else 'cept 'tes to look
vine in thuck new hat o' shis'n?' Them was my words to un, an' he
wur zart o' dubous wur a'd gwo ur wur a 'oodden : but I sticks it into
un as Lunnon wer far afore any wife, let ut be who 'twill. An' zo
|
|
|
|
|
(delwedd B8841) (tudalen
216)
|
216
SPECIMENS OF DIALECT
a zed a 'oodden bide yer no longer, fur ef a did her'd never let un gwo.
An' a started awf thur-right, an' I han't a hired from un wur a likes
it or wur a dwon't.
E. H. G.
KITCHIN' TH' INFLUENZY.
[North Wilts.]
Our Jess wur cwoortin' Polly :
Her gwoed an' kitched th' plague.
'Zo cwoortin's wusser'n volly,'
Zes Jess, ' an' I'll renage ! '
Zes Polly, ' Dang thee buttons !
Thee gwo an' blaw thee's nause!
Zo zhure as zhip be muttons,
Th' dain be in thee's claus ! '
Martal aveard wur Jesse,
An' tuk an' hiked it whoam.
* Bin in my claus 'tes,' zes 'e,
* I'll make a bonvire aw'm ! '
Zo off a zoon tuk aal claus,
Vrom sankers up ta zmock,
Vur weskit, cwoat an' srnaal- claus,
An' putt 'em in a cock.
Jess wur a vool, but Lawksies !
Thur's zights aw'm wusser'n he !
It minds I o' Guy Vawks's,
Thuck vire o' he's to zee !
'Twur down in veyther's archet,
A gashly smother 'twur,
Vor when you comes to search it,
Thur be a zim to vur !
But 'twern't no zart o' use on't,
A zoon beginned to sneeze
An' when I hires moor news on't,
I'll telPee how a be's !
G. E. D.
|
|
|
|
|
(delwedd B8842) (tudalen
217)
|
APPENDIX I
A Bibliography of Works relating to Wilts or
illustrating its Dialect.
MOST of the works comprised in the following list have lately
been read through, and compared with our own Glossary, and
references to many of them will be found in the foregoing
pages. Some may contain a more or less comprehensive Wilt-
shire Glossary ; others only a few words. Some belong abso-
lutely to our own county ; others merely to the same group of
dialects. But all are of value as bearing on the subject. The
Berks, Dorset, Gloucester, Hants, and Somerset Glossaries of
course contain a large proportion of words and uses that are
either absolutely identical with ours, or vary but slightly there-
from, while such works as Amaryllis, Dark, Lettice Lisle, and
Jonathan Merle on the one side, and Old Country Words and
English Plant-names on the other, are full of examples and
illustrations of the South- Western Folk-speech. Even where
their scene is laid somewhat outside the borders of Wilts
itself, the dialect, with but trifling alterations, would pass
as ours.
S. Editha, sive Chronicon Vilodunense, im Wiltshire Dialekt, aus
MS. Cotton. Faustina B in. Herausgegeben von C. HORST-
MANN. Heilbronn : Gebr. Henninger, 1883. A handy
reprint of this fifteenth century Chronicle.
Parochial Antiquities attempted in the History of Ambroseden,
Burcester, and adjacent parts in Oxford and Bucks. By
Bishop KENNETT, 1695. Keprinted 1816 and 1818. Con-
tains a few Wilts words. See Five Reprinted Glossaries.
|
|
|
|
|
(delwedd B8843) (tudalen
218)
|
218 APPENDIX
T
Lansdowne MSS., 935-1042, British Museum. By Bishop
KENNETT. Also contain some Wilts words.
The Natural History of Wiltshire. By JOHN AUBREY. (1656-91).
Edited by JOHN BRITTON. London, 1847.
Wiltshire: the Topographical Collections of John Aubrey. (1659-
70). Edited by Eev. JOHN EDWARD JACKSON. London and
Devizes, 1862.
Other works and MSS. ~by John Aubrey.
Collection of a few Provincial Terms used in North Wilts. An
eighteenth century MS. Vocabulary, fully dealt with in
Appendix II as Cunnington MS.
A Provincial Glossary. By FRANCIS GROSE. Second edition,
1 7 90. Out of the twenty-eight words which Britton marks
as given in Grose, only the following are credited to Wilts
in this edition : Allemang, Carriage, Contankerous, Dewsiers,
Drowning-bridge, Dudge, Grow, or Groom, Huff, Leer, Lowle-
eared, Quirking, Eudderish, and Wasset-man. The remainder
(Aneust, Axen, Beet, Bochant, DaddocJc, More, Quamp, Quarr,
Quilt, Quop, Skiel, Sleepy, Tail-ends, Toilet, and Tid) are not
there assigned to Wilts ; but as Britton may very possibly
have found them so localized in the revised 1811 edition,
which we have not had an opportunity of consulting, we add
(G. ) to the whole of them, on his authority.
General View of the Agriculture of the County of Wilts, with
observations on the means of its improvement. By THOMAS
DAVIS of Longleat, Steward to the Marquess of Bath. Lon-
don, 1794. An Agricultural Keport or Survey, afterwards
much enlarged. The author died in 1807.
General View of the Agriculture of Wiltshire. Drawn up for the
consideration of the Board of Agriculture and Internal Im-
provement. By THOMAS DAVIS. London, 1809. New
editions, 1811 and 1813. An enlarged and revised reprint
of the Agricultural Report, edited by the Author's son. Con-
tains an interesting Glossary of Agricultural Terms, arranged
under subjects, as Soils, Barn Process, Implements, &c., at
|
|
|
|
|
(delwedd B8844) (tudalen
219)
|
APPENDIX I
219
pp. 258-268 ; also a few additional words in the body of
the work.
Archaeological Review, March, 1888, vol. i, No. i, pp. 33-39.
Contains a reprint of Davis's Glossary, with notes by Pro-
fessor Skeat, rearranged alphabetically, a few words and
phrases being omitted as general or legal.
Some Specimens of the Provincial Dialect of South Wiltshire. By
'MARK.' Monthly Magazine, Sept. 1814, vol. xxxviii,
p. 1.14. Noted in the Preface to Five Reprinted Glossaries.
See Appendix III.
A Topographical and Historical Description of the County of Wilts.
By JOHN BRITTON. London, N.D. [1814 ?]. Vol. xv of ' The
Beauties of England.'
The Beauties of Wiltshire, displayed in Statistical, Historical,
and Descriptive Sketches, &c. By JOHN BRITTON. 3 vols.
London, 1801-1825. Vol. iii contains a list of Provincial
Words of Wiltshire and the adjacent Counties, pp. 369-380.
See Appendix II.
Five Reprinted Glossaries. Edited by Professor SKEAT. Eng.
Dialect Socy., 1879. Contains (a) Wiltshire Words, from
' Britton's Beauties of Wiltshire,' 1825; compared with 'AJcer-
man's Glossary,' 1842, a few words being added from the
Monthly Magazine, &c. (Z>) Dialectal Words, from i Kenneths
Parochial Antiquities, 1695.'
A Glossary of Provincial Words and Phrases in use in Wiltshire.
By JOHN YONGE AKERMAN. London, 1842. An unacknow-
ledged enlargement of Britton's Word-list. See Five Reprinted
Glossaries.
Wiltshire Tales. By J. Y. AKERMAN. London, 1853.
Spring-tide : or the Angler and his Friends. By J. Y. AKERMAN.
London, 1850. Contains many Wiltshire and West of
England words.
A Dictionary of Archaic and Provincial Words. By J. O.
HALLIWELL. London, 1846, &c.
Dictionary of Obsolete and Provincial English. By THOMAS
WRIGHT. London, 1857, &c.
|
|
|
|
|
(delwedd B8845) (tudalen
220)
|
220 APPENDIX
I
The Song of Solomon in the Wiltshire Dialect, as it is spoken in
the Northern Division. By EDWARD KITE. Circa 1860.
Privately printed for Prince L. Lucien Bonaparte.
Content : or the Day Labourer's Tale of his Life. By Mrs. PEN-
RUDDOCKE, Fyfield Manor House, Wilts. Salisbury, 1860.
Peasant Life in the West of England. By F. G. HEATH.
1872-80.
Fdbellae Mostellariae : or Devonshire and Wiltshire Stories in
Verse. London and Exeter, 1878.
'Rhymes of the Wiltshire Peasantry, and other Trifles. By EDWARD
SLOW. Salisbury, 1874.
Wiltshire Rhymes : a Series of Poems in the Wiltshire Dialect.
By EDWARD SLOW. London and Salisbury, 1881. Also
Third edition, 1885.
Wiltshire Rhymes. Fourth Series. By EDWARD SLOW. Salis-
bury and Wilton, 1889. Contains a Glossary of about 200
words, pp. 9-14.
Glossary of Wiltshire Words. Compiled by EDWARD SLOW.
Wilton, 1892. Contains about 900 words, of which a few
are of special interest.
Works of Richard Jefferies :
A Memoir of the Goddards of North Wilts, 1873. The Game-
keeper at Home, 1878. Wild Life in a Southern County.
1879. The Amateur Poacher, 1879. Greene Ferne Farm,
1880. Hodge and his Masters, 1880. Round about a Great
Estate, 1880. Wood Magic, 1881. Bevis, 1882. The Life
of the Fields, 1884. The Dewy Morn, 1884. The Open
Air, 1885. Amaryllis at the Fair, 1887. Field and
Hedgerow, 1889. The Toilers of the Field, 1892, &c., &c.
The Eulogy of Richard Jefferies. By WALTER BESANT. 1888.
Some un-noted Wiltshire Phrases. By Kev. W. C. PLENDER-
LEATH. Wilts Archaeological Magazine, vol. xxii. p. 107.
Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Magazine. All
vols.
|
|
|
|
|
(delwedd B8846) (tudalen
221)
|
APPENDIX I 221
History of the Manor and Ancient Barony of Castle Combe in the
county of Wilts, &c., &c. By G. POULETT SCROPE. Pri-
vately printed, 1852.
Records of Chippenham, relating to the Borough from its Incor-
poration by Queen Mary to its Eeconstruction by Act of
Parliament, 1889, &c., &c. By FREDERICK H. GOLDNEY.
1889.
Sarum Diocesan Gazette, Annual Eeports of Flower-classes, by
Mr. HUSSEY and Mr. TATUM.
The Flowering Plants of Wilts. By Rev. T. A. PRESTON. Pub-
lished by Wilts Arch. Society, 1888.
The Birds of Wiltshire. By Rev. ALFRED C. SMITH. London
and Devizes, 1887. Reprinted from Wilts Arch. Mag.
Glory : a Wiltshire Story. By Mrs. G. LINNAEUS BANKS. Lon-
don, 1 876(7). New edition, 1892. Scene partly laid in
and round Marlborough.
On the Upper Thames. By Miss E. BOYER-BROWN. Leisure
Hour, August, 1893. Contains many words belonging to
the Castle Eaton and Marston Maizey district.
A Dictionary of English Plant-names. By JAMES BRITTEN and
ROBERT HOLLAND. E. D. S. 1878-86. A very valuable
work, containing a small number of Wilts names, mostly
from sources already referred to. The whole of the Plant-
names in our Glossary have been sent to Mr. Britten from
time to time, for use in the Supplement which he is now
preparing.
English Dialects their Sounds and Homes. By A. J. ELLIS.
E. D. S. 1890. Contains some remarks at pp. 24-29 on
Wilts, with specimens of dialect from Christian Malford and
Chippenham, accompanied by a rendering into Glossic.
A Glossary of Berkshire Words and Phrases. By Major B.
LOWSLEY. E. D. S. 1888.
Upton-on-Severn Words and Phrases. By Rev. ROBERT LAWSON.
E. D. S. 1884. A reprint of his smaller Glossary, which
originally appeared in The Nation in the Parish, by Mrs.
LAWSON.
|
|
|
|
|
(delwedd B8847) (tudalen
222)
|
222 APPENDIX
I
The Dialect of the West of England, particularly Somersetshire.
By JAMES JENNINGS. 1825. Second edition, revised and
edited by Rev. JAMES K. JENNINGS. London, 1869.
Poems of Rural Life in the Dorset Dialect. By Rev. WILLIAM
BARNES. Glossary, pp. 459-467, edition 1888.
Glossary of the Dorset Dialect, 1863-86. By Rev. WILLIAM
BARNES. Also the additional Word-lists published by him
from time to time in the Dorset County Chronicle.
Natural History, Folk Speech, and Superstitions of Dorsetshire.
By J. S. UDAL. A paper read before the Dorset Field Club
at Dorchester, in February, 1889, containing a Glossary,
which was given in full in the report in the local papers at
the time.
A Glossary of Dialect $ Archaic Words used in the County of
Gloucester. By J. D. ROBERTSON. Edited by Lord MORETON.
E. D. S. 1 890.
A Glossary of Hampshire Words and Phrases. By the Rev. Sir
WILLIAM H. COPE. E. D. S. 1883.
A Dictionary of the Sussex Dialect. By Rev. W. D. PARISH.
Lewes. 1875.
On the Dialects of Eleven Southern and South-Western Counties,
with a new Classification of the English Dialects. By
Prince Louis LUCIEN BONAPARTE. E. D. S. 1877.
On the Survival of Early English Words in our present Dialects.
By Rev. RICHARD MORRIS. E. D. S. 1876.
Old Country and Farming Words, By JAMES BRITTEN. E. D. S.
1880. Contains extracts from the following volumes,
among which may be found a few additional Wilts words,
as well as much information on our agricultural terms :
ELLIS, WILLIAM. The Modern Husbandman. 1750.
Reports of the Agricu Itural Survey, 1793-1813.
LISLE, EDWARD. Observations in Husbandry. 1757.
WORLIDGE, J. Dictionarium rusticum. 1681.
Annals of Agriculture, $c. 1 784-1 8 1 5.
MORTON, JOHN C. Cyclopcedia of Agriculture, 1863.
|
|
|
|
|
(delwedd B8848) (tudalen
223)
|
APPENDIX I
223
Folk-Etymology, a Dictionary of Verbal Corruptions, $c. By Eev.
A. SMYTHE PALMER. London, 1882.
Lettice Lisle. By Lady VERNEY. 1870. Contains much ex-
cellent Hants talk.
The New Forest : its History and its Scenery. By J. R. WISE.
London, 1871. Glossary, pp. 279-288, also words in text.
Jonathan Merle : a West Country story of the times. By
ELISABETH B. BAYLY. 1 890. Affords many good illustra-
tions of words used in Wilts, as the two following works
also do.
Tess of the If Urbervilles. By THOMAS HARDY. 1891.
TJie Story of Dick. By Major GAMBLER PARRY. 1892.
Dark : a Tale of the Down Country. By Mrs. STEPHEN BATSON.
London, 1892. The scene is laid in Berks, just over the
borders, but the dialect, which is excellently done, is to all
intents and purposes that of North Wilts.
A History of Marlborough College during Fifty Years. By
A. G. BRADLEY, A. C. CHAMPNEYS, and J. W. BAINES.
London, 1893.
John Darkens Sojourn in the Cotteswolds and elsewhere. By S. S.
BUCKMAN. 1890.
The Scouring of the White Horse. By THOMAS HUGHES. 1858.
APPENDIX II
Cunnington MS.
|
|
|
|
|
(delwedd B8849) (tudalen
224)
|
AMONG the
various books and word-lists which we have
consulted during the progress of this work, by no means the
least interesting is the manuscript containing a Collection of
a few Provincial Terms used in North Wilts, believed to have
been compiled about the middle of last century, which was
kindly lent us by its present owner, Mr. William Cunnington,
and is here frequently referred to as Cunnington MS.
This valuable relic was at one time in the possession of
Mr. J. Britton, as is proved by the notes in his early handwriting
on the outer leaves, and was evidently the source to which he
was indebted for some portions of his 1825 Glossary (in the
Beauties of Wilts, vol. iii), the very peculiar wording and spelling
of some of its paragraphs having been transferred direct to his
pages. It must, however, have been in his hands at a much
earlier date than 1825, as one or two of the notes appear to
have been made at the time he was collecting materials for the
1814 volume on Wilts.
Not only has it afforded us several hitherto un-noted words,
which Mr. Britton himself had passed over, possibly because
even in his own time they were already grown obsolete, but
it has also enabled us to clear up several doubtful points, and
especially to show how, by a very simple misreading of the
MS., from the easily identified sprawny (a variant of sprunny)
was evolved that mysterious ' ghost-word ' sprawing, which
|
|
|
|
|
(delwedd B8850) (tudalen
225)
|
APPENDIX II
225
has ever since misled our glossary-makers, each one having
seemingly taken it on the faith of his immediate predecessor.
The Vocabulary, which we here reproduce verbatim et literatim,
consists of ten quarto pages, the first two of which are covered
with notes in pencil and ink, in at least four different hands,
partly archaeological and topographical, and partly relating to
dialect words in Wilts and elsewhere. It is written in an
extremely legible old hand, with a few additions and interlinea-
tions in other hands, and contains about one hundred words
and phrases, of which we owe just two-thirds to the original
compiler, who is supposed to have been a North Wilts clergy-
man. If so, it is probable that his very characteristic hand-
writing could readily be identified by any one who was familiar
with our last-century parish registers.
The interlineations have been made at different dates and
in different hands, acrass, chit, clout, gallered, hire, hitch, muxen,
shirk off, slink away, skillin, stowl, stole, thick and thuck, won't,
with the numerals at the end, being in pencil, two or three
of them having been inked over at some time or other; while
arran, clavey, clap to, desperd, dowse, hit, nan, plye, rathe, sprawny,
the definition of thick and thuck, tun, tag, twit, and vuddels, are
in ink, and mostly in a much larger and somewhat peculiar
hand. The pencilling is now almost entirely obliterated.
The MS. was given by Mr. Britton to Mr. Cunnington, with
other books and papers, many years ago, and its existence
appears to have been unknown until we called attention to it
in the Wilts Archaeological Magazine, vol. xxvi. p. 293.
Front page of Cover.
[Writing entirely in pencil, in Mr. Britton' s hand, except the word
Vocabulary.]
XXII. 107, Broad Hinton. Vic. Mr. Hume of Salisby late
Vicar a manor well immense depth, abt 10 ms to draw Some
of the Glanvilles buried here. Old monk [? tomb] of this family
one of these Gs wrote on Witches all chalk large crane
wheel, room for 3 men.
|
|
|
|
|
(delwedd B8851) (tudalen
226)
|
226 APPENDIX
II
Vocabulary.
[Here two lines of writing, probably the name and address of the com-
piler, have been scratched completely out with a penknife^]
See Ascough's Index [Here another
word now illegible.']
[Here a rough sketch, marked Spring, probably relating to the above well.]
Inside of Cover.
Main sprack for lively Wilts
Information in Bowels
Obliterate Scoolmaster
Mandy saucy Wilts
[These four lines are in a more recent hand, on a slip gummed in.]
Werrutting teazing
Thick for that
direction " You must go all a skew thick vield there &
then all a thirt tother & then looky one way & pointy another
wool ye now
Anticks main mandy
[These are in the same large, slightly feminine-looking hand as some of
the interlineations in the word-list.]
Eriked is avaricious, wretched, from whence we have perhaps
a term in English of unked ; disagreeable, melancholy, tiresome.
In Oxfordshire every thing unpleasant is unked.
From the Persian.
Eudge a cup or patera found here Horsley p. 330.
[These are on a slip gummed in, in Mr. Britton's own hand.]
|
|
|
|
|
(delwedd B8852) (tudalen
227)
|
APPENDIX II
227
The Vocabulary itself.
COLLECTION OF A FEW PROVINCIAL TERMS
USED IN NORTH WILTS.
Page 1.
Arran for either
Acrass
* All a hoh ' awry not square, strait or even
Beet To beet is to supply fire with fewel
Brow the opposite of Tough Substances that will easily
break
Burrow - Shelter from Wind generally applied to some Low
Place in a field where some neighbouring hillock breaks the
force of the gale
Caddie a term variously applied, but in all cases significant
of Confusion or embarassmt To be in a Caddie to be in
disorder to be embarrassd with business "Dont Caddie
me dont teaze me don't confuse me { a cadling fellow '
a wrangler a shifting, & sometimes an unmeaning character
Clavey Chimney Piece
Cham to Chew
Clap to the Door shut the Door.
Page 2.
Chism to germ Seed is said to chism when it discovers the
first appearance of germination
Chit to spring leaves are coming out.
Gleet a Patch whereby an utensil is repaird to cleet to
mend by a patch put on, & sometimes to Strengtn by
bracing etc
Clum To Clum a thing is to handle it Roughly boisterously
or indecently
|
|
|
|
|
(delwedd B8853) (tudalen
228)
|
228 APPENDIX
II
Clyten A term applied to express an unhealthy appearance,
particularly in Children a Clyten an unhealthy Child
Clout a blow
Clytenish. To look Clytenish to Look pale & sickly
Dain disagreeable effluvia generally applied to Those Scents
which are Supposed to convey infections ie " Dont go to
near that man ; he has lately had the Small Pox & the dain
may be in his
Desperd very as desperd fine etc
Page 3
Cloths still "
Dummil Heavy, dull a term variously applied but in all
cases signifies the reverse of sprightly or Brilliant
Dowse a Blow
Dunch The Common term for Deaf
Dunch Dumplin a Dumplin made of flower and water only
boild hard & eaten hot with Butter
Dar, 'to be struck in a Dar,' to be astonishd or Confounded
Flick or flitch ie To be flitch with one,' is to be familiar or
intimate
Gallered to be astonished, frightened, as he gattered me
Gabborn a term always applied to Buildings to denote Large-
ness without Convenience & Comfort a gabborn Room or
house signifies a place Large cold and comfortless
Glox a term applied to denote the motion or Sound made by
Liquids when movd about in a barrel or other vessel not
full as
Page 4
for instance, " Fill the Barrel full John or else it will glox in
Carriage "
Gluten To Glutch, to swallow the act of Swallowing i e
He glutchd hard that is he swallowd with difficulty
|
|
|
|
|
(delwedd B8854) (tudalen
229)
|
APPENDIX II
229
Hit to strike
Hazon To Hazon a Person is to scold or menace him
Harl a Harl Something entangled His hair is all in a harl
i e knotted uncombed
ravle
To harl to entangle
Hire for hear Dont hire do not hear
Hatch a small door or gate generally applied to the half
doors frequent in Shops
Heft weight ie what heft is that Parcel ie what weight
is it --(perhaps a contraction of heavy-weight)
Hike To hike oif to sneak away dishonorably
Hitch monthly Agents
Howe Pronounced Broad and Long Ho-ow or Hau-ow To
be in a hauow to be anxious
Howed for provided for taken care of a figurative expres-
sion undoubtedly derived from the term
Page 5
made use of by Shepherds in driving collecting & managing
their flocks, i e Ho ho ho-ho
Hop a bouts a term applied to small apple Dumplings made
of one apple enclosd in a Paste of flour & boild
Hudgy thick Clumsey
Kitch to Kitch or Ketch to congeal oils animal fat &c. are
said to catch or kitch when they grow cold enough to
congeal
Kerfs Laminae Layers or cleavings of Earth Turf Hay &c.
Lear empty a Lear Stomach, a Stomach wanting food
Lew To get in the Lew is to get in a place Sheltered from
the wind (perhaps derivd from the Sea Phrase Lee )
Lewth warmth "this Coat has no Lewth in it" ie it has
no warmth
|
|
|
|
|
(delwedd B8855) (tudalen
230)
|
230 APPENDIX
II
Limp a thing is said to be Limp when it has Lost its accus-
tomed Stiffness
Limber Slender or Rather a thing Long & bending
Page 6
Mandy pronouncd Long frolicksome Impudent Showy
Miff offence to take a miff to be offended
Mothery or Muthery Beer, vinegar &c. are said to be mothery
when white Particles of fust float in it Perhaps a Corruption
of muddy or muddery
Most-in-deal in general mostly (example) " where do you
Live now ? ' why at Devizes, most in deal, but sometimes
at Warminster
Muxen Dung heap.
Newst Newst or anewst Signifies nearly what is it a Clock?
a newst One. which of the two is oldest ? They are newst
of an age. which of those things are best ? they are a newst
alike In the Latter example however the more usual reply
would be " they are anewst of a newstness "
Nitch. a Burthen, as a Nitch of wood a nitch of Straw a Nitch
of hay &c. "He has got a nitch " i. e. he is Drunk, he has
got as much Liquor as he can carry
Plye to bend as the Poker is plied
Nan ? What do you say
Quilt To Quilt a term used almost exclusive of any other to
denote the act of Swallowing when performd
Page 7.
in the usual & natural way the term Glutch being rather
descriptive of a difficulty in doing it or the doing it with
labour
Rowney thin, uneven generally applied to Cloth
Rumple to Rumple is to press a thing, particularity
|
|
|
|
|
(delwedd B8856) (tudalen
231)
|
APPENDIX II
231
Bathe early in the morning
a garment, so as to make it appear promiscuously wrinkled
or tumbled
Rubble universally us'd for Kubbish
Shewent a Piece of Cloth is said to be shewent when it is
evenly wove & not Eowey it is also applied in other Cases
but always to denote a thing Level & even to Look
Shewent, is to Look demure
Shim This word is rather of Glocestershire but it is never-
theless in use on the North Border of wilts, & is a Corruption
or Contraction perhaps of Seeming Ex. gra He is a fine
fellow Shim or he is, Shim, a fine fellow means that the
person spoken of is apparently a fine fellow
Skillin a shed
Snog Shog & jog words nearly of the same import & Signify
to move off degradedly to slink or shirk away
Shirk off
Sleazey thin Slight generally applied to Cloth Silks &c.
Slink away
Slox to waste a thing, or pilfer it "Sloxd away" wasted or
pilferd
Page 8.
Stowl a root great stowl
Sprack Lively bright quick a main sprack child
Stole when trees, are buddg trees
Sultedge a term applied to describe a Coarse apron much worn
by the poor Women & which they always describe by the
term a Sultedge apron
Swingeing violent great forcible
Sprawny a Sweetheart [Misread as Sprawing by Britton.]
Tack a shelf put it on the tack i e put it on the Shelf How
many tacks are there in the Pantry i. e. how many Shelves
Teft to teft a thing is to judge of its weight by taking it in
the hand i e what Heft do you think this Bundle is I dont
know Let's teft it ie let me take it in my hand
|
|
|
|
|
(delwedd B8857) (tudalen
232)
|
232 APPENDIX
II
Thic & Thuck this & that as thic wa this way
Tine to kindle to tine a fire is to Light a fire, to tine
a Candle to Light a candle
Tine to fence to tine in a piece of waste ground is to enclose
it with a fence of wood or quickset
Tining fences of Wood either Brushwood Pales or a Hedge
Tun Chimney
Page 9.
Tag to tease to torment
Todge a thick Consistency Thick as Todge gruels, Soups, etc,
made unpleasantly thick
Twit to upbraid
Twire to Look at a thing wistfully or Critically " How he
twir'd at her i e. how wistfully he Look at her ' Common
Phrase
Vuddels a spoilt Child
Vinny mouldy Vinney Cheese, is mouldy Cheese properly
it denotes anything tinted not with a black or Kotten but
with a whitish or blue mould very common Phrase
Unkerd or Unkert Lonely or Solitary an unkert house
a Lone house an unkert place a Solitary place very
Common phrase
Weeth tough Soft pliable
Yat a gate yat Post, a gate Post
Wont for Will not
dree vour vive zix s
N.B. In north wilts it may be remarkd that the formation
of the Plural by affixing en to the Noun is almost universal as
house housen Pease Peasen Wench wenchen almost as uni-
versal too is the transformation of the
Page 10.
Substantive into an adjective by the same termination as
a Silken gown a Clothen Coat a Leatheren Shoe an elmen
Board &c the pronoun Possessive too is formd in the same
|
|
|
|
|
(delwedd B8858) (tudalen
233)
|
APPENDIX II
233
way as hisn hern Ourn theirn the old terms also, thic & thoc
almost Constantly exclude the expression This & That There
is also here a Peculiar mode of forming active verbs from
Nouns, which are generally in use as apellations for professions
take an Example Well Mary, how do you get on in Life ?
what do you & your family do now to get a Living in these
times Wy zur we do aal vind zummut to do Jan, ye know,
he do Smiihey (work as a smith) Jin the beggist wench do
spinney the Little one do Lace makey I do Chorey (go out as
a Chore Woman) and the two Boys do Bird keepey that is
One works as a smith one spins one makes Lace one goes out
as a Chore woman & two are Birdkeepers which Latter term
were more to the purpose if expressd Bird frightener or driver
Show to Ingram-Ellis
|
|
|
|
|
(delwedd B8859) (tudalen
234)
|
APPENDIX III
Monthly Magazine Word-list.
In the Monthly Magazine, Sept. 1814, vol. xxxviii. p. 114,
a short and very badly arranged list of South Wilts Words and
Phrases occurs. We have thought it best to reproduce it here.
verbatim et literatim, from the Magazine itself, kindly lent us by
Mr. Cunnington, as the account given of it in the Preface to
Professor Skeat's reprint of Akerman is in some respects
slightly inaccurate. Thus, he omits all mention of Hogo and
some other words or phrases, while Tatees is misquoted as taters
and TJieseum as Thescum. The remarks made on the latter word
will therefore require some modification.
Prefatory Note.
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. SIR, In conformity
to your invitation, I send you some specimens of the provincial
dialect of South Wiltshire.
MARK. July 23, 1813.
The Word-list.
Thic, this.
Thac, that," Thacs the way I do do."
Theseum, these, "What are theseum here?"
Dooke, do you. "Hold thy brother, dooke." Or, " dooke be
quiet." [Brother is evidently a misprint for bother.]
Volk, folk. " Vaut vine volks." What fine folks.
Wuld, world. "The honestest volk in the wuld."
Heft, weight." What heft be 'urn ? "
|
|
|
|
|
(delwedd B8860) (tudalen 235)
|
APPENDIX III
235
Hiss, Yes. "Hiss sure, mum." Yes sure, madam.
Housen, house. "Yanhousen." Yonder house.
A always pronounced E. [Abroad]
"Send it once this morning, dooke." Send it this morning.
"I do know what they be." [1 don't know]
"Harnt thee got nareon." Have not you got one.
"Nice day izzent it ? " " Yes it is sure."
Thee and thou for you.
Crockerty, china. "I've torn my crockerty."
Terrible, very. " Lard ! they be terrible dear."
Torn, broke.
Hogo, smell.
"What a book of clothes." What a large wash.
Barm, yeast.
Caddling, teazing, chattering.
"Mud the child up, dooke." Bring up the child by hand.
"Lard, the child's got the white mouth." The child's got the
thrush.
Shrammed, perished. "I was half shrammed on the downs 1 ."
Tatees, potatoes. "I do want a gallon of tatees."
Figged Pudding, plum pudding.
Handy, near. Handy ten o'clock.
Monthly Magazine, Sept. 1814.
1 [Here a foot-note is given in the Magazine, but has been obliterated in the
only copy to which we have access.]
THE END.
|
yn 
aith
δ δ [ˈːˑ