Keeping local dialects alive.

[steveinnorthants]

Being a Deben boy I always like to watch these clips - a weather presenter who occasionally does a forecast in the local dialect!


View: https://www.facebook.com/bbcspotlight/videos/best-weather-forecast-by-a-country-mile-/1904374266294729/

 

[Pale Rider]

I read a report by a linguist who said local dialects were proving remarkably resistant to change.

Certainly true in my area, there are several Sunderland accents, South Shields five miles up the coast is different, as is North Shields, which is only the other side of the Tyne.

There are several different Geordie accents in Newcastle/Gateshead, and if you go north towards @Fnaar country, you could be on a different planet.

 

[Brains]

Not sure where ganzy (a jumper) came from, maybe Norse too?

I suspect it's corruption of "Guernsey".
You can still buy a genuine Guernsey jumper today (I have had one ever since I was a kid, as my Aunt lived on the island)
Guernsey Jumper history

 

[Fnaar]

I suspect it's corruption of "Guernsey".
You can still buy a genuine Guernsey jumper today (I have had one ever since I was a kid, as my Aunt lived on the island)
Guernsey Jumper history

Yep, Gansey = Guernsey. not sure why the Channel Islands are linked with jumpers though.
My mum used 'gansey' too, and she was from Cork, Ireland.

 

[oldwheels]

I suspect it's corruption of "Guernsey".
You can still buy a genuine Guernsey jumper today (I have had one ever since I was a kid, as my Aunt lived on the island)
Guernsey Jumper history

Ganzey seems to have been in use in fishing communities all up the East coast with a different pattern for each community. I have seen comments that this was to identify who to contact in the event of drowning and a body being found some time later.

 

[MontyVeda]

Yep, Gansey = Guernsey. not sure why the Channel Islands are linked with jumpers though.
My mum used 'gansey' too, and she was from Cork, Ireland.

Jersey? That's what the Americans call a jumper, whilst to them, a jumper is a type of dress (I think?)

 

[nickyboy]

you're right about the accent being pretty much the same north of Garstang... i can't see hear any difference between Lancaster, Kirkby Lonsdale, Arnside... even Barrow accents, yet they're miles apart compared to the East Lancashire towns in which I could notice a difference.

I've not heard 'ganzy' before.

I had a couple of friends from Barrow and you're right, their accent was, to me, indistinguishable from mine. However, start heading up the coast via Egremont to Whitehaven and Workington (W-kingtun) and all bets were off

It's interesting how some people lose and some retain their accents. I work with Aussies a lot. One guy who has lived there for most of his adult life has, to me, a pure Aussie accent. Another guy (originally from Northwich) has lived there at least 25 years and, to me, has a completely unaltered Cheshire accent without even a hint of Aussie in it. Weird

 

[MontyVeda]

I had a couple of friends from Barrow and you're right, their accent was, to me, indistinguishable from mine. However, start heading up the coast via Egremont to Whitehaven and Workington (W-kingtun) and all bets were off

...

Yes! I lived up near Workington for a few years... it's like East Lancs for accent changes within a handful of miles.

 

[Blue Hills]

It's interesting how some people lose and some retain their accents. I work with Aussies a lot. One guy who has lived there for most of his adult life has, to me, a pure Aussie accent. Another guy (originally from Northwich) has lived there at least 25 years and, to me, has a completely unaltered Cheshire accent without even a hint of Aussie in it. Weird

Yes it is odd. I'm from rural lancs but have been in London for decades. My accent is still pretty clear. And for years I only headed back up north for brief visits once or twice a year.

I did read years ago a statement from a well respected academic pretty much saying that this was a sign of stupidity/lack of ambition.
I innately mistrust folks who deliberately set out to change their accents (as opposed to them just naturally shifting for whatever reason)
I used to know someone from cycling - knew him for years on bike rides - by chance I once bumped into him at London cultural thing with his partner. Somewhat different accent. I didn't comment on this and I don't think I gave anything away about my surprise but I did sense that his internal gears were grinding somewhat as he tried to resolve the situation.
I can't help but think that it had something to do with the 60s - had been from a pretty posh background I think and had maybe made efforts to sound more street/working class or whatever.
I've even, on rare occasions, found the odd person shifting accents within a single chat with me - tempted to look for a grease port under their hairline and try to loosen the jam.

By the by, intriguing that such a high percentage of folks on this thread appear to be northern,

 

[Fnaar]

Jersey? That's what the Americans call a jumper, whilst to them, a jumper is a type of dress (I think?)

Yeah I know the jersey thing, thx. Thought it obvious, it's such an everyday word, so didn't state it.

 

[PK99]

Yes it is odd. I'm from rural lancs but have been in London for decades. My accent is still pretty clear. And for years I only headed back up north for brief visits once or twice a year.

Exactly the same for me.

 

[BoldonLad]

I read a report by a linguist who said local dialects were proving remarkably resistant to change.

Certainly true in my area, there are several Sunderland accents, South Shields five miles up the coast is different, as is North Shields, which is only the other side of the Tyne.

There are several different Geordie accents in Newcastle/Gateshead, and if you go north towards @Fnaar country, you could be on a different planet.

True. I was born in South Shields, but, my late father was from Washington (County. Durham). His brothers and sister all spoke with a completely different accent, which I always thought of (perhaps incorrectly) as the "Durham Miners Accent".

 

[Pale Rider]

True. I was born in South Shields, but, my late father was from Washington (County. Durham). His brothers and sister all spoke with a completely different accent, which I always thought of (perhaps incorrectly) as the "Durham Miners Accent".

A mate of mine is from County Durham.

I can recognise a couple of Durham accents - those from the coast speak very differently to those further inland.

But my mate can pick five or six Durham accents, and on a couple of occasions has correctly identified which former pit village a person is from.

 

[Julia9054]

It's interesting how some people lose and some retain their accents. I work with Aussies a lot. One guy who has lived there for most of his adult life has, to me, a pure Aussie accent. Another guy (originally from Northwich) has lived there at least 25 years and, to me, has a completely unaltered Cheshire accent without even a hint of Aussie in it. Weird

Like my sister and husband in New Zealand

By the by, intriguing that such a high percentage of folks on this thread appear to be northern,

I’ve lived in Yorkshire (Leeds, Bradford and now North Yorkshire) for longer than my original Preston upbringing (Fulwood btw, @PK99 ). You can tell I’m northern but I’m not sure people can tell which side of the Pennines I am from any more.
I am aware that my accent changes a bit depending on who I’m talking to but it’s not something I do on purpose

 

[Blue Hills]

I'm pretty crap at identifying accents, even common ones. So am very impressed by folks who can identify folks from up the road. Maybe my lack of an ear explains why mine has stuck.