during that time, than the word luraane (supposed to be lordDane), from the D. lure to lurk, H. C. ending an (pr. awn), Lat. part. ant, meaning a lurking fellow. But this kind of dialect, the product of necessity, disappears in course of time, until its traces become difficult to discover.

The dialect of Cumbria would probably have experienced the same fate as that of Cornwall, had there been no Danish colonisation. But this event turned the scale against Celtic, besides imposing a number of words foreign to other parts of England. The present dialect-namely, English mixed with archaisms and provincialisms -began to form itself much earlier than is supposed, and the slowness of its progress can only be accounted for by the closeness of the little communities in which the older dialect was spoken. It is probable the dales were to a great extent exclusively colonised by the Danes, and it is in those parts the provincial peculiarities of the dialect are especially to be found.

Angles and Saxons, though without means of preserving their share of the dialect, enjoyed the advantage of speaking the same language with their kinsmen of the rest of the island. It is not surprising, therefore, that even the number of Danish words now forms but a small proportion of the list that makes out the glossary. Nevertheless archaisms exclusively Angle are perhaps more difficult to point out than Celtic, as all such were most likely to merge in the modern dialect.

ANGLE WORDS:

HADDER (G. hader, a quarrel, D. had, hate, spite), to drizzle. "It's a haddery day." "It keeps haddering and raining." It has been observed by a correspondent of the Kendal Mercury that this word is in common use about Orton and Shap, but not at all in the south of Westmorland. It is also used in the north of Cumberland. Its provincial use is difficult to be accounted for; a number of words allied to the above, exist in the Gothic dialects, but all signifying hatred, etc. Probably in the connexion of the words spite and spit we have an explanation of the manner in

L

which it arrived at its Cumbrian application. From the localities in which it is found, there can scarcely be a doubt of its Angle origin. It is the Scotch huther, which Jamieson supposes to be the Islandic hiufrar, but from this it could not come. Jamieson has also huttit, hated, and hutkerin, ugly (hateful?)

66

TANSY (G. tanz, a dance, D. dands, a dance), a merry night," or public-house annual benefit ball. It is not in general use; but belongs to the Borders, and amongst other places, to the neighbourhood of Hesket.

WEALD (G. wald, a forest, from obs. val, a hill, cf. G. wallen, to undulate), anciently forest land, now more generally land cleared of forest. A tract of land on the east border of Westmorland. Prov. wold. The harvest labourers from the Weald of Sussex are called "wildish men" in the neighbouring counties.

WELSH (G. wälsch, strange, foreign), insipid. "Wuntry (D. vantro) waerch," incredibly welsh or insipid, gives the DanoEnglish form of this word. Welshman, the general name at one time amongst the German tribes for a foreigner; Wales, Wallachia, Wälschland (Italy) are all of this origin. It has the same derivation as the last word, val, a hill, wald, a forest. Cf. G. waller, a traveller, and It. forestiero (a forester), a stranger. The Whale of Westmorland was the name given by the Angles of Helton to the "foreigners" on the other side the Lowther. Cf. Wales, also a gentile name.

YAUD (E. jade, an old horse), a horse. The Grey Yauds, the grey horses, a stone circle near Cumwhitton.

The Angle words here selected are given as remarkable in themselves, and as supporting what has been said of the localities originally colonised by the invaders from beyond the Pennine. There are many more, but the difficulty of discriminating between the dialects, forbids their introduction within the present limits.

NORSE WORDS

are not so easily pointed out as may be supposed. Very considerable changes have taken place in the Scandinavian dialects since

the colonisation of Cumbria, and the present distinctions between Norse and Danish cannot be much relied on for etymological purposes. There are several that may be classed under this head, and the following are given as best illustrative of the argument:

BOTCHY (N. bokki, a stiffnecked man, a he-goat), a short, stiff man. Probably E. buck, a beau.

BISEN (N. bysn, a warning), an example in a bad sense. "Thou'll be a shem and a bysen to a' th' parish." Erroneously supposed to be E. by-saying. The derivation of bysn is clearly from by, a town; and it is probably an apocopated form of D. bysnak, a town's talk (D. snak, talk). Cf. Russ. znak, a sign.

DRAFF (N. draf, pig's food), grains from the brewery.

6

DURDOM (N. dyradomr, a door-doom), an uproar or loud noise, a noisy scolding. "What a durdom!" said an old woman when she first saw a railway train in motion. This origin has been suggested in a recent work:*"We have a curious record of one of the judicial proceedings of the Northmen in our word durdem,' or 'durdom,' common also to some part of Yorkshire. I take this word to be from Old Norse dyradomr, thus explained by Mallet: In the early part of the (Icelandic) commonwealth, when a man was suspected of theft, a kind of tribunal composed of twelve persons named by him, and twelve by the person whose goods had been stolen, was instituted before the door of his dwelling, and hence called a door-doom; but as this manner of proceeding generally ended in bloodshed, it was abolished.'"

HIRPLE, to limp or walk lame, the prov. form of E. cripple. KIPPERED (N. kipra, to shrivel, kippr, delay), partially preserved by artificial drying. Kippered herrings are still sold in summer, being partially saved by a chemical application.

CHARACTERISTIC WORDS:

AMACKILY, in some fashion. Mack (make), a kind; a' macks, all kinds; thence a' macki-like, in all ways, or in some way.

The Northmen in Cumberland and Westmorland, by R. Ferguson.

ANGNAIL (Old High G. ungnagle, Lat. unguis), a nail that grows into the flesh. Nagnail (D. nage, to bite), is synonymous. Nangnail seems to have arisen euphonically from both.

ABLES (Goth. arniba, certainly, D. ärlig, faithful), the earnest given to servants when hired. Radically identical with E. earnest, but probably proceeds immediately from H. C. iarlas, earnest.

BENSEL (Goth. bania, a blow, a wound), to beat, a blow. It has gone through two derivations, adjective and verb. Cf. E. bane, destruction.

BOOTED (D. baade, gain, profit), booted bread, mixed with inferior flour. Cf. E. boot, addition made to an exchange.

DAL (H. C. diabhul, the devil)! a common exclamation.
DARRICK (D. dyrke, to till), a day's work.

DONNET (D. due, to be of use), dow-nout, the devil, a worthless person. Lancashire phrase: "He called me everything that's nout," that is, all sorts of names.

Dow (D. due, to be of use), "nought at dow," nothing that is of any use.

FEUTLETH (D. fodled, a joint of the foot), four pounds of butter,* a "feutleth of salt." Now obs. This word can have no other origin, and must once have been a measure.

FEW (G. fügen, to join, dispose, fügen sich, to betake one's self to, A. S. fegan, D. föie sammen, to put together), to attempt, to arrange. "He fews badly," he gives no promise. "I'll few it for you," arrange it so that you will be able to get on, said to persons who are unskilful at their work.

GEESY (D. griis), a pig, used in calling. "Geesy pig" is in "A swine" is the modern name for

common use,

a pig.

ike

pussy

cat.

GEORDIE (E. George), pr. Jwordie, little George, brown bread made of rye and barley. Dim. like the Lancashire jannock, little John, bread made of soured oat meal.

LAN! an exclamation expressive of great astonishment or surprise. What the lan! "Lan! hinny, but thou hes mead a sessions o'

• Cumberland and Westmorland Dialects, Russell Smith.

theesel!" Probably a curious transformation of lord into land, after the loss of the r. Cf. my lud, still used to judges of assize. LUMP (G. lumpen, a rag) a piece (of cloth).

MAN-KEEN (mad kine), furious animals, generally applied to bulls and horses, and in such a way as to make it seem as if provincially understood to mean "keen (desirous) of man."

OWNED (D. aand, a spirit), spirited, fated, destined. It has its origin in the belief of a spirit appearing before a person's death, as that of the fetch, banshee, etc.

ROTTEN MAD (E. ranting mad), very mad. “Great rot," great rant. SAUNTER (G. sinnen, A. S. sinnan, to think), a tradition, that is, something called up from the memory. From this comes sonn, to meditate.

SNEEVIL (E. snivel, D. snive, the mucus of the nose), a snail. "Driving sneevils," said of boys who loiter.

TAGGY-BELL (D. täkke, to cover), the curfew or eight o'clock bell, still rung at Penrith and Kirkby Stephen. Cf. Fr. couvre-feu, cover-fire, the Norman curfew. Taggy has been used in modern times to frighten children; if out after eight o'clock, “Taggy would get them."

THEW (N. thia, to tire), to labour hard, to tire.

TITE (N. teitr, glad), gladly. "I'd as tite have a glass o' rum as a pint o' yell." Comparative titter.

WADITTER, wad (lead)-eater, india-rubber.

WELKIN (A. S. wolcen, the sky, G. wolken, clouds), "the door was welkin wide open"-open as the sky.

There are many words, besides the above, deserving of note, some of which have been curiously misunderstood as to their origin, whilst others have assumed an independent meaning that cannot be accounted for from any of the allied languages. following are a selection, and may be called

REMARKABLE WORDS:

The

ARVAL (D. arv, an inheritance, arvelig, hereditary), a funeral, properly the bread and ale distributed as refreshment to persons