More on dialect

Problem dialect causes in other communities

Royal Air Force (National Service)

We were northern lads posted from The Wirral to Somerset

Loaded onto a train - pack of food:

Sandwiches 2; apple 2; biscuit pack 1; apple 1; carton of juice 1.

Where were we bound - tell you when you arrive

All day on the train - at no station did we stop

 

All out - into a truck - all out take all your gear this is your billet

Next day - All outside line up in three ranks

March to the parade square

When we call your name fall out and form here

Names they are called - groups march away

Five of us left

 

We have no class for you

Go to Station Headquarters - see

Station Warrant Officer he will give you a job

Off we walk - why march and swing arms

Headquarters we find

Head looking from window

 

Wah do ee wan

Looking for station officer - sir

Oi be ee - wah do ee wan

Think 'thats him'

We have been sent for a job sir

Ah ee ga run Bee sqadrun ofic an see fligh sargen

Ug an tel im oi send ee

 

What did he say the lads asked

We go to B squadron office and he sent us and

see the Flight Sargent

Who was he

Station Warrant Officer

We aske the way and B Squadron we found

We stand outside

You go in you speak the language

 

In we march (well not really march just amble along)

Main behind the desk

Wah do ee wan

Station Warrant Officer sent us Flight Sargent

You are to give us a job

Ee ga run ut One two five an see Crpl uun

eel see to ee

 

Find hut one two five inside is a corporal

Flight Sargent from B squadron has sent us Corporal

Did you understand him?

No corporal - we sort of made up what they said

I'm corporal Moon - they all talk strange round here

I'm from Manchester where are you all from?

All northern lads that's good all speak the same language

Reviews

[barleygirl]

I'm in awe of the things you pick to write about. I'm blown away by your straightforward way of painting an everyday situation in words, while everything sings with originality. Your descriptions are so true-to-life & vivid, it's like experiencing a situation I've never been in & didn't even know I was wondering about. You do a great job of capturing the dialect in jibberish made-up words. I love a story in a poem, well done! (((HUGS))) Fondly, Margie

[Wild Rose]

Ah jiberish you say Words from years back I say (Well) Yorkshire and Cumbria at least have local dialect societies to keep them alive
Got to go now the boss (her) is demanding attention with mundane stugg like food

[Kathy Van Kurin]

'more on dialect'
Wild Rose,
It sounds like everyone in yourstory found their proper place and responsibility. The accent is definitly different but not to someone use to it right? You caught the proper military way of doing things. A person simply obeys orders. Don't argue and all of that.
Loved your honest portrayal of experience, so true to life.
Have fun this summer. See you next time.
Blessings,
Kathy

[Dhara_Ditzy Kat]

Heavy dialect there. Struggled with it. Amazing how they change with same language, within the same country. I experienced it, traveling from UK to Ireland. The same English, spoken so differently. The thing about dialects is that they have to be used to kept alive. We here in India often speak Hindi in rural tones when we get into the mood but it doesn’t happen often enough to preserve the dying forms. Kudos on the nicely detailed, descriptive piece!

[Wild Rose]

The West Country accent is the wort to understand - My uncle ran a farm in Warwickshire (Shakespears home town Stratford on Avon) and we went there for holiday - the old farmers spoke with a strong accent a bit like the west country
Also a lad from Weston super Mare joined our cycling club as a guest while he worked near Huddersfield and I learned to understand him

The last verse paragraph we met a Corporal from the north - most northeners can communicate with others from different counties the southeners cannot understand

Take goes that a Cumbrian was picked up by the Germans - when questioned he spoke in Cumbrian dialect & the Germans thought he was a Norwegian & gave up

[Dhara_Ditzy Kat]

Indeed. Sounds quite complicated and difficult to pick up. No wonder the cultural barriers!

[Wild Rose]

basically Welsh: Scottish: N England: East Anglia: Midlands (Burmingam they way they say it): West country: Devon & Cornwall (mi deary)