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Dorset Dialect

Dorset dialect is said to have originated from the Saxon invaders that landed in the county in the sixth century. Some less well-known ‘Do’set’ words include: ‘Boris-noris’ meaning to go on recklessly without thought to risk or decency; ‘Twanketon’ meaning melancholy; ‘Dumbledore’ meaning a bumblebee; ‘Torididdle’ meaning to be out of one's  mind and ‘God’s almighty cow’ which surprisingly is a ladybird!

In June 1932, the following message was sent to King George V from the Society of Dorset Men;

‘Sire, Do’set Men at the yearly feast in the King’s Hall, Holborn Restaurant has ‘bidden woonce mwore to zend ‘ee their loyal and loven greetens. May ‘ee be spared vor years to zit wi friends avore the vierzide an’ dwell at hwome in peace. God bless ‘ee I d’bide your vaithful survint. Angus V Hamro; Society of Do’set Men.’

Radio fright claimed its first victim in July 1927 and deprived listeners of the opportunity of hearing the Dorset dialect over the radio for the first time. The BBC wanted to put the celebrated dialect on air so they selected a real ‘varmer vrom Do’set’ who agreed to broadcast. Brought into the studio face to face with the microphone through which he was to talk to millions, he baulked, ‘I wante oute’ It was pointed out that the watchword of Dorset men was ‘Who’s afear’d’ but he still refused so the programme was altered.

One of the results of the evacuation of children from London to Dorset during World War II was reckoned to be an interchange of dialects. ‘Gawblimay’ and ‘nark it’ then said the village children of Dorset. ‘Hark at ‘ee talking to I’ and ‘zur’ said the cockney children to their puzzled parents.

Use of Dorset dialect began to decline in the mid 1850s with the arrival of the railways. Also, the introduction of compulsory education for young children hastened its decline. It is best preserved in the work of poet, William Barnes and the almost forgotten Victorian tailor cum poet, Robert Young from Sturminster Newton. Apparently, Barnes spoke fluent Latin, Greek and fluent Dorset.

 




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