Steve,
I'm so glad you enjoyed it. I feel the same way about language!
Regards,
Julie Preston
juliefpreston(a)sbcglobal.net
----- Original Message -----
From: "Steve Williams" <sdw(a)here.is>
To: "Julie Preston" <juliefpreston(a)sbcglobal.net>
Sent: Wednesday, October 29, 2003 11:00 PM
Subject: RE: [WLS-MGY] Montgomeryshire Dialect Quote
Julie,
Thank you so much for sharing this. I looooved it! After hearing the
cadence of the language on my one visit to Wales and watching such
wonderful
movies as "Hedd Wyn", I felt transported. I love language
and the
lyricism
of it, and this quote really made me feel it.
Thanks for this treat!
Steve
-----Original Message-----
From: Julie Preston [mailto:juliefpreston@sbcglobal.net]
Sent: Wednesday, October 29, 2003 5:38 PM
To: WLS-MONTGOMERYSHIRE-L(a)rootsweb.com
Subject: [WLS-MGY] Montgomeryshire Dialect Quote
Hello all,
I've been re-reading some passages from a book entitled, "Davies the
Ocean;
Railway King and Coal Tycoon", by Herbert Williams, 1991. This
is a
biography about David Davies of Llandinam (1818-1890) and, while I have a
personal interest in this book as David was the nephew of my
3xgreatgrandfather, the book is a look into the local history of
Montgomeryshire in the 19th century.
I came across a sample of English spoken in the dialect of Montgomershire
which Herbert Williams quoted from the journal of the Powysland Club,
1890,
The Montgomeryshire Collections, Vol. 24, article by R. Williams,
"Montgomeryshire Dialect" and found it so fascinating I'd like to share it
with you. It is, perhaps, the closest many of us would ever get to being
able to 'hear' our own ancestors as they would've chatted with one
another.
I admit I have, on occasion, picked up traces of this dialect among
the
local farmers I've met in Montgomeryshire, when I've heard them talking
among themselves. I expect those of you who live in Wales or England are
more used to hearing some of the old terms but those of us in the U.S.
would
never hear this kind of speech. I find it rather mesmerizing! The
pronunciation of "Thomas" is particularly poignant to me, as my
greatgrandfather (and his father and his father before him) was called
Thomas Thomas -- 'hearing' the way it was said hi!
ts home, in a way.
'Well, John, how bin-ee today? What sort of a fair han-ee had?'
'Middlin'; I munna complain. I sold all my ship an' got two poun' ten
for
the yews.'
'Well done. I wish I could ha' sold my pigs so well, but I'm afeard I
shall
have to take 'em home today agen. This 'Merican bacon, I do
think, does
spoil the market.'
'Times has been very bad, that's serten, but they'm a little better now,
binna they?'
'I dunno no, indeed. Besides rent, there's tithes and rates and taxes, so
many on 'em all, and servants is so hockard. I sometimes feel jest ready
to
jack it up.'
'Wait a bit; dunna break your heart, man. This County Councell does talk
a
dell about bringin' down the rates.'
'Ay, talk, and talk they 'ool; but I hanna seen much sign on it yet. It
inna them as talks most as does most. Small-neck'd bottles always keep
the
most noise.'
'You are quite right, Tummas, an' very often it's them as canna look after
their own business as thinks they can mind other people's, and 'ool spend
a
lot o'time and money about it, too.'
'Bother take their lecsions, I say. There's summat or other all the
time
--
Parliament, Local Board, County Council, Guardians or School Board,
there's
no pace to be had. It dinna use to be so.'
[end quote]
I hope you enjoyed this exchange as much as I did!
Best regards,
Julie Preston
juliefpreston(a)sbcglobal.net