4

I know a decent amount about different dialects in the UK, and usually recognize and identify them, but I heard one today that took me by surprise. I was watching a TV show, and this family, who I think are from Yorkshire (certainly somewhere in the North), had a very interesting way of speaking. At certain times they seem to not say "the" in places where it would be natural. "Go and walk the dog" became "go and walk dog". "Say to me all the time" became "Say to me all time".

Here's the video with time stamps.

11:30 "Mum's asked you to walk dog, now get your clothes on and walk dog"

11:45 "He used to say to me all time ..."

30:31 "You don't have to be joined at hip"

What accent/dialect is this? Is this feature common in there?

1
  • 2
    Yes, Yorkshire people are often represented as reducing the to a bare 't' sound - "walk t'dog". Mar 6, 2020 at 8:51

1 Answer 1

11

The is often reduced in Yorkshire dialect, to varying degrees.

It is most commonly reduced to an unreleased stop, usually glottal, but sometimes elsewhere in the mouth (eg "walk t'dog" /wɔkɂdɒg/ - there is usually no /t/ sound, despite the customary spelling).

But in informal contexts, this "catch" almost disappears, and it can sound like /wɔkdɒg/ "walk dog".

See this discussion in Wikipedia.

3
  • I've recently been dabbling in the shallows of learning Scottish gaelic, where I have discovered that the 'gaelic article', in certain circumstances, 'an-t'. I couldn't help but half wonder if the North of England 'stopped-t article' bore some ancestral relationship to the gaelic article.
    – Spagirl
    Mar 6, 2020 at 16:55
  • 3
    @Spagirl I'm going to say that's definitely not the case. Gaelic was not in any way the original tongue of the region - before English and Danish languages they spoke Brittonic.
    – gormadoc
    Mar 6, 2020 at 17:23
  • Yup. As it says in the Wikipedia: except around Kingston-upon-Hull where it is reduced to just about nothing. Its a Ded Bod Mar 6, 2020 at 22:06

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge that you have read and understand our privacy policy and code of conduct.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.