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Mary was brought up within two miles of Sutton Hoo – famous burial place of 7th Century Anglo-Saxon ‘Royalty’. She writes:

In Woodbridge in Suffolk, a short-cut lane between two streets was always called by locals “ship medda”. Then the local council put up a sign. It said “Ship Meadow Walk”. Ships in the Meadow? What did this mean, and had we just been lazy in our speaking or was this a lingering Anglo-Saxon pronunciation? Things became a little clearer later. SHEEP Meadow Walk! From scēp med  ‘sheep meadow’ (Old English) .

A few years ago I was talking with a Dutch friend and used the word “doke” meaning a small hollow or indentation. I didn’t need to explain, she understood perfectly. It was as familiar to her as it was to me. It’s a Dutch word with the same meaning as the Suffolk dialect word. Did this also come across in Anglo-Saxon times, or was It used later by traders coming up the River Deben and adopted locally?

I also use the word “rove” for a scab on a healing wound. Apparently the Norwegians have a word “ruva” meaning exactly the same.

The origins of dialect (use of ‘unusual’ words, and more) and accent (how they are pronounced) are fascinating. They have much to do with when an area was settled and by whom. It was in areas of the country which remained somewhat remote and where people were less mobile, that this may be most apparent.

Thank you Mary for an interesting item which will likely have us all trying to remember local words from our younger days.

We hope readers might contribute some examples. Just click on the ‘Leave a Comment’ button, top right of blog item.

There is a glossary of Wiltshire dialect words available on-line. Published in 1893, we might say it is out-of-date but of course, the earlier the better with these topics, compiled before some words disappeared for ever.