Social:Forth and Bargy dialect

Short description: Extinct Middle English dialect of southeast Ireland

Forth and Bargy dialect
Yola
Native to	Ireland
Region	County Wexford
Extinct	Mid-19th century
Language family	Indo-European Germanic West Germanic North Sea Germanic Anglo-Frisian Anglic Forth and Bargy dialect
Early forms	Proto-Indo-European Proto-Germanic Old English Middle English
Language codes
ISO 639-3	yol
Glottolog	(insufficiently attested or not a distinct language) yola1237
Linguasphere	52-ABA-bd

The Forth and Bargy dialect, also known as Yola, is an extinct Anglic language once spoken in the baronies of Forth and Bargy in County Wexford, Ireland. It is thought to have evolved from Middle English, which was brought to Ireland during the Norman invasion, beginning in 1169. As such, it was similar to the Fingallian dialect of the Fingal area. Both became extinct in the 19th century, when they were replaced by modern Hiberno-English. The name "Yola" means "old" in the dialect.

Yola hut refurbished in Tagoat, County Wexford, Ireland

History

Forth and Bargy

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Forth and Bargy shown within Ireland

The dialect was spoken in County Wexford, particularly in the baronies of Forth and Bargy. This was the first area English-speakers came to in the Norman invasion of Ireland, supporting the theory that the dialect evolved from the Middle English introduced in that period. As such it is thought to have been similar to Fingallian, which was spoken in the Fingal region north of Dublin. Middle English, the mother tongue of the "Old English" community, was widespread throughout southeastern Ireland until the 14th century; as the Old English were increasingly assimilated into Irish culture, their original language was gradually displaced through Gaelicisation. After this point, the Forth and Bargy dialect and Fingallian were the only attested relicts of this original form of English.

Modern English was widely introduced by British colonists during and after the 17th century, forming the basis for the modern Hiberno-English of Ireland. The new varieties were notably distinct from the surviving relict dialects. As English continued to spread, both the Forth and Bargy dialect and the Fingal dialect died out in the 19th century.

The dialect of Forth and Bargy was the only dialect in Ireland included in Alexander John Ellis's work On Early English Pronunciation Volume V, which was the earliest survey of dialects of English. The phonetics of the dialect were taken from a local reverend.

Phonology

As in the Dutch language, in southwestern varieties of English and (to a lesser extent) in German, most voiceless fricatives in Forth and Bargy became voiced. The Middle English vowels are well-preserved, having only partially and sporadically undergone the changes associated with the Great Vowel Shift.

One striking characteristic of Forth and Bargy was the fact that stress shifted to the second syllable of words in many instances: morsaale "morsel", hatcheat "hatchet", dineare "dinner", readeare "reader", weddeen "wedding", etc.

Grammar

Pronouns

Forth and Bargy pronouns were similar to Middle English pronouns.

Pronouns

	First Person		Second Person			Third Person
	singular	plural	singular	plural used for singular: polite or formal singular	plural	singular			plural
nom.	ich	wough, wee	thou	ye	ye	hea, he	shoo	*it	thye; hi
obj.	mee	ouse	thee	ye	*ye	him	her	it	aam
possessive	mee	oore, oor, oure, our	thee	yer	*yer	his			aar
reflexive	meezil	ourzels	theezil	yerzel		himzil	*herzil		aamzil

Articles

The definite article was at first a or ee, which was later replaced by the.

Verb

Forth and Bargy verbs had some conservative characteristics. The second and third person plural endings were sometimes -eth as in Chaucerian English. The past participle retained the Middle English "y" prefix as "ee".

Nouns

Some nouns retained the -en plural of ME children, such as been 'bees' and tren 'trees'.

Vocabulary

The glossary compiled by Jacob Poole provides most of what is known about Forth and Bargy vocabulary. Poole was a farmer and member of the Religious Society of Friends from Growtown in the Parish of Taghmon on the border between the baronies of Bargy and Shelmalier. He collected words and phrases from his tenants and farm labourers between 1800 and his death in 1827.

Although most of its vocabulary is Anglo-Saxon in origin, Forth and Bargy contains many borrowings from Irish and French.

Interrogative words

English	Forth and Bargy	Scots	West Frisian	Low German (Low Saxon)	Dutch	German	Gothic
who	fho	wha fa (Doric Scots)	wa	wer/wel/wokeen	wie	wer	ƕas
what	fade	whit fit (Doric Scots)	wat	wat	wat	was	ƕat
when	fan	whan fan (Doric Scots)	wannear	wanneer	wanneer	wann	ƕan
where	fidi	whaur faur (Doric Scots)	wêr	wo/woneem	waar	wo	ƕar
why	farthoo	why fit wye (Doric Scots)	wêrom	worüm	waarom	warum
which	wich	whilk	hokker	welk	welk	welche	ƕileiks
how	fowe	hou foo (Doric Scots)	hoe	wo/woans	hoe	wie	ƕai

Prepositions

English	Forth and Bargy	Scots	Frisian	Low Saxon	Dutch	German
about	abut	aboot	om/rûn	üm/rund	om/rond	um/rund
above	aboo	abuin	boppe	baven	boven	über
against	ayenst	agin	tsjin	gegen	tegen	gegen
among	amang	amang	ûnder/tusken	mang/twüschen	onder/tussen	unter/zwischen
around	arent	aroond	om	üm	om/rond	um
at/by	adh/bee	at/by	by	bi	om/bij	bei
before	avar	afore	foar	vöör	voor	vor
below/beneath/under	aloghe	ablo/aneath/unner	ûnder	(to)neddern/nedder, ünnen/ünner	beneden/onder	unten/unter
beside/next to	besithe/neeshte	aside/neist	nêst/njonken	blangen/neven	bezijden/naast/neven	neben
between/betwixt/'twixt	betweesk/beteesh	atween/atweesh	(be)tusken	twüschen	tussen	zwischen
for	vor	for	foar	för	voor	für
from	vrom/vrem/vreem	frae	fan	van, von, vun	van	von
in	i/ing	in	yn	in	in	in
out	ut/udh	oot	út	ut, uut	uit	aus
over	ower/oer	ower	oer	över	over	über
through	trugh	throch	troch	dörch, dör, döör	door	durch
upon	apan/pa	upon/upo'	op	up, op	op	auf
with	wee	wi	mei	mit	met	mit

Pronouns and determiners

English	Forth and Bargy	Scots	Frisian	Low Saxon	Dutch	German
all	aul	aw	al	all	al	alle
any	aany/aught	ony	elts	enig	enig, eender	einige
each, every	earchee, earch/erich/everich	ilk, ilka/ivery	eltse	elk, jeed/jeedeen	elk, ieder	jeder
few	vew	few/a wheen	min	wenig	weinig	wenig
neither	nother	naither	noch	noch	noch	weder
none, nothing	noucht, nodhing	nane, nocht	nimmen, neat	nüms, nix	niemand, niets/niks	kein(e), nichts
other	ooree/oree	ither	oar	anner	ander, andere	andere
some	zim	some	guon	welke	sommige	einige
this, that	dhicke, dhicka	this, that	dizze, dat	disse, dit, düsse, düt;	dit, deze, dat	dieser, diese, dieses;

Other words

English	Forth and Bargy	Scots	Frisian	Low Saxon	Dutch	German	Irish
Wexford	Weisforthe	Wexford	"Wexford"	"Wexford"	"Wexford" (lit. "West-voorde")	"Wexford" (lit. "Westfurt")	Loch Garman
sun	zin	sun	sinne	Sünn	zon	Sonne [zɔnə]	grian
land	loan, lhoan	laund	lân	Land	land	Land	talamh, tír
day	dei, die	day	dei	Dag	dag	Tag	lá
yourself	theezil	yersel	dysels	du sülvst/sülven	jezelf	du selbst [du zɛlpst], du selber	tú féin
friend	vriene	fere	freon	Fründ	vriend	Freund	cara
the	a, ee	the	de, it	de, den, dat	de, het	der, die, das, des, dem, den	an, na
thing	dhing	hing	ting	Ding	ding	Ding	rud, ní
go	ee-go	gae/gang/gan	gean	gaan	gaan	gehen	dul (go), imeacht (go away), gabháil (go along)
fear	vear	fear	frees	Forcht, Bang, Angst	vrees, angst	Furcht, Angst	eagla
old	yola, yole	auld	âld	oold, oll-	oud	alt	sean, seanda, aosta

Cardinal numbers

	Forth and Bargy	Dorset dialect	English	Frisian	German	Dutch
1	oan	one	one	ien	eins	een
2	twy, tywe, twee, twine, twyne	two	two	twa	zwei	twee
3	dhree	dree	three	trije	drei	drie
4	vour, voure	vower	four	fjouwer	vier	vier
5	veeve	vive	five	fiif	fünf	vijf
6	zeese	zix	six	seis	sechs	zes
7	zeven	zeven	seven	sân	sieben	zeven
8	ayght	aïght	eight	acht	acht	acht
9	neen	nine	nine	njoggen	neun	negen
10	dhen	ten	ten	tsien	zehn	tien
20	dwanty		twenty	tweintich	zwanzig	twintig
30	dhirtee		thirty	tritich	dreißig	dertig
100	hunderth, hundreth, hindreth		hundred	hûndert	hundert	honderd

Modern South Wexford English

Traditional thatched cottage near Bannow Bay in Bargy

Yola farm refurbished in Tagoat, Co. Wexford, Ireland

Diarmaid Ó Muirithe travelled to South Wexford in 1978 to study the English spoken there. His informants ranged in age between 40 and 90. Among the long list of words still known or in use at that time are the following:

• Amain: ‘going on amain’ = getting on well
• Bolsker: an unfriendly person
• Chy: a little
• Drazed: threadbare
• Fash: confusion, in a fash
• Keek: to peep
• Saak: to sunbathe, to relax in front of the fire
• Quare: very, extremely
• Wor: seaweed

Amain is a Norman word which means 'of easy use'

Examples

A Forth and Bargy song

The following is a Forth and Bargy song, with a rough translation into English.

A Yola Zong.

Fade teil thee zo lournagh, co Joane, zo knaggee?
Th' weithest all curcagh, wafur, an cornee.
Lidge w'ouse an a milagh, tis gaay an louthee:
Huck nigher; y'art scuddeen; fartoo zo hachee?

Well, gosp, c'hull be zeid; mot thee fartoo, an fade;
Ha deight ouse var gabble, tell ee zin go t'glade.
Ch'am a stouk, an a donel; wou'll leigh out ee dey.
Th' valler w'speen here, th' lass ee chourch-hey.

Yerstey w'had a baree, gist ing oor hoane,
Aar gentrize ware bibbern, aamzil cou no stoane.
Yith Muzleare had ba hole, t'was mee Tommeen,
At by mizluck was ee-pit t'drive in.

Joud an moud vrem earchee ete was ee Lough.
Zitch vaperreen, an shimmereen, fan ee-daf ee aar scoth!
Zitch blakeen, an blayeen, fan ee ball was ee-drowe!
Chote well aar aim was t'yie ouz n'eer a blowe.

Mot w'all aar boust, hi soon was ee-teight
At aar errone was var ameing 'ar 'ngish ee-height.
Zitch vezzeen, tarvizzeen, 'tell than w'ne'er zey.
Nore zichel ne'er well, nowe, nore ne'er mey.

(There are nine more verses.)

An Old Song.

What ails you so melancholy, quoth John, so cross?
You seem all snappish, uneasy, and fretful.
Lie with us on the clover, 'tis fair and sheltered:
Come nearer; you're rubbing your back; why so ill-tempered?

Well, gossip, it shall be said; you ask what ails me, and for what;
You have put us in talk, till the sun goes to set.
I am a fool, and a dunce; we'll idle out the day.
The more we spend here, the less in the churchyard.

Yesterday we had a goal, just in our hand.
Their gentry were quaking, themselves could not stand.
If Good-for-little had been buried, it had been my Tommy,
Who by misluck was placed to drive in.

Throngs and crowds from each quarter were at the Lough;
Such vapouring, and shimmering, when stript in their shirts!
Such bawling, and shouting, when the ball was thrown!
I saw their aim was to give us ne'er a stroke.

But with all their bravado, they soon were taught
That their errand was aiming to bring anguish upon them.
Such driving, struggling, 'till then we ne'er saw.
Nor such never will, no, nor never may.

(There are nine more verses.)

Address to Lord Lieutenant in 1836

Congratulatory address in the dialect of Forth and Bargy, presented to the Earl of Mulgrave, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, on his visit to Wexford in 1836. Taken from the Wexford Independent newspaper of 15 February 1860. The paper's editor Edmund Hore wrote:

The most remarkable fact, in reality, in connexion with the address is this. In all probability it was the first time regal or vice-regal ears were required to listen to words of such a dialect; and it is even still more probable that a like event will never happen again; for if the use of this old tongue dies out as fast for the next five-and-twenty years as it has for the same bygone period, it will be utterly extinct and forgotten before the present century shall have closed.

In order for a person not acquainted with the pronunciation of the dialect to form anything like an idea of it, it is first necessary to speak slowly, and remember that the letter a has invariably the same sound, like a in ‘father.’ Double ee sounds as e in ‘me,’ and most words of two syllables the long accent is placed on the last. To follow the English pronunciation completely deprives the dialect of its peculiarities.

To’s Excellencie Constantine Harrie Phipps, y’ Earle Mulgrave, Lord Lieutenant-General and General Governor of Ireland. Ye soumissive Spakeen o’ouz Dwelleres o’ Baronie Forthe, Weisforthe.

MAI’T BE PLEASANT TO TH’ ECCELLENCIE, – Wee, Vassalès o’ ‘His Most Gracious Majesty’, Wilyame ee Vourthe, an, az wee verilie chote, na coshe an loyale dwellerès na Baronie Forthe, crave na dicke luckie acte t’uck neicher th’ Eccellencie, an na plaine garbe o’ oure yola talke, wi vengem o’ core t’gie oure zense o’ y gradès whilke be ee-dighte wi yer name; and whilke we canna zei, albeit o’ ‘Governere,’ ‘Statesman,’ an alike. Yn ercha an aul o’ while yt beeth wi gleezom o’ core th’ oure eyen dwytheth apan ye Vigere o’dicke Zouvereine, Wilyame ee Vourthe, unnere fose fatherlie zwae oure daiez be ee-spant, az avare ye trad dicke londe yer name waz ee-kent var ee vriene o’ livertie, an He fo brake ye neckarès o’ zlaves. Mang ourzels – var wee dwytheth an Irelonde az ure generale haime – y’ast, bie ractzom o’honde, ee-delt t’ouz ye laas ee-mate var ercha vassale, ne’er dwythen na dicke waie nar dicka. Wee dwyth ye ane fose dais be gien var ee gudevare o’ye londe ye zwae, – t’avance pace an livertie, an, wi’oute vlynch, ee garde o’ generale reights an poplare vartue. Ye pace – yea, we mai zei, ye vaste pace whilke bee ee-stent owr ye londe zince th’ast ee-cam, proo’th, y’at wee alane needeth ye giftes o’generale rights, az be displayte bie ee factes o’thie goveremente. Ye state na dicke daie o’ye londe, na whilke be nar fash nar moile, albiet ‘constitutional agitation,’ ye wake o’hopes ee-blighte, stampe na yer zwae be rare an lightzom. Yer name var zetch avancet avare ye, e’en a dicke var hye, arent whilke ye brine o’zea an ye craggès o’noghanes cazed nae balke. Na oure gladès ana whilke we dellt wi’ mattoke, an zing t’oure caulès wi plou, wee hert ee zough o’ye colure o’ pace na name o’ Mulgrave. Wi Irishmen owre generale hopes be ee-bond – az Irishmen, an az dwellerès na cosh an loyale o’ Baronie Forthe, w’oul daie an ercha daie, our meines an oure gurles, praie var long an happie zins, shorne o’lournagh an ee-vilt wi benisons, an yerzel an oure gude Zovereine, till ee zin o’oure daies be var aye be ee-go t’glade.

English Translation

To his Excellency, Constantine Henry Phipps, Earl of Mulgrave, Lord Lieutenant-General, and General Governor of Ireland. The humble Address of the Inhabitants of the Barony of Forth, Wexford.

MAY IT PLEASE YOUR EXCELLENCY – We, the subjects of his Most Gracious Majesty, William IV., and, as we truly believe, both faithful and loyal inhabitants of the Barony of Forth, beg leave at this favourable opportunity to approach your Excellency, and in the simple dress of our old dialect to pour forth from the strength (or fulness) of our hearts, our sense (or admiration) of the qualities which characterise your name, and for which we have no words but of ‘Governor,’ ‘Statesman,’ &c. In each and every condition it is with joy of heart that our eyes rest upon the representative of that Sovereign, William IV., under whose paternal rule our days are spent; for before your foot pressed the soil, your name was known to us as the friend of liberty, and he who broke the fetters of the slave. Unto ourselves – for we look on Ireland to be our common country – you have with impartial hand ministered the laws made for every subject, without regard to this party or that. We behold in you one whose days are devoted to the welfare of the land you govern, to promote peace and liberty – the uncompromising guardian of the common right and public virtue. The peace – yes, we may say the profound peace – which overspreads the land since your arrival, proves that we alone stood in need of the enjoyment of common privileges, as is demonstrated by the results of your government. The condition, this day, of the country, in which is neither tumult nor disorder, but that constitutional agitation, the consequence of disappointed hopes, confirms your rule to be rare and enlightened. Your fame for such came before you even into this retired spot, to which neither the waters of the sea below nor the mountains above caused any impediment. In our valleys, where we were digging with the spade, or as we whistled to our horses in the plough, we heard the distant sonnd of the wings of the dove of peace, in the word Mulgrave. With Irishmen our common hopes are inseparably bound up – as Irishmen, and as inhabitants, faithful and loyal, of the Barony Forth, we will daily and every day, our wives and our children, implore long and happy days, free from melancholy and full of blessings, for yourself and our good Sovereign, until the sun of our lives be gone down the dark valley (of death).

"The maiden of Rosslare"

This following is a Yola poem from an original document containing accents to aid pronunciation ;

Ee mýdhe ov Rosslaarè
'Cham góeen to tell thee óa taale at is drúe
Aar is ing Rosslaarè óa mýdhe geoudè an drúe
Shoo wearth ing her haté óa ribbonè at is blúe
An shoo goeth to ee faaythè earchee deie too
Ich meezil bee ing ee faaythè éarchee deie zoo
At ich zee dhicka mýdhe fhó is geoudè an drúe
An ich bee to ishólthè ee mýdhe, ee mýdhe at is drúe
An fhó coome to ee faaythè wi' ribbonè blue
'Chull meezil góe to Rosslaaré earche deie too
to zie thaar ee mydhe wee her ribbonè blúe
An 'chull her estólté vor her ribbonè blúe
ee mýdhe at is lyghtzóm, an well wytheen an drúe
Ich loove ee mýdhe wee ee ribbonè blúe
At coome to ee faaythè éarchee arichè too
Fan 'cham ing ee faaythè éarchee arichè too
To estóthè mýdhe wee ee ribbons blúe

The maiden of Rosslare
I'm going to tell you a tale that is true
there is in Rosslare a maid good and true
she wears in her hat a ribbon that is blue
and she goes to the faythe every day too
I myself am in the faythe every day so
that I see this maid who is good and true
and I go to meet the maid, the maid that is true
and who comes to the faythe with ribbons blue
I myself will go to Rosslare every day too
to see there the maid with her ribbons blue
And I will meet her for her ribbons blue
the maid that is enlightened and good looking and true
I love the maid with the ribbons blue
that comes to the faythe every morning too
when I'm in the faythe every morning too
to meet the maid with the ribbons blue

A guide for pronunciation

• ch is pronounced as tch, example ich (pronounced itch) ([tʃ])
• gh - a guttural sound the same as the gh in lough ([ɣ] or [x])

• eou (ɛu)
• oo (o as in boot) ([uː])
• ee (e as in bee) ([iː])
• aa (as in man but longer) ([aː])

• a is in "cat" ([a]),
• á as in "father" ([ɑ])
• e as in "let" ([ɛ]),
• é as in "may" ([e]),
• i as in "bit" ([ɪ]),
• í (ee) as in "bee" ([i]),
• o as in "spot" ([ɔ]),
• ó as in "boat" ([o]),
• u as in "boot", but shorter ([u]),
• ú as in "boot" ([u]),
• y as a mix between the i in spin and the ee in bee (possibly [ʏ]),
• ý an oiy sound not in English ([ɑi]).
• Speak slowly to find correct pronunciation, e's after words are pronounced, but are only short (examples :ross-laar-e (rosslaaré), moidh-e (mýdhe))

See also

• English languages
• History of the English language
• Yola people

References

• Dolan, T. P.; D. Ó Muirithe (1996). The Dialect of Forth and Bargy Co. Wexford, Ireland. Four Courts Press. ISBN 1-85182-200-3. 
• Hickey, Raymond (2005). Dublin English: Evolution and Change. John Benjamins Publishing. ISBN 90-272-4895-8. 
• Hickey, Raymond (2002). A Source Book for Irish English. Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing. pp. 28–29. ISBN 90-272-3753-0. http://www.uni-due.de/~lan300/Flyer_Source_Book_for_Irish_English.pdf. "ISBN:1-58811-209-8 (US)" 
• Ó Muirithe, Diarmaid (1977). "The Anglo-Norman and their English Dialect of South-East Wexford". The English Language in Ireland. Mercier Press. ISBN 0853424527. 
• O'Rahilly, T. F (1932). "The Accent in the English of South-east Wexford". Irish Dialects Past and Present. Dublin: Browne and Nolan. pp. 94–98. 
• Sullivan, Aidan (2018). Yola and the Yoles: Ireland's Living Old English Dialect. ISBN 978-1983196485. 
• Poole's Glossary (1867) – Ed. Rev. William Barnes (Editorial 'Observations')
• Poole's Glossary (1979) – Ed. Dr. D. O'Muirithe & T.P. Dolan (Corrected Etymologies)

External links

• A Glossary, With some Pieces of Verse, of the old Dialect of the English Colony in the Baronies of Forth and Bargy, County of Wexford, Ireland. Formerly collected By Jacob Poole, of Growtown, Taghmon, County of Wexford: And now edited, with some Introductory Observations, Additions from various sources, and Notes, By William Barnes, B. D. Author of a Grammar of the Dorsetshire Dialect. London, 1867: Internet Archive, Google Books
• from RTE:
  • Songs sung in the Yola language on RTE, i.e. archives (under Kilmore Christmas carols)
  • Yola - Lost for Words - an RTE documentary by Shane Dunphy
  • A People Apart In Wexford 1969 - an RTE television documentary
• Jacob Poole of Growtown — And the Yola Dialect