Women to have their voices heard in new study of British dialect 

Stanley Ellis, SED fieldworker, with Tom Mason from the original survey 
Stanley Ellis, SED fieldworker, with Tom Mason from the original survey 

Women will finally be represented in a new study of British language, which aims to show that regional dialect is alive and well.

Between 1963 and 1983, Leeds Institute of Dialect and Folk Life Studies, carried out a huge project to map 300 regional differences across England.

It determined where people mash, mask, make or scald their tea, take a bait, jock, snap or packed lunch or use the insult daft, silly, gormless or barmy.

But the team largely sought out older men, believing that they were less likely to alter their speech out of politeness than women and so were a better representation of a true dialect.

Now, in a project funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, Leeds University is opening up the archive to the public and wants to add to it, to find out how language has developed in the previous decades. This time, all sexes and ages will be represented.

A recent study by Cambridge suggested that regional dialect is dying out but the Leeds team are hoping to show that it is still present.

They also want relatives of people who took part in the original project will get in touch so they can see how language has changed through the generations in families.

Dr Fiona Douglas, who is leading the Dialect and Heritage project, said: “When the first survey was carried out they were looking to record language almost like a time capsule from the past, so they sought out older men, some of whom had been born in the 1890s.

“There was a feeling that women were slightly more uptight and would tend to modify their language out of politeness. This time we want a full representation from across the board so we will get some really up to date phrases.

"Dialect and heritage are incredibly important today, just as they were in the past. I think language is changing but I don’t think dialect is dying out. Only recently I came across all the different words people have for remote control. A doofer, a changer, a remote. And that’s a very new device.

“I think people still feel it is an important part of themselves and where they live.”

The four year project will make the contents of the archive publicly available online and work with museums across England to display parts of the archives which ware relent to their region for the first time.

The Heritage Lottery Fund has awarded the project £65,000 in an initial grant to develop the plans, and detailed proposals will be considered at a second round before a final decision is made on the full funding award of £798,000.

Ros Kerslake, chief executive of the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), said the project explored a "truly fascinating aspect" of English heritage.

"Everybody uses language particular to their local area and family, and thanks to National Lottery players, people across England will be able to explore this more fully, and our many dialects will continue to be recorded into the future," she said.

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