Wit, Character, Folklore and Customs of the North Riding

The Yorkshire Folk-Speech Is Not a Dialect, but a Language

To those unacquainted with our folk-speech, the following list will be helpful when reading. A glossary of words now in use in the North Riding will be found at the end of the volume.

Ah	= I.
Ah’s	= (I is) I am.
Ah s’	= I shall.
’an	= than.
’at	= that, which, who.
i’	= in, ’iv’ before a vowel.
i’ ’t	= in it.
i’ t’	= in the.
’ll	= will.
ma	= me.
mah	= my.
na	= nor, no, than.
o’	= on, also of.
ov	= of.
’s	= is, has, or as.
s’	= shall.
‘t	= it.
t’	= the.
ta	= thou or you.
ti	= to.
ti t’	= to the.
ti ‘t	= to it.
till	= to.
tiv, used before a vowel = to.
wa	= we.
wi’	= with, as a rule ‘wiv’ before a vowel.
ya	= you.
yer	= your.
yah, adj., personal numeral = one.
yan, adj. = one.
ya’d	= you had or you would.