Gower dialect

The Gower Peninsula on the south Wales coast was Normanised/Anglicised relatively early after the Norman conquest of England. Relatively cut off from the Welsh hinterland, but with coastal links across south Wales and the West Country, the region developed a distinct English dialect which endured to within living memory.

Peninsular Gower was geographically insulated from ‘mainland’ modern language influences until well into the twentieth century. A number of words and pronunciations were recorded during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries as distinct usages in Gower - many of which might once have been widespread but which had fallen out of use in the developing standard English. A few of the Gower words seem to derive from the Welsh language (e.g. 'pentan'), but many more of the words and usages are cognate with English country dialects including those of South Devon, Somerset and Wiltshire.

Angletouch - a worm

Back - iron plate, part of a dredge

Beader/bidder - person appointed to summon guests to a Gower wedding

Bellamine - unglazed brown earthenware pitcher (cf Bellarmine)

Bett - prepared turf used for hedging

Blonkers - sparks

Bossey - a calf still running with its mother

Bubback - scarecrow ; dull person

Bumbagus - the bittern (cf Welsh aderyn y bwn)

Butt - a small cart

Caffle - tangle

Carthen - winnowing sheet

Casn't - cannot

Cassaddle - harness piece for a draught horse

Cavey - humble

Charnel - box-like space above the fireplace, often used for hanging bacon

Clavvy/ Clevvy - large oak beam supporting the inner wall of a chimney

Clever - fine (adj)

Cliffage - tithe on quarried lime stone, payable to the Lord of the Manor

Cloam - earthenware

Cratch - haystack

Culm - small coal used in lime-burning

Cust - could

Cuzzening - coaxing

Dab - a large stone used in playing duckstone

Deal - a litter (of pigs)

Dobbin - large mug

Dowset - Gower dish, similar to 'whitepot' (below)

Drangway - narrow lane or alleyway

Drashel - a flail

Dree - three

Dreppance - three pence

Drow - throw

Dryth - dryness

Dumbledarry - cockchafer

Evil - a three pronged dung-fork

Frawst / froist - a dainty meal (n); frightened/astonished (adj)

Gake - yawn

Galeeny - guinea-fowl

Gambo - a cart; wagon

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Wikipedia