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. |