Richard Stanbery

England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand.
These are the most commonly known areas that were/are part of or influenced greatly by the culture of the British Isles. We see many commonalities in the cultures of these areas, but also the differences are there too.

What are some unique cultural holdovers from olden times that are preserved in some areas, but not in others?

Here is one from my area, the Appalachian mountains. Hear what the speech of the Scots-Irish of 250 years ago sounded like as spoken daily in the Appalachian areas of the USA.


America is a diverse culture. If you drive down the road three hours or so from the Appalachian mountains, you encounter the lowlander brogue of North Carolina. Hear the difference...

Vocabulary differences abound. Words like "mommucked" verses "gaumed", being two examples of the vocabulary differences. The words "whopperjawed" verses "si-goggling" being two others. And that is just differences in the Southern American culture. Yankees and folks from Michigan or Wisconsin might be a little lost when hearing it. Californians would be as good as foreighners. And so, America is full of unique culturalisms.

Anybody else have any unique and interesting cultural phenomena from the children of Albion? Whats in your neck of the woods?
Come on now. Ifn you'uns is got airy bit of culture that needs a lookin' at, don't be longheaded and dilliatary. Brang it out and let us have a look at it. This is your time. Dont wait so long 'at you loose your shine.

galteeman

I heard a person today from the Irish midlands on the radio use the word afeard instead of afraid. I nearly burst a gut laughing. Do people in the American south ever use that word? It sounds like something from the movie Deliverance lol.

Richard Stanbery

Yes, we use it all the time in the Appalachian dialect. Its not used too much anywhere else in America, though usually understood.

Understanding the Appalachian culture is a strange thing. The young folks that grow up here sometimes distance themselves from thier roots when they get grown. They move away to the big cities and assimilate there.
But when they get old, they often times return to the mountains to retire. They buy a farm and revert totally back to thier Appalacian raisings, lock stock and barrel. They often talk more Appalachain than they did as kids growing up here.
Kinda funny, aint it?

PADDYBOY

We say feart, which has the same meaning as afeard. Folks round here are more likely to say feart, than afraid. so it's common usage.

Richard Stanbery

Paddyboy, are you in Ireland?

PADDYBOY

Only my heart, Richard.
I'm in South East Scotland. I live in the countryside and the Scottish dialect is quite strong round here. Sometimes, even other Scots can't understand us.

Richard Stanbery

Do you ever hear the word "Larapin"? As in, these taters are larapin good?

PADDYBOY

Taters being potatoes ? we call them tatties or spuds.
I'm not familiar with larapin, I'm afraid (feart) though we use 'loupin' which is the opposite of good

Richard Stanbery

How about "Yon"? Appalachians are about the only Americans that I know that still say yon, as in "over by yon tree".
Is that still said in Scotland?

Or "nary", as in "none"?

Hey, Im starting to think we are speaking the same language?

Chookie

Larapin? Whats the etymology? It sounds vaguely Irish.

What are the your local equivalents of "glaikit wee sumph" or "shilpit wee nyaff" from Paddyboys neck of the woods, or "amadan" and "bonna-sia" from mine?