DICTIONARY OF ARCHAIC AND PROVINCIAL WORDS.
Will you allow me to suggest that, under the above, or some such heading, "N. & Q." should receive any words not to be found in any well-known dictionary; such, for instance, as Halliwell's or Webster's, which do not by any means contain all the words belonging to the class of which they profess to be the repositories. You may also invite barristers, reporters, professional men generally, and others, to send such waifs of this description as they meet with. "N. & Q." will then soon become in this department of literature, as it is already in many others, a rich mine from which future authors will draw precious store of knowledge. I will begin by giving one or two examples.
Earth-burn. An intermittent land-spring, which may not show itself for several years. There is such a spring, and so named, near to Epsom.
Lavant. A land-spring, according to Halliwell. But this also is an intermittent spring. The word is probably from lava, to flow.
Pick. (Lancashire.) To push with the hand. "I gen her a pick;" that is, "I pushed her from me;" or, "I gave her a violent push forward."
Pick is also the instrument colliers get coals with; or an excavator gets earth with; or a stonemason uses to take the "rough" off a stone. He may also finish the face of ashlar by "fine-picking" it.
Gen. (Lancashire.) A contraction of the word gave.
ROBERT RAWLINSON.
P.S.—I have seen, in a court of justice in Lancashire, judge and counsel fairly set fast with a broad spoken county person; and many of the words in common use are not to be found in any dictionary or glossary. Again, I have spoken to reporters as to technical words used at such meetings, for instance, as those of the mechanical engineers in Birmingham, and I have been informed that they are frequently bewildered and surprised at the numbers of words in use having the same meaning, but which are not to be found in any dictionary. It would be of the utmost value to seize and fix these words.
R. R.
[The proposal of our correspondent jumps so completely with the object of "N. & Q.," as announced in our original Prospectus, that we not only insert it, but hope that his invitation will be responded to by all who meet with archaisms either in their reading or in their intercourse with natives of those various districts of England which are richest in provincialisms.—ED.]