Proceeding in the usual order of grammars, having disposed of the article, we come next to the substantives. These differ from the ordinary English in that they recognise only one "case" where English has two. The Northumbrian dialect dispenses with the possessive or genitive case almost entirely, and for "my father's hat," or "my uncle's wife's mother's house," say, "my faddher hat," and "my uncle wife muddher house." Upon which, all that need be remarked is that they have gone further in simplifying this part of speech than the rest of their countrymen, who have only abolished the dative and accusative cases from the parent languages of their speech. Extreme brevity and simplicity are eminently Norse and Northumbrian characteristics. We have already seen some remarkable instances in the versions of Solomon's Song, where we saw that the first three words, "I am the," are expressed in as many letters, namely, "I's t'"; and again in verse 14, "thou art in the," by "at 's i t'." We have here another instance in the abolition of the genitive case-ending, out of many more that might be added.
In pronouncing the days of the week we find: Sunnda for Sunday, Thorsda for Thursday, and Setterda for Saturday, always with the short da. The remaining days as in ordinary English.
In pronouns we find "wer" for "our," in the possessive case, from old Norse vârr.
Relative—At for who, which, that.
Demonstrative—T' The.
That theyar—that one.
Thoer—these or those.Indefinites—Summat=something, somewhat. From old Norse sum-hvat, somewhat.
The two following are common at Preston and adjacent districts:
Sooawhaasse=whosoever.
Sooawheddersa=whethersoever.
Correlative adjectival pronoun:
Sa mich=so much.
Swedish, Sâ mycket.
Adverbs from Scandinavian:
Backerds—backwards.
Connily—prettily, nicely.
eigh—yes; forrùt, forrud—forwards;
helder—preferably; i mornin—to-morrow;
i now—presently; lang sen—long since;
lowsley—loosely; neddher—lower nether;
neya—no; noo—now;
reetly—rightly; sa—so; sen—since;
Shamfully—Shamefully.
Shaply—shapely; sooa—so.
tull—to; weel—well; whaar—where.