t'

I've now lived for thirteen years in Yorkshire, first on the edge of the North York Moors and now in the valley. Perhaps one day we'll go back to Northumberland, or even move to the warm south. (But my sister would disown me.) In the meantime, however long I stay here, I will always be an offcumdun. Offcumdun is the Yorkshire word for a newcomer. I think I'm an accepted one.

One aspect of Yorkshire that I had to learn pretty quickly was the accent and dialect. I'd heard people trying to do Yorkshire accents and saying t', and thought it was an exaggeration. Then we came to the valley and heard it all 'time.

T' is an abbreviation for 'the'. 'She's gone to weed t'garden'. 'She planted trees int' garden',
'there's a cat sitting ont' wall', 'take this to t'post office'. Sometimes it's not even a t', just a glottal stop.

Eeh, well, this won't buy t'bairn a new frock. I've got t' e-mails to to do, and I 'aven't washed t'pots yet.