The Dialect Questionnaire: The Results Part 2

So, the results are in!
158 respondents completed the Dialect Questionnaire Project between 27 March and 18 April 2012.
The Dialect Questionnaire is a project conducted by Ryedale Folk Museum and the School of English at the University of Leeds.

Scroll down to see a comparison between responses from 1955 and 2012 by respondents  associated with the southern area of the North York Moors in the North Riding of Yorkshire.

The 1955 responses come from the Survey of English Dialects.
The Survey has four data collection sites in this area: Helmsley, Easingwold, Borrowby and Bedale. See the map below.
The 2012 responses come for this dialect questionnaire project sited at Ryedale Folk Museum.


A comparison between the two sets of words can hint at the ways in which the usage of dialect words changes over time.
Words shown in green have been selected by the 2012 respondents but not by the 1955 respondents.
Words shown in red have been selected by the 1955 respondents but not by the 2012 respondents.

If you haven’t drunk anything for a long time, you will be very...     

2012 responses: THIRSTY, DRY, PARCHED UP or GAGGED
1955 responses: THIRSTY, DRY or PARCHED UP

What is left at the bottom of your teacup when you’ve finished drinking the tea?

2012 responses: DREGS or TEA-LEAVES
1955 responses: TEA-LEAVES or TEA-GROUNDS

If you haven’t eaten any food for a long time, you will be very...

2012 responses: FAMISHED or HUNGRY
1955 responses: HUNGRY or GANT

What do you call something that you eat between meals?

2012 responses: SNACK, BAIT, ELEVENSES, LOWANCE, TENSES, BIT OF A SNACK or SNAP
1955 responses: LOWANCE, TEN-O'CLOCKS, ELEVENSES or SNACK

What do you say you’ve got when your head hurts?

2012 responses: HEADACHE, A BAD HEAD or A SORE HEAD
1955 responses: HEADWARK

What do you call a very small piece of wood that has got into your finger?

2012 responses: SPLINTER, SPELL, SPEEL or SPELK
1955 responses: SPELL, SPELK or SPLINTER

What do you call any running water smaller than a river?
2012 responses: BECK, STREAM, BROOK, BURN, STELL or GILL
1955 responses: BECK, STREAM or STELL

A comparison between the two sets of words shows the ways in which the usage of dialect words changes over time.

If you come from the southern area of the North York Moors in the North Riding of Yorkshire:
Would you have used the 2012 words? Or, would you have the 1955 words? Or, would you have used different words altogether?

Coming next on Ryedale Folk Museum's blog: the results of the Dialect Questionnaire Project Part 3.
Part 3 is the final part of the Dialect Questionnaire Project. Don't miss it!

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