Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1869-04-16
PRovINCIALIsMs.

The following from the March number Of
LiPpiacott's Nagaziae concerns this locaIi-
ty so closely, that we copy the article in re-
lation to PfovinciaIism Of Pennsylvania al
most entire
Extending from Harrisburg. Pennsylva-
MIA, Hagerstown in Maryland, is the fertile
and populous Cumberland Valley, whose
continuation in Virginia is the famous Val
ley Of Shenandoah. Here, in early times,
settled numerous Protestant emigrants from
the North Of ireland, of Scottish origin.
Many Gormsns have since penetrated the
Valley, but they have made no impression
upon the language as previously spoken.
Western Pennsylvania and portions Of Ohio
and West Virginia, likewise settled by the
Scotch Irish betray many Of the same pecu-
/ liarties of speech
Apart from the history of this class of our
people, whose industrious habits and at
tachmeut to civil aad religious freedom have
rendered them a valuable element in our
population, glance at their peculiarities of
/ speech y Ill oo,4riaee Tho sfpdeDt that their
I origin was not far from the Scottish board
er, and that the identity of name between
the Cumberland region in Pennsylvania and
the Cumbrian in England is not accidental.
In DO part Of England is so much of the
Auglo-Saxon retained, while just beyond
the border, though bearing the name of
Scotch, live people Of the same origin,
whose dialect in former days differed but
little from that spoken at the time in
the North of England.
IN the Cumberland Valley many of the
unsducated say 'Apric, with long for
April
All including the educated, say ''bealing"
and 'bealed, " in speaking of common sore
or boil--the noun 'bealing and the past
tense 'boaled suppurated, were once au-
thorized, but they are now obsolete, except
/ in Durham, England.
'Be to be, for ought to be, or viii be. :
For I will be there, an uneducated person
may say, I be TO be there
The cold, for "a cold, taking the word
dsfnitely, as we may say the toothache,
the measles.
Fist (ilong), little dog.
Further, in an improper conno ion, for
As far as'-'This is all the futaer the les
on goes.
'Horseboast, and sometimes beast, for
horse. A woman, visiting, said We
nall have to be getting home before dark,
or we have wild beast in our carriage.
Brockett, in his Vocabulary Of North C0tn-
iY Words, says, In some parts of Scot
and the horse, by way of emincnee, is de-
dominated the beast, no other animal re-
Giving that designation.
Hate, for the least bit'-'There IS not
(; hate Of truth in that report Webster
tiyes, under fought, whit as the Saxon;
.lso "aht," the smallest thing. Compare
7ith the whit, in the sentence, He Is
lot whit better than before.
'Hallow' en-, or All Hallow Eve, ancient
v the vigil of All Saints Day. This is OBJ
sryed by young people in the North Of
Ingland, who attempt various devices for
fretelIing their fate in matrimony, such as
dipping for apples aAoat in water In
Pennsylvania, besides sport of this kind, the
boys perambulate the streets throwing
sheled corn at the windows, and the more
nischievous delight in transferring one s
oabbages and boets from the garden to the
porch, and in moving gates from their
hinges.
Jag, to prick, to pierce, as with a pin
or thorn.
Lift, as to lift collection, where
others would say to take up.