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Friday, October 03, 2008, 15:29
To help people understand what is being said, and to preserve the local dialect, libraries in that part of the county are putting together an East Notts dictionary.
They have folders in which people can note down words from their area, or learn some of the more obscure words which have already been added.
Claire Brown, from Ollerton library, helped initiate the scheme.
She said: "Many of our local words originate from the Saxon and French languages but over the centuries have become uniquely Nottinghamshire – in pronunciation and meaning."
Whilst many people may agree on how to pronounce a word, agreement on the spelling has caused a few arguments.
Mrs Brown said: "There are words such as causey (or corsey), which mean pavement, where people can't agree on the spelling. It hasn't reached the stage of people hitting each other with newspapers just yet but people are certainly interested!"
Louise Mullany, lecturer in Socio-Linguistics at the University of Nottingham, said people often retain certain words and phrases to maintain an affinity with the community in which they live.
But regional dialects are not as pronounced as they once were. "What we are seeing is the prominence of 'Estuary English', that is, language from the Thames, having a greater influence on the way people speak.
"As people are working less in the areas they live in, and commuting more, they are being exposed to other dialects."
People from Newark, Ollerton, Southwell, Lowdham, Balderton, Edwinstowe, Dukeries and Sutton-on-Trent are asked to contribute at 11 libraries.
Let us know about your favourite Notts sayings at www.thisisnottingham.co.uk
In case you are smockravelled (confused), a fuddle is an indoor picnic and suckers are lollipops.
Celia Kinsella at Newark library
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