Verbal Characteristics of the West-Saxons. 



These words, however, belong more especially to the next 

 chapter. To descend from generals to particulars, let us notice 

 some of the verbal characteristics by which a "West-Saxon popu- 

 lation may be distinguished. As a rule it may be laid down 

 that the West- Saxons give a soft, and the Anglians and North- 

 men a hard sound to all their words. Thus in the New Forest 

 we find the West- Saxons saying burrow for barrow; haish for 

 harsh ; pleu for plough ; heth for heath, instead of the "hawth " 

 of the Eastern rapes of Sussex ; mash for marsh ; Gerge for 

 George ; slue for sloe, and again, for slough, the " slow " of the 

 north ; bin for been, and also being ; justle for jostle, as in 

 Nahum, ch. ii. v. 4 ; athert for athwart ; wool for hole ; ballat 

 for ballad, or, as it is pronounced in the more northern counties, 

 ballard ; ell for eel ; clot and clit for clod ; stiffle for stifle ; ruff 

 for roof, and so on. Thus, too, we meet here not with Deepdene, 

 but Dibden, spelt in Boazio's map of 1591, Debden. No 

 Chawton, but only Chewton occurs, no Farnham, but only 

 Fernham and Fernhill. 



The West- Saxons, too, have a peculiar drawl. So in the 

 New Forest we may hear them saying pearts for parts ; stwoane 

 for stone ; twereable for terrible ; measter (master], instead of 

 the Anglian " muster;" and yees instead of the Sussex "yus." 

 As others have also remarked, the West Saxon substitutes a 

 for o. So here we get lard for lord ; nat for not ; amang for 

 among ; knap for knop ; shart for short ; starm for storm ; and 

 Narmanton for Normanton. Not only this, but the West- Saxon 

 in the New Forest substitutes a for e, as in agg for egg, and lag 

 for leg. He not only retains the hard g, but gives a k when 

 he can, as in kiver for cover, and aker for acorn, the " aitchorn " 

 of the Anglian districts. Let us notice, too, that he always 

 changes the / into a v, as vern for fern, vire for fire, ewets 



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