Indefinite Composites and Word-Coinage 7) 
which might have been indefinitely extended—is meant to be sug- 
gestive only; it supplements the illustrative words already cited. 
Unless entry otherwise is made, the forms listed are from Wright’s 
English Dialect Dictionary, and no etymology, or theory of origin, 
was given for them there. The list is purposely confined mainly 
to contemporary dialect words. After all, it is these words which 
one approaches with fewest predilections, and concerning which, 
since they are contemporary, our Sprachgefiihl ought to be most 
reliable. As has been often pointed out, the processes of living 
dialect speech are often much more important for the investiga- 
tion of the problems of linguistics, than is investigation of the 
literary language. 
bash, strike, beat, smash. “Aa bashed me head,” “ Ye’ve bashed yer hat.” 
Barrere and Leland, Dictionary of Slang, following the New English 
Dictionary, suggest Scandinavian origin, and compare Swedish basa, 
strike; but note the group beat, bang, mash, smash, crush, etc. 
blash, a sudden blaze or flame. “Light sticks only make a blash,” “ His 
een blashed fire.”’ “A fire into which paraffin had been thrown was 
said to blash up.” Note blaze, flare, flash, etc. 
bumble, bungle, blunder, halt, stumble. “He bummled on an’ spoiled his 
work.” Note bungle, fumble, jumble, stumble, etc. 
cangle, quarrel, wrangle, haggle, cavil. “ We may not stay now to cangle.” 
Called “perhaps onomatopoetic,” in the New English Dictionary. 
Noted in the Century Dictionary as apparently a voiced frequentative 
of a verb cank, from camp, with possible Icelandic cognates. But cf. 
the group cavil, quarrel, wrangle, jangle, haggle, etc. 
chelp, chirp, squeak, yelp, chatter. ‘“ Children nowadays will chelp at you 
and sauce you,” “ The magpie chelps at ye.” Cf. chirp, cheep, chatter, 
yelp. , 
chirl, chirp, warble. “The laverock chirlt his cantie sang.” Cf. chirp, 
cheep, trill, shrill, etc. ; 
chittle, twitter, warble. ‘“ The birds are chittlin’ bonnily.” Cf. cheep, 
chirp, twitter, warble. 
criggle, wiggle, creep, crawl, wriggle. “I can feel ’un (the devil) just as 
if he was a-crigglin’ and a-crawlin’ in my head.” Cf. creep, crawl, 
wiggle, wriggle. 
croodle, huddle, crouch, curl, cringe, cuddle, fondle. “The lads croodled 
down,” “Come to mother and ’er’ll croodle yo.” Cf. crouch, cuddle, 
huddle, fondle, etc. 
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