A guide to understanding the Norfolk dialect (fur furriners)

Wherever you decide to go on your holiday it is always good to have at least a basic grasp of the local dialect.

A trip to the Norfolk Broads is no different. We know that for most of our customers Norfolk cannot be classed as foreign, however we do have our own unique dialect which has been around for hundreds of years and of which we are very proud.

So for those of you wishing to get the most out of your Norfolk Broads holiday why not larn yarself a bit a Norfolk before you arrive? Here is a selection of Norfolk words to get you started…

A

  • Accordin-lie (emphasis on lie) – accordingly
  • Acrorst – across
  • Afore – before
  • Afread – afraid
  • Agin – again
  • Ahind – behind
  • Alonga-me – along with me
  • Allus – always
  • An’orl – as well
  • Ar(t)er – after
  • Artunune – afternoon
  • Atwin – between
  • Ax – ask

B

  • Bein’as – because of
  • Bishy-barney-bee – ladybird
  • Blunder – fall over
  • Bor – boy (Norfolk way to address males)

C

  • Claggy – moist or sticky

D

  • Dast / Dust – dare
  • Dassent / Dussent – dare not
  • Dawg – dog
  • Dint – didn’t
  • Dudder – shiver
  • Dutty / Datty – dirty
  • Duzzy – silly or stupid

E

  • Ewe – owed

F

  • Fare – to be, feel or seem
  • Frazzeled – nervous, anxious
  • Friz / Frooze – freezing / frozen
  • Fumble–fisted – clumsy
  • Furriner – foreigner

G

  • Garp / Gorp – gape
  • Gret / Greart – great

H

  • Hamper – damage or hinder
  • Harnser – Heron
  • Hedge Betty – hedge sparrow
  • Het – heated
  • Hid – head
  • Hitch up – make room
  • Hold yew hard! – listen a minute, hang on a moment
  • Howsomever – however
  • Huh (on the) – uneven, not level

J

  • Jip – pain, aggravation

K

  • King Harry – Goldfinch
  • Know – knowledge

L

  • Larn – to teach
  • Lug – to carry
  • Lummox – clumsy person

M

  • Mardle – gossip or chat
  • Mawkin – scarecrow
  • Mawther – girl or woman
  • Mow in – join in, help out

N

  • Nonicking – horseplay

P

  • Pamment – pavement
  • Peerking – peering
  • Pightle – paddock
  • Pollywiggle – tadpole
  • Putting on parts – misbehaving, drawing attention to oneself

Q

  • Queer – Ill, sick

R

  • Rare – anything unusual
  • Run – to leak

S

  • Shiver – splinter
  • Shruck / shrook – shrieked
  • Smur – fine rain drizzle
  • Snew – snowed
  • Sorft – silly
  • Sosh (on the) – slanting
  • Squit – nonsense
  • Stingey – mean / cruel

T

  • Ta / Ter – the , this , that or it
  • Tempest – thunderstorm
  • Tidy – Good, fair
  • Tricolate – spruce up
  • Troshel – doorstep, threshold
  • Truck – anything to do

U

  • Unean – underneath
  • Uppards – upwards
  • Useter – used to

V

  • Vister – visitor, holiday maker

W

  • Wholly – very
  • Wick – nerves
  • Wittles – vittles, food

Y

  • Yis – yes
  • Yisty – yesterday

Z

  • Zackley – exactly

If this has whetted your appetite for the Norfolk language you can find out more at www.norfolkdialect.com

 

Did you find this article useful? Why not visit our Norfolk Broads boating holiday page or browse our fantastic boats for hire for more information on our services?