Understand
Cumbrian dialect champion vows never to abandon her 79-year mother tongue
Overview
Jean Scott-Smith, the 79-year-old president of the Lakeland Dialect Society, has spoken about her lifelong dedication to the Cumbrian dialect ahead of a national festival. Growing up in Shap, she was forbidden from speaking her native tongue at school during the 1950s, but she continues to encourage pupils to keep the historical language alive. The dialect features Celtic, Anglo-Saxon, and Norse-Irish influences, maintaining close ties to Icelandic.
Key points
- Jean Scott-Smith, 79, has spoken the Cumbrian dialect all her life and serves as the president of the Lakeland Dialect Society.
- She was told 'to speak properly' and forbidden from using her mother tongue at school during the 1950s.
- The Cumbrian dialect incorporates influences from Celtic, Anglo-Saxon, and Norse-Irish cultures.
- Norse-Irish influences contributed words such as 'fell' for mountain and 'beck' for stream, creating a close relationship with Icelandic.
- Members of the Lakeland Dialect Society are participating in a national dialect festival in Bradford.
- Scott-Smith views the dialect as her identity and continues to visit schools to encourage children to preserve local words.